BILL ANALYSIS
SB 172
Page 1
SENATE THIRD READING
SB 172 (Florez)
As Amended July 14, 2009
Majority vote
SENATE VOTE :21-15
ELECTIONS 4-2 APPROPRIATIONS 12-5
------------------------------------------------------------------
|Ayes:|Fong, Coto, Mendoza, |Ayes:|De Leon, Ammiano, |
| |Swanson | |Charles Calderon, Coto, |
| | | |Davis, Fuentes, Hall, John |
| | | |A. Perez, |
| | | |Skinner, Solorio, |
| | | |Torlakson, Hill |
| | | | |
------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|Nays:|Adams, Bill Berryhill |Nays:|Conway, Duvall, Harkey, |
| | | |Miller, Audra Strickland |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY : Extends the period of time, from two federal general
elections to four presidential elections, between the date that
a voter's name is placed on the list of inactive voters and the
date that voter's registration is cancelled for failure to
appear to vote or offer to vote at any election.
EXISTING LAW :
1) Permits a county to conduct an alternative residency
confirmation procedure for any voter who has not voted in the
preceding four years. Provides that if a county chooses to
conduct this procedure, it shall send a forwardable postcard
to every voter who has not voted in the preceding four years
with a request that the voter confirm his or her residence
address.
2) Provides that a voter's name may be placed on the inactive
file for the following reasons:
a) When a residential confirmation mailing sent to a
voter is returned by the post office as undeliverable and
SB 172
Page 2
provides no forwarding address for the voter, or the
voter's forwarding address is outside the county; or,
b) When the voter fails to confirm his or her address as
part of the alternate residency confirmation process.
3) Provides that a voter whose name is placed in the inactive
file may have his or her registration cancelled if he or she
fails to offer to vote or vote at any election between the
date of the residential confirmation mailing and two federal
general elections.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, negligible fiscal impact.
COMMENTS : According to the author; "Current law allows a county
registrar discretion to cancel a voter on the inactive list if
they have not voted in the previous [two] federal, general
elections. . . This bill merely changes that timeline to four
presidential elections. . . During ballot count procedures, the
author's staff witnessed a number of ballots not be counted,
that were otherwise perfectly valid, due to the fact that the
voter had not voted in a while and had been canceled by the
registrar."
Analysis Prepared by : Lori Barber / E. & R. / (916) 319-2094
FN:
0002298