BILL NUMBER: SB 970	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  JUNE 14, 2010
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  JUNE 10, 2010
	AMENDED IN SENATE  JUNE 1, 2010
	AMENDED IN SENATE  MAY 18, 2010
	AMENDED IN SENATE  MAY 6, 2010
	AMENDED IN SENATE  MARCH 11, 2010

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Corbett
   (Coauthor: Senator Hancock)

                        FEBRUARY 5, 2010

   An act to add and repeal Article 6 (commencing with Section 12290)
to Chapter 3 of Division 12 of the Elections Code, relating to
elections.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 970, as amended, Corbett. Preelection day voting.
   Existing law generally requires voters who wish to vote and who do
not cast their ballots by mail to cast their ballot at the precinct
polling place on election day.
   This bill would permit, until December 31, 2016, the Secretary of
State, in conjunction with the county elections officials, the
University of California, and the California State University, to
select 2 college campuses, one within the University of California
and one within the California State University, to each serve as
preelection day polling places for any precinct in the county's
jurisdiction during at least one general election. The bill would
require voluntary consent from the local elections official within
whose jurisdiction a preelection day voting polling place would be
located for preelection day voting to take place in that
jurisdiction. The bill would require that the preelection day polling
places be open to receive votes on the 5 business days preceding
election day. The bill would require each county elections official
who has a preelection day polling place within his or her
jurisdiction during an election to report to the Legislature and the
Secretary of State regarding the use of the preelection day voting
polling place within 6 months of the date of the election. The
Secretary of State would then be required to report to the
Legislature regarding an assessment of early voting on college
campuses by examining the participation in the program and the costs
to the state for implementing the program.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following: 
   (a) There is a correlation between preelection day voting and
higher instances of voter turnout.  
   (b) 
    (a)  Preelection day voting on college campuses will
allow college students more time to vote and thereby more effectively
manage their busy class schedules. 
   (c) 
    (b)  Research findings show that the younger a voter
becomes engaged in the political process, the more likely he or she
will remain an active participant in our democratic system of
government.
  SEC. 2.  Article 6 (commencing with Section 12290) is added to
Chapter 3 of Division 12 of the Elections Code, to read:

      Article 6.  Preelection Day Voting Polling Places on College
Campuses


   12290.  (a) For at least one general election from January 1,
2011, but prior to December 31, 2016, the Secretary of State, in
conjunction with the county elections officials, the University of
California, and the California State University, may establish
preelection day voting polling places on two college campuses in the
state, subject to the following conditions:
   (1) One of the college campuses shall be within the University of
California. The campus selected must have at least 20,000 registered
students at the time of selection.
   (2) One of the college campuses shall be within the California
State University. The campus selected must have at least 13,000
registered students at the time of selection.
   (3) Preelection day voting shall not take place absent the
voluntary consent of the local elections official within whose
jurisdiction a preelection day voting polling place would be located.

   (b) Each college campus selected to be a preelection day voting
polling place shall serve as the polling place for any precinct in
the county's jurisdiction.
   12291.  A preelection day voting polling place established
pursuant to Section 12290 shall be open during the five business days
prior to the date of the election. For each day that the preelection
day voting polling place is open to receive votes prior to the date
of the election, the provisions of Chapter 1 (commencing with Section
14000), Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 14100), and Chapter 3
(commencing with Section 14200) of Division 14, except Section 14212,
shall apply.
   12292.  A preelection day voting polling place may not be
established for any election other than a general election as it
applies to the pilot program in this article.
   12293.  (a) Each county elections official who has a preelection
day voting polling place within his or her jurisdiction during an
election shall report to the Legislature and the Secretary of State
regarding the election within six months after the date of the
election as it applies to the pilot program in this article. This
report shall include, at a minimum, statistics regarding the cost of
a preelection day voting polling place, the turnout of voters at the
preelection day voting polling place, and any problems with
preelection day voting polling place voting that has been made known
to the elections official.
   (b) After receiving the reports from the county elections
officials pursuant to subdivision (a) but not later than eight months
after the date of the election, the Secretary of State shall report
to the Legislature regarding an assessment of early voting on college
campuses by examining the participation in the program as well as
the costs to the state for implementing this article on these two
campuses.
   12294.  This article shall remain in effect only until December
31, 2016, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted
statute, that is enacted before December 31, 2016, deletes or extends
that date.