AB 891, as introduced, Jones. Voter registration: requirements.
Existing law sets forth the procedures for registering to vote and processing voter registration information and requires the Secretary of State to adopt regulations that prescribe the form of the voter’s affidavit of registration.
This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to these provisions.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 2157 of the Elections Code is amended
2to read:
(a) Subject to this chapter, the paper affidavit of
4registration shall be in a form prescribed by regulations adopted
5by the Secretary of State. The affidavit shallbegin insert comply with all of the
6followingend insert:
7(1) Contain the information prescribed in Section 2150.
8(2) Be sufficiently uniform among the separate counties to allow
9for the processing and use by one county of an affidavit completed
10in another county.
P2 1(3) Allow for the inclusion of informational language to meet
2the specific needs of that county, including, but not limited to, the
3
return address of the elections official in that county, and a
4telephone number at which a voter can obtain elections information
5in that county.
6(4) Be included on one portion of a multipart card, to be known
7as a voter registration card, the other portions of which shall include
8information sufficient to facilitate completion and mailing of the
9affidavit. The affidavit portion of the multipart card shall be
10numbered according to regulations adopted by the Secretary of
11State. For purposes of facilitating the distribution of voter
12registration cards as provided in Section 2158, there shall be
13attached to the affidavit portion a receipt. The receipt shall be
14separated from the body of the affidavit by a perforated line.
15(5) Contain, in a type size and color of ink that is clearly
16distinguishable from surrounding text, a statement identical or
17substantially similar to the
following:
18“Certain voters facing life-threatening situations may qualify
19for confidential voter status. For more information, please contact
20the Secretary of State’s Safe At Home program or visit the
21Secretary of State’s Web site.”
22(6) Contain, in a type size and color of ink that is clearly
23distinguishable from surrounding text, a statement that the use of
24voter registration information for commercial purposes is a
25misdemeanor pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 2194begin insert and
26Section 18109end insert, and any suspected misuse shall be reported to the
27Secretary of State.
28(7) Contain a toll-free fraud hotline telephone number
29maintained by the Secretary of State that the public may use to
30report suspected fraudulent activity concerning misuse of
voter
31registration information.
32(8) Be returnable to the county elections official as a
33self-enclosed mailer with postage prepaid by the Secretary of State.
34(b) Nothing contained in this division shall prevent the use of
35voter registration cards and affidavits of registration in existence
36on the effective date of this section and produced pursuant to
37regulations of the Secretary of State, and all references to voter
38registration cards and affidavits in this division shall be applied to
39the existing voter registration cards and affidavits of registration.
P3 1(c) The Secretary of State may continue to supply existing
2affidavits of registration prior to printing new or revised forms
3that reflect the changes required pursuant to this section, Section
42150, or Section 2160.
5(d) Nothing in this division shall prevent the lawful use of an
6affidavit of registration form provided on a county’s Internet Web
7site, provided that the county offered the form on the county’s
8Internet Web site on or before January 1, 2012, and the affidavit
9meets the requirements of paragraphs (1), (3), and paragraphs (5)
10to (7), inclusive, of subdivision (a). This subdivision shall be in
11effect until the Secretary of State makes affidavits of registration
12available pursuant to subdivision (e).
13(e) The Secretary of State shall, in consultation with county
14elections officials, design and make available on his or her Internet
15Web site an affidavit of registration. The affidavit shallbegin insert comply
16with all of the followingend insert:
17(1) Contain the information prescribed in Section 2150.
18(2) Be numbered according to regulations adopted by the
19Secretary of State.
20(3) Contain, in a type size that is clearly distinguishable from
21surrounding text, a statement identical or substantially similar to
22the following: “Certain voters facing life-threatening situations
23may qualify for confidential voter status. For more information,
24please contact the Secretary of State’s Safe At Home program or
25visit the Secretary of State’s Web site.”
26(4) Contain, in a type size that is clearly distinguishable from
27surrounding text, a statement that the use of voter registration
28information for commercial purposes is a misdemeanor pursuant
29to subdivision (a) of Section 2194begin insert and Section 18109end insert, and any
30
suspected misuse shall be reported to the Secretary of State.
31(5) Contain a toll-free fraud hotline telephone number
32maintained by the Secretary of State that the public may use to
33report suspected fraudulent activity concerning misuse of voter
34registration information.
35(6) Be returnable to the county elections official.
36(f) Affidavits of registration provided on the Internet Web site
37of a county or of the Secretary of State shall be for individual use
P4 1only and not for use by organizations seeking to register people
2to vote pursuant to Section 2158.
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