BILL NUMBER: AB 891	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Jones

                        FEBRUARY 22, 2013

   An act to amend Section 2157 of the Elections Code, relating to
voter registration.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   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 1.  Section 2157 of the Elections Code is amended to read:
   2157.  (a) Subject to this chapter, the paper affidavit of
registration shall be in a form prescribed by regulations adopted by
the Secretary of State. The affidavit shall  comply with all of
the following  :
   (1) Contain the information prescribed in Section 2150.
   (2) Be sufficiently uniform among the separate counties to allow
for the processing and use by one county of an affidavit completed in
another county.
   (3) Allow for the inclusion of informational language to meet the
specific needs of that county, including, but not limited to, the
return address of the elections official in that county, and a
telephone number at which a voter can obtain elections information in
that county.
   (4) Be included on one portion of a multipart card, to be known as
a voter registration card, the other portions of which shall include
information sufficient to facilitate completion and mailing of the
affidavit. The affidavit portion of the multipart card shall be
numbered according to regulations adopted by the Secretary of State.
For purposes of facilitating the distribution of voter registration
cards as provided in Section 2158, there shall be attached to the
affidavit portion a receipt. The receipt shall be separated from the
body of the affidavit by a perforated line.
   (5) Contain, in a type size and color of ink that is clearly
distinguishable from surrounding text, a statement identical or
substantially similar to the following:
   "Certain voters facing life-threatening situations may qualify for
confidential voter status. For more information, please contact the
Secretary of State's Safe At Home program or visit the Secretary of
State's Web site."
   (6) Contain, in a type size and color of ink that is clearly
distinguishable from surrounding text, a statement that the use of
voter registration information for commercial purposes is a
misdemeanor pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 2194  and
Section 18109  , and any suspected misuse shall be reported to
the Secretary of State.
   (7) Contain a toll-free fraud hotline telephone number maintained
by the Secretary of State that the public may use to report suspected
fraudulent activity concerning misuse of voter registration
information.
   (8) Be returnable to the county elections official as a
self-enclosed mailer with postage prepaid by the Secretary of State.
   (b) Nothing contained in this division shall prevent the use of
voter registration cards and affidavits of registration in existence
on the effective date of this section and produced pursuant to
regulations of the Secretary of State, and all references to voter
registration cards and affidavits in this division shall be applied
to the existing voter registration cards and affidavits of
registration.
   (c) The Secretary of State may continue to supply existing
affidavits of registration prior to printing new or revised forms
that reflect the changes required pursuant to this section, Section
2150, or Section 2160.
   (d) Nothing in this division shall prevent the lawful use of an
affidavit of registration form provided on a county's Internet Web
site, provided that the county offered the form on the county's
Internet Web site on or before January 1, 2012, and the affidavit
meets the requirements of paragraphs (1), (3), and paragraphs (5) to
(7), inclusive, of subdivision (a). This subdivision shall be in
effect until the Secretary of State makes affidavits of registration
available pursuant to subdivision (e).
   (e) The Secretary of State shall, in consultation with county
elections officials, design and make available on his or her Internet
Web site an affidavit of registration. The affidavit shall 
comply with all of the following  :
   (1) Contain the information prescribed in Section 2150.
   (2) Be numbered according to regulations adopted by the Secretary
of State.
   (3) Contain, in a type size that is clearly distinguishable from
surrounding text, a statement identical or substantially similar to
the following: "Certain voters facing life-threatening situations may
qualify for confidential voter status. For more information, please
contact the Secretary of State's Safe At Home program or visit the
Secretary of State's Web site."
   (4) Contain, in a type size that is clearly distinguishable from
surrounding text, a statement that the use of voter registration
information for commercial purposes is a misdemeanor pursuant to
subdivision (a) of Section 2194  and Section 18109  , and
any suspected misuse shall be reported to the Secretary of State.
   (5) Contain a toll-free fraud hotline telephone number maintained
by the Secretary of State that the public may use to report suspected
fraudulent activity concerning misuse of voter registration
information.
   (6) Be returnable to the county elections official.
   (f) Affidavits of registration provided on the Internet Web site
of a county or of the Secretary of State shall be for individual use
only and not for use by organizations seeking to register people to
vote pursuant to Section 2158.