BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1135
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CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB 1135 (Mullin)
As Amended June 25, 2013
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: |52-25|(April 15, |SENATE: |24-11|(August 19, |
| | |2013) | | |2013) |
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Original Committee Reference: E. & R.
SUMMARY : Expands the list of documents a county elections
official may use to compare to the signature on a vote by mail
(VBM) ballot identification envelope. Specifically, this bill :
1)Permits a county elections official, upon receipt of a VBM
ballot, to compare the signature on the identification
envelope with either of the following, in addition to the
signature appearing on the voter's current affidavit of
registration:
a) The signature appearing on any previous affidavit of
registration of the voter; or,
b) The signature appearing on a form issued by an elections
official that contains the voter's signature, that is part
of the voter's registration record, and that the elections
official has determined compares with the signature on the
voter's affidavit of registration or any previous affidavit
of registration of the voter.
2)Permits an elections official to make the determination of
whether a signature on a VBM ballot compares with the
signatures on file for that voter by reviewing a series of
signatures appearing on official forms in the voter's
registration record that have been determined to compare, that
demonstrate the progression of the voter's signature, and
makes evident that the signature on the identification
envelope is that of the voter.
3)Makes corresponding changes.
FISCAL EFFECT : None. This bill is keyed non-fiscal by the
AB 1135
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Legislative Counsel.
The Senate amendments make technical changes to the bill.
COMMENTS : According to the author, "Signatures often change
over time. For example, a young voter who registers to vote at
17 or 18 may not have solidified his or her permanent signature.
In addition, as use of electronic signatures increases, young
voters may not have developed a handwritten signature in the
first place. Similarly, elderly voters' signatures often change
with age.
"In current law, the only signature permitted for use in
verifying a voter's ballot is the signature attached to the
original registration affidavit. This means ballots are being
summarily rejected, despite access to more recent signatures in
a voter's registration record. Tying a voter's signature to the
original registration affidavit does not account for signatures
that change or develop over time."
The Senate amendments delete provisions in the bill that would
have allowed any supporting document that contained the voter's
signature and was part of the voter's registration record to be
used to determine whether signatures compared. As amended in
the Senate, this bill instead permits the elections official to
use a previous affidavit of registration or a signature
appearing on a form issued by an elections official that
contains the voter's signature, that is part of the voter's
registration record, and that the elections official has
determined compares with the signature on the voter's affidavit
of registration or any previous affidavit of registration of the
voter. The bill as passed by the Senate is consistent with
Assembly actions.
Please see the policy committee analysis for a full discussion
of this bill.
Analysis Prepared by : Nichole Becker / E. & R. / (916)
319-2094
FN: 0001477
AB 1135
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