BILL ANALYSIS �
SJR 6
Page 1
SENATE THIRD READING
SJR 6 (Yee)
As Introduced February 25, 2013
Majority vote
SENATE VOTE :24-11
ELECTIONS 5-1
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|Ayes:|Fong, Bocanegra, Bonta, | | |
| |Hall, Perea | | |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Donnelly | | |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Proclaims the Legislature's support for federal
legislation that is intended to ensure that voters in elections
for federal office do not wait in long lines in order to vote.
Specifically, this resolution :
1)Makes the following findings and declarations:
a) The right to vote is a fundamental right of citizens of
the United States;
b) It is a fundamental principle of our representative
democracy that citizens shall not be required to overcome
unreasonable obstacles in order to exercise their right to
vote;
c) At the presidential election on November 6, 2012, voters
in Florida, Virginia, Ohio, and other states waited in line
for up to seven hours to cast ballots, and some voters were
required to wait in line well after the polls were closed;
d) More than 200,000 voters in Florida likely decided not
to vote in the election held on November 6, 2012, because
of their frustration with long lines;
e) United States Senator Barbara Boxer has introduced in
Congress the Lines Interfere with National Elections Act of
2013 (LINE Act), which would amend the Help America Vote
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Act of 2002, to ensure that voters in elections for federal
office do not wait in long lines in order to vote;
f) The LINE Act would require the United States Attorney
General, in consultation with the Election Assistance
Commission (EAC), to issue standards by January 1, 2014,
regarding the minimum number of voting systems, poll
workers, and other election resources needed on election
day and during early voting periods to prevent a waiting
time of more than one hour at any polling place;
g) The LINE Act would require states where a substantial
number of voters waited longer than 90 minutes to cast a
vote in the presidential election held on November 6, 2012,
or any election for federal office held after that date, to
comply with a remedial plan to minimize the waiting times
of voters and to ensure voters do not face similar delays
in the future; and,
h) An election system with fair access provides the
greatest guard to our rights and liberties.
2)Declares that the Legislature of the State of California
supports the LINE Act and memorializes Congress to pass, and
President Obama to sign, the LINE Act.
FISCAL EFFECT : This resolution is keyed non-fiscal by the
Legislative Counsel.
COMMENTS : According to the author, "On Election Day, voters
across our state and nation make their voices heard by electing
representatives to best represent their district and its issues.
While millions of voters easily casted their votes in the recent
presidential election last November, voters in states like
Florida, Ohio and Virginia were faced with long lines at polling
places. So long, in fact, that in one polling place in Miami,
voters waited up to seven hours before finally having their
opportunity to vote?.This bill urges the United States Congress
and the President of the United States to pass Senate Bill 58 -
LINE Act of 2013 to ensure that voters have fair access to the
election system and our democracy."
On January 22, 2013, Senator Barbara Boxer introduced S. 58, the
LINE Act of 2013. Under the provisions of the LINE Act, as
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introduced, the United States Attorney General, in coordination
with the EAC to the extent practicable, would be required to
issue standards regarding the minimum number of voting systems,
poll workers, and other election resources for each voting site
on the day of federal elections and during any period of early
voting for federal elections with the goal of ensuring an equal
waiting time for all voters in each state and to prevent a
waiting time of over one hour at any polling place. States
would be required to comply with these standards beginning
September 15, 2014. The LINE Act provides that the standards
developed by the Attorney General shall take into account
factors such as the voting age population in a jurisdiction,
voter turnout in past elections, the number of registered
voters, the number of voters who registered since the most
recent election, census data for the population served by each
voting site, the educational levels and socio-economic factors
of the population served by each voting site, the needs and
numbers of disabled voters and voters with limited English
proficiency, and the type of voting systems used.
In addition, the LINE Act requires the United States Attorney
General, in coordination with the EAC to the extent practicable,
to identify jurisdictions in which a substantial number of
voters waited more than 90 minutes to cast a vote in the
November 6, 2012 general election, or any election for federal
office held on or after that date. Jurisdictions so identified
by the Attorney General would be required to comply with a
remedial plan, developed by the Attorney General, designed to
minimize the waiting times of voters in the jurisdiction.
Analysis Prepared by : Ethan Jones / E. & R. / (916) 319-2094
FN: 0001657