Senate Bill No. 361

Introduced by Senator Padilla

February 20, 2013

An act to amend Sections 2403, 3017, and 14310 of, and to add Sections 2169, 2228, and 12106.5 to, the Elections Code, relating to elections.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 361, as introduced, Padilla. Elections: voter registration.

(1) Existing law specifies various duties of the Secretary of State with regard to the electoral process.

This bill would place additional requirements on the Secretary of State to provide the capability for a voter to check the status of the voter’s registration, find the location of the voter’s polling place, check the status of a vote by mail ballot, and check the status of a voter’s provisional ballot on the Secretary of State’s Internet Web site, as specified.

(2) Existing law provides for voter residency confirmation procedures based on change-of-address information, as specified, in cases where the voter has moved to a new address within the same county or to another county.

This bill would, for the purpose of maintaining accurate voter registration records, authorize the Secretary of State to enter into agreements with other states to share voter information or data pertaining to voters who have permanently moved to other states.

(3) Existing law, the federal National Voter Registration Act of 1993, requires each state to establish procedures to register voters by application in person at certain federal, state, or nongovernmental agencies designated by state law as voter registration agencies. Existing law requires voter registration agencies, with each application for service or assistance and with each recertification, renewal, or change of address form relating to the service or assistance, to perform specified tasks related to voter registration.

This bill would require a voter registration agency to provide the Secretary of State with information or data pertaining to an applicant’s address for the purpose of maintaining accurate voter registration records. By requiring local agencies to perform additional duties, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 2169 is added to the Elections Code, following Section 2168, to read:

2169.  

The Secretary of State shall provide on his or her Internet
Web site the capability for a voter to check the status of the voter’s
registration.

SEC. 2.  

Section 2228 is added to the Elections Code, to read:

2228.  

Notwithstanding any other law and for the purpose of
maintaining accurate voter registration records, the Secretary of
State may enter into agreements with other states to share
information or data pertaining to voters who have permanently
moved to other states as described in Section 2022 or 2023.

SEC. 3.  

Section 2403 of the Elections Code is amended to read:

2403.  

(a) A voter registration agency shall comply with the
applicable duties and responsibilities of a voter registration agency
set forth in the federal National Voter Registration Act of 1993
(42 U.S.C. Sec. 1973gg et seq.).

(b) A voter registration agency, with each application for service
or assistance and with each recertification, renewal, or change of
address form relating to the service or assistance, and in accordance
with the federal National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C.
Sec. 1973gg et seq.), shall begin delete provide to an applicant end delete begin insert do end insert all of the
following:

begin insert

(1) Provide the applicant with all of the following:

end insert begin delete

(1)

end delete

begin insert (A) end insert  A voter preference form.

begin delete

(2)

end delete

begin insert (B) end insert  A voter registration card, unless the applicant, in writing,
declines to register to vote.

begin delete

(3)

end delete

begin insert (C) end insert  Assistance in completing the voter registration card, unless
the applicant refuses the assistance.

begin insert

(2) Notwithstanding any other law, provide the Secretary of
State with information or data pertaining to the applicant’s address
for the purpose of maintaining accurate voter registration records.

end insert

(c) For purposes of begin insert paragraph (1) of end insert subdivision (b), an
applicant’s failure to respond to the question of whether he or she
would like to register to vote does not constitute a declination to
register.

SEC. 4.  

Section 3017 of the Elections Code is amended to read:

3017.  

(a) All vote by mail ballots cast under this division shall
be voted on or before the day of the election. After marking the
ballot, the vote by mail voter shall do either of the following: (1)
return the ballot by mail or in person to the elections official from
whom it came or (2) return the ballot in person to a member of a
precinct board at a polling place within the jurisdiction. However,
a vote by mail voter who is unable to return the ballot may
designate his or her spouse, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild,
brother, sister, or a person residing in the same household as the
vote by mail voter to return the ballot to the elections official from
whom it came or to the precinct board at a polling place within
the jurisdiction. The ballot must, however, be received by either
the elections official from whom it came or the precinct board
before the close of the polls on election day.

(b) The elections official shall establish procedures to ensure
the secrecy of a ballot returned to a precinct polling place and the
security, confidentiality, and integrity of any personal information
collected, stored, or otherwise used pursuant to this section.

(c)  begin insert (1) end insert begin insert   end insert On or before March 1, 2008, the elections official shall
establish procedures to track and confirm the receipt of voted vote
by mail ballots and to make this information available by means
of online access using the county’s elections division Internet Web
site. If the county does not have an elections division Internet Web
site, the elections official shall establish a toll-free telephone
number that may be used to confirm the date a voted vote by mail
ballot was received.

begin insert

(2) The Secretary of State shall provide on his or her Internet
Web site the capability for a vote by mail voter to check the status
of the voter’s vote by mail ballot to discover whether the ballot
was counted and, if not, the reason why it was not counted.

end insert

(d) The provisions of this section are mandatory, not directory,
and a ballot shall not be counted if it is not delivered in compliance
with this section.

(e) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), a vote by mail voter’s ballot
shall not be returned by a paid or volunteer worker of a general
purpose committee, controlled committee, independent expenditure
committee, political party, candidate’s campaign committee, or
any other group or organization at whose behest the individual
designated to return the ballot is performing a service. However,
this subdivision does not apply to a candidate or a candidate’s
spouse.

SEC. 5.  

Section 12106.5 is added to the Elections Code, to
read:

12106.5.  

The Secretary of State shall provide on his or her
Internet Web site the capability for a voter to find the location of
his or her polling place.

SEC. 6.  

Section 14310 of the Elections Code, as amended by
Section 1 of Chapter 611 of the Statutes of 2009, is amended to
read:

14310.  

(a) At all elections, a voter claiming to be properly
registered begin insert , end insert but whose qualification or entitlement to vote cannot
be immediately established upon examination of the index of
registration for the precinct or upon examination of the records on
file with the county elections official, shall be entitled to vote a
provisional ballot as follows:

(1) An elections official shall advise the voter of the voter’s
right to cast a provisional ballot.

(2) The voter shall be provided a provisional ballot, written
instructions regarding the process and procedures for casting the
provisional ballot, and a written affirmation regarding the voter’s
registration and eligibility to vote. The written instructions shall
include the information set forth in subdivisions (c) and (d).

(3) The voter shall be required to execute, in the presence of an
elections official, the written affirmation stating that the voter is
eligible to vote and registered in the county where the voter desires
to vote.

(b) Once voted, the voter’s ballot shall be sealed in a provisional
ballot envelope, and the ballot in its envelope shall be deposited
in the ballot box. All provisional ballots voted shall remain sealed
in their envelopes for return to the elections official in accordance
with the elections official’s instructions. The provisional ballot
envelopes specified in this subdivision shall be a color different
than the color of, but printed substantially similar to, the envelopes
used for vote by mail ballots, and shall be completed in the same
manner as vote by mail envelopes.

(c) (1) During the official canvass, the elections official shall
examine the records with respect to all provisional ballots cast.
Using the procedures that apply to the comparison of signatures
on vote by mail ballots, the elections official shall compare the
signature on each provisional ballot envelope with the signature
on the voter’s affidavit of registration. If the signatures do not
compare or the provisional ballot envelope is not signed, the ballot
shall be rejected. A variation of the signature caused by the
substitution of initials for the first or middle name, or both, shall
not invalidate the ballot.

(2) Provisional ballots shall not be included in any semiofficial
or official canvass, except upon: (A) the elections official’s
establishing prior to the completion of the official canvass, from
the records in his or her office, the claimant’s right to vote; or (B)
the order of a superior court in the county of the voter’s residence.
A voter may seek the court order specified in this paragraph
regarding his or her own ballot at any time prior to completion of
the official canvass. Any judicial action or appeal shall have
priority over all other civil matters. No fee shall be charged to the
claimant by the clerk of the court for services rendered in an action
under this section.

(3) The provisional ballot of a voter who is otherwise entitled
to vote shall not be rejected because the voter did not cast his or
her ballot in the precinct to which he or she was assigned by the
elections official.

(A) If the ballot cast by the voter contains the same candidates
and measures on which the voter would have been entitled to vote
in his or her assigned precinct, the elections official shall count
the votes for the entire ballot.

(B) If the ballot cast by the voter contains candidates or
measures on which the voter would not have been entitled to vote
in his or her assigned precinct, the elections official shall count
only the votes for the candidates and measures on which the voter
was entitled to vote in his or her assigned precinct.

(d)  begin insert (1) end insert begin insert   end insert The Secretary of State shall establish a free access
system begin insert on his or her Internet Web site end insert that begin insert allows end insert any voter who
casts a provisional ballot begin delete may access end delete to discover whether the
voter’s provisional ballot was counted and, if not, the reason why
it was not counted.

begin insert

(2) The requirements of paragraph (1) shall not be satisfied by
providing hyperlinks, or otherwise referring voters, to the free
access systems established by county elections officials.

end insert

(e) The Secretary of State may adopt appropriate regulations
for purposes of ensuring the uniform application of this section.

(f) This section shall apply to any vote by mail voter described
by Section 3015 who is unable to surrender his or her unvoted vote
by mail voter’s ballot.

(g) Any existing supply of envelopes marked “special challenged
ballot” may be used until the supply is exhausted.

SEC. 7.  

Section 14310 of the Elections Code, as amended by
Section 3 of Chapter 497 of the Statutes of 2012, is amended to
read:

14310.  

(a) At all elections, a voter claiming to be properly
registered, but whose qualification or entitlement to vote cannot
be immediately established upon examination of the index of
registration for the precinct or upon examination of the records on
file with the county elections official, shall be entitled to vote a
provisional ballot as follows:

(1) An elections official shall advise the voter of the voter’s
right to cast a provisional ballot.

(2) The voter shall be provided a provisional ballot, written
instructions regarding the process and procedures for casting the
ballot, and a written affirmation regarding the voter’s registration
and eligibility to vote. The written instructions shall include the
information set forth in subdivisions (c) and (d).

(3) The voter shall be required to execute, in the presence of an
elections official, the written affirmation stating that the voter is
eligible to vote and registered in the county where the voter desires
to vote.

(b) Once voted, the voter’s ballot shall be sealed in a provisional
ballot envelope, and the ballot in its envelope shall be deposited
in the ballot box. All provisional ballots voted shall remain sealed
in their envelopes for return to the elections official in accordance
with the elections official’s instructions. The provisional ballot
envelopes specified in this subdivision shall be of a color different
than the color of, but printed substantially similar to, the envelopes
used for vote by mail ballots, and shall be completed in the same
manner as vote by mail envelopes.

(c) (1) During the official canvass, the elections official shall
examine the records with respect to all provisional ballots cast.
Using the procedures that apply to the comparison of signatures
on vote by mail ballots, the elections official shall compare the
signature on each provisional ballot envelope with the signature
on the voter’s affidavit of registration. If the signatures do not
compare or the provisional ballot envelope is not signed, the ballot
shall be rejected. A variation of the signature caused by the
substitution of initials for the first or middle name, or both, shall
not invalidate the ballot.

(2) (A) Provisional ballots shall not be included in any
semiofficial or official canvass, except under one or more of the
following conditions:

(i) The elections official establishes prior to the completion of
the official canvass, from the records in his or her office, the
claimant’s right to vote.

(ii) The provisional ballot has been cast and included in the
canvass pursuant to Article 4.5 (commencing with Section 2170)
of Chapter 2 of Division 2.

(iii) Upon the order of a superior court in the county of the
voter’s residence.

(B)  A voter may seek the court order specified in this paragraph
regarding his or her own ballot at any time prior to completion of
the official canvass. Any judicial action or appeal shall have
priority over all other civil matters. No fee shall be charged to the
claimant by the clerk of the court for services rendered in an action
under this section.

(3) The provisional ballot of a voter who is otherwise entitled
to vote shall not be rejected because the voter did not cast his or
her ballot in the precinct to which he or she was assigned by the
elections official.

(A) If the ballot cast by the voter contains the same candidates
and measures on which the voter would have been entitled to vote
in his or her assigned precinct, the elections official shall count
the votes for the entire ballot.

(B) If the ballot cast by the voter contains candidates or
measures on which the voter would not have been entitled to vote
in his or her assigned precinct, the elections official shall count
only the votes for the candidates and measures on which the voter
was entitled to vote in his or her assigned precinct.

(d)  begin insert (1) end insert begin insert   end insert The Secretary of State shall establish a free access
system begin insert on his or her Internet Web site end insert that begin insert allows end insert any voter who
casts a provisional ballot begin delete may access end delete to discover whether the
voter’s provisional ballot was counted and, if not, the reason why
it was not counted.

begin insert

(2) The requirements of paragraph (1) shall not be satisfied by
providing hyperlinks, or otherwise referring voters, to the free
access systems established by county elections officials.

end insert

(e) The Secretary of State may adopt appropriate regulations
for purposes of ensuring the uniform application of this section.

(f) This section shall apply to any vote by mail voter described
by Section 3015 who is unable to surrender his or her unvoted vote
by mail voter’s ballot.

(g) Any existing supply of envelopes marked “special challenged
ballot” may be used until the supply is exhausted.

SEC. 8.  

If the Commission on State Mandates determines that
this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to
local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made
pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division
4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.