SB 637, as amended, Yee. Early voting.
Existing law establishes procedures for voters to apply for a vote by mail ballot and use the ballot to vote in an election. Existing law allows a jurisdiction in which vote by mail ballots are cast to begin processing vote by mail ballots 29 days before the election.
This bill would require the Secretary of State tobegin delete assistend deletebegin insert provide guidance toend insert local elections officials in performing specified tasks for the purpose of promoting and expanding the practice of early voting, as defined, consistent with specified statutory authority. The bill would define “early voting” to mean voting a vote by mail ballot in person at the office of the elections official or
another location designated by the elections official either before or on the day of the election.begin delete The bill would require the Secretary of State to report to the Legislature by January 1, 2015, regarding the assistance
provided to local elections officials pursuant to the bill and the results achieved by local elections officials in promoting and expanding the practice of early voting. This reporting requirement would become inoperative on January 1, 2018.end delete
The bill would requirebegin delete a localend deletebegin insert anend insert elections official,begin delete on a Saturday occurring at least 14 calendar days prior to an election administered by the elections officialend deletebegin insert on at least one Saturday on or after the date the elections official first delivers ballots to vote by mail voters for a statewide election, or for any other election as determined by the elections official
based on voter demandend insert, to allow voters to votebegin insert in the electionend insert by means of early voting atbegin delete a location that is convenient,end deletebegin insert the early voting location designated for this purpose, provided that the location isend insert accessiblebegin delete,end delete and complies with disability access requirements under federal and state law.begin insert The bill would permit the elections official to determine the hours of operation for the designated early voting location or locations for each Saturday on which early voting is offered, provided that each location shall be open to
voters for a minimum of 4 hours on each designated Saturday. These provisions regarding Saturday voting would not apply to all-mailed ballot elections or to all-mailed ballot precincts.end insert
By requiring local elections officials 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.
This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Vote: 2⁄3. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this
2act to make voting more convenient and accessible in order to
3increase voter turnout at elections.
Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 3300) is added
5to Division 3 of the Elections Code, to read:
For purposes of this chapter, “early voting” means voting
4a vote by mail ballot in person at the office of the elections official
5or another location designated by the elections official either before
6or on the day of the election.
begin delete(a)end deletebegin delete end deleteFor purposes of promoting and expanding the
8practice of early voting consistent with the authority granted by
9this division, the Secretary of State shallbegin delete assistend deletebegin insert provide guidance
10toend insert local elections officials in accomplishing all of the following:
11(1)
end delete
12begin insert(a)end insert Establishingbegin delete multipleend deletebegin insert
one or moreend insert locations for early voting,
13begin delete in addition to the offices of local elections officialsend deletebegin insert which may
14include the office of the local elections officialend insert.
15(2)
end delete
16begin insert(b)end insert Notifying voters ofbegin insert theend insert early votingbegin insert location orend insert
locationsbegin delete in .
17all ballot materials sent to voters and through the use of other
18promotional materials and methodsend delete
19(3)
end delete
20begin insert(c)end insert Ensuring thatbegin insert theend insert early votingbegin insert location orend insert locations andbegin insert theend insert
21 proceduresbegin insert
used thereinend insert comply with disability access requirements
22under federal and state law.
23(b) In assisting local elections officials pursuant to subdivision
24(a), the Secretary of State shall consider practices used in other
25states to provide for voting before the day of the election.
26(c) (1) The Secretary of State shall report to the Legislature by
27January 1, 2015, regarding the assistance provided to local elections
28officials pursuant to this section and the results achieved by local
29elections officials in promoting and expanding the practice of early
30voting.
31(2) The report required by paragraph (1) shall be submitted in
32compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
33(3) Pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, this
34subdivision shall become inoperative on January 1,
2018.
begin insert(a)end insertbegin insert end insert Onbegin delete aend deletebegin insert at least oneend insert Saturdaybegin delete occurring at least 14 begin insert on or
36calendar days prior to an election administered by a localend delete
37after the date an elections official first delivers ballots to vote by
38mail voters for a statewide election, or for
any other election as
39determined by theend insert elections officialbegin insert based on voter demandend insert, the
40elections official shall allow voters to votebegin insert in the electionend insert by means
P4 1of early voting atbegin delete aend deletebegin insert an early votingend insert locationbegin insert designated for this
2purpose, providedend insert thatbegin delete is convenient,end deletebegin insert the location isend insert
accessiblebegin delete,end delete
3 and complies with disability access requirements under federal
4and state law.begin insert The elections official may determine the hours of
5operation for the designated early voting location or locations for
6each Saturday on which early voting is offered pursuant to this
7section, provided that each location shall be open to voters for a
8minimum of four hours on each designated Saturday.end insert
9(b) Subdivision (a) does not apply to all-mailed ballot elections
10or to a precinct that is authorized to conduct an election in
11accordance with Section 3005.
If the Commission on State Mandates determines that
13this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to
14local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made
15pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division
164 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
This act is an urgency statute necessary for the
18immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within
19the meaning of Article IV of the Constitution and shall go into
20immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are:
21In order for elections officials to provide voters with increased
22opportunities for early voting at the earliest possible election dates,
23it is necessary that this act take effect immediately.
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