BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 646
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Date of Hearing: April 15, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON ELECTIONS AND REDISTRICTING
Sebastian Ridley-Thomas, Chair
AB 646
(McCarty) - As Amended March 26, 2015
SUBJECT: Voter registration.
SUMMARY: Conforms the voter registration deadline, for
affidavits of registration that have been received by the wrong
county, to other voter registration deadlines in existing law.
Specifically, this bill provides that a voter's registration
that has been forwarded to a county elections official by a
different county elections official, is effective for all
elections occurring 15 or more days, as opposed to 29 or more
days, after receipt of the affidavit of registration by the
county elections official or his or her deputy to which the
affidavit is mailed or delivered by the voter.
EXISTING LAW:
1)Permits the county elections official of any county in this
state to receive the affidavit of registration of any elector
who resides or claims residence in another county in this
state. Requires the affidavit be forwarded to the county
elections official of the county in which the elector resides.
2)Requires the county elections official of the county in which
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the elector resides to use the affidavit of registration from
the other county as his or her permanent record. Provides
that registration by this method is effective for all
elections occurring 29 or more days after receipt of the
affidavit of registration by the county elections official or
his or her deputy to which the affidavit is mailed or
delivered by the elector.
3)Provides that a person may not be registered as a voter except
by affidavit of registration. Provides that a properly
executed registration is deemed effective upon receipt of the
affidavit by the county elections official if received on or
before the 15th day prior to an election.
FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown. State-mandated local program; contains
reimbursement direction.
COMMENTS:
1)Purpose of the Bill: According to the author:
This bill is simply a technical conforming change to
current law, established under AB 1094 (Hertzberg,
Chaptered 2000), which moved the voter registration
deadline up from 29 days prior to an election to 15 days
prior to an election. At the time, no similar change was
made dealing with voter registration affidavits which were
received by the wrong county. As a result, there is
inconsistency within state law on voter registration
deadlines. This bill simply makes the deadline standard,
across the state.
2)Voter Registration Deadline: In 2000, the California
Legislature passed AB 1094 (Hertzberg), Chapter 899, Statutes
of 2000, which moved up the voter registration deadline from
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29 days prior to an election to 15 days prior to an election.
However, this bill did not make the corresponding changes to
sections of the law that deal with affidavits of registration
that are received by the wrong county, and as a result state
voter registration deadlines are inconsistent.
This bill will change the timeframe an affidavit of
registration must be received in order to be processed if it
was mailed to the wrong county. The timeframe established by
this bill is consistent with the voter registration deadline
under existing law.
3)Previous Legislation: AB 1201 (Fong), which is substantially
similar to this bill, was approved by the Assembly by a 78-0
vote, but not heard in the Senate Elections and Constitutional
Amendments Committee.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
Support
None on file.
Opposition
AB 646
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None on file.
Analysis Prepared by:Nichole Becker / E. & R. / (916) 319-2094