Amended in Senate June 1, 2016

Amended in Senate May 26, 2016

Amended in Assembly January 14, 2016

Amended in Assembly January 4, 2016

Amended in Assembly April 22, 2015

Amended in Assembly April 7, 2015

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 1494

Introduced by Assembly Member Levine

( begin delete Coauthor: end delete begin insert Coauthors: end insert Assembly begin delete Member end delete begin insert Members end insert Gallagher begin insert and Gonzalez end insert )

( begin delete Coauthor: Senator end delete begin insert Coauthors: Senators Anderson and end insert McGuire)

February 27, 2015

An act to amend Section 14291 of, and to repeal Section 14276 of, the Elections Code, relating to voting.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 1494, as amended, Levine. Voting: marked ballots.

Existing law prohibits a voter from showing his or her ballot after it is marked in such a way as to reveal its contents. Existing law provides that a person who interferes or attempts to interfere with the secrecy of voting is guilty of a felony, and authorizes the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, or a local elections official to bring an action to impose additional civil penalties for committing those acts.

This bill would authorize a voter to voluntarily disclose how he or she voted or distribute an image of his or her own marked ballot if that voluntary act does not violate any other law.

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

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

SECTION 1.  

Section 14276 of the Elections Code is repealed.

SEC. 2.  

Section 14291 of the Elections Code is amended to
read:

14291.  

(a) After the ballot is marked, a voter shall not show
it to any person begin delete in such a way as to reveal end delete begin insert in a manner that reveals end insert
its contents, except as provided in subdivision (b).

(b) A voter may voluntarily disclose how he or she voted or
distribute an image of his or her own marked ballot if that voluntary
act does not violate any other law.