AB 1504, as amended, Alejo. Elections: all-mailed ballot elections: pilot project.
Until December 31, 2017, existing law, as a pilot program, authorizes elections in San Mateo County and Yolo County, other than statewide primary or general elections, or special elections to fill a vacancy in a state office, the Legislature, or Congress, to be conducted wholly by mail if specified conditions are satisfied. If San Mateo County or Yolo County conducts an all-mailed ballot election, existing law requires the county to report to the Legislature and the Secretary of State, as specified.
This bill would extend this pilot program until January 1,begin delete 2018, andend deletebegin insert 2018. This billend insert would also authorize Monterey and Sacramento Counties to conduct
all-mailed ballot electionsbegin delete pursuant to these provisions.end deletebegin insert as part of this program, subject to a requirement to provide additional polling places.end insert The bill would also make technical, nonsubstantive changes.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 4001 of the Elections Code is amended
2to read:
(a) Notwithstanding Section 4000 or any other law, as
4a pilot program, elections in San Mateo County, Yolo County,
5Sacramento County, and Monterey County may be conducted
6wholly by mail if all of the following conditions are satisfied:
7(1) The governing body of the city, county, or district, by
8resolution, authorizes the all-mailed ballot election and notifies
9the Secretary of State of its intent to conduct an all-mailed ballot
10election at least 88 days before the date of the election.
11(2) The election does not occur on the same date as a statewide
12primary or general election or any other election conducted in an
13overlapping
jurisdiction that is not consolidated and conducted
14wholly by mail pursuant to this section.
15(3) The election is not a special election to fill a vacancy in a
16state office, the Legislature, or Congress.
17(4) (A) At least one ballot drop-off location is provided per city
18or the ballot drop-off locations are fixed in a manner so that the
19number of residents for each ballot
drop-off location does not
20exceed 100,000 on the 88th day before the day of election,
21whichever results in more drop-off locations. A ballot drop-off
22location shall be open during business hours to receive voted ballots
23beginning 28 days before the date of the election and until 8 p.m.
24on the day of the election.
25(B)
end delete
26(B) (i) For San Mateo County and Yolo County, at least one
27polling place is provided per city.
28(ii) For Monterey County and Sacramento County, at least one
29polling place is provided for every 50,000 registered voters, with
P3 1a minimum of
one polling place per city, in a manner so that the
2number of registered voters for each polling place does not exceed
350,000 on the 88th day before the day of election, whichever results
4in more polling places.
5begin insert(iii)end insert begin deleteAt least one polling place is provided per city where end deletebegin insertA
6polling place provided pursuant to this subparagraph shall allowend insertbegin insert end insert
7votersbegin delete canend deletebegin insert
toend insert request a ballot between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. on the day
8of the election if they have not received their ballots in the mail
9or if they need replacement ballots for any other reason.
10(C) Upon the request of the city, county, or district, the elections
11official, at his or her discretion, may provide additional ballot
12drop-off locations and polling places.
13(5) The elections official delivers to each voter all supplies
14necessary for the use and return of the mail ballot, including an
15envelope for the return of the voted mail ballot with postage
16prepaid.
17(6) The elections official delivers to each voter, with either the
18
sample ballot sent pursuant to Section 13303 or with the voter’s
19ballot, a list of the ballot drop-off locations and polling places
20provided pursuant to paragraph (4), and also posts that list on the
21Internet Web site of the county elections office.
22(7) The return of voted mail ballots is subject to Section 3017.
23(8) (A) The polling places provided under this section are at
24an accessible location and are equipped with voting units or
25systems that are accessible to individuals with disabilities and that
26provide the same opportunity for access and participation, including
27the ability to vote privately and independently.
28(B) A ballot drop-off location provided for under this section
29shall consist of
a locked ballot box located in a secure public
30building that meets the accessibility requirements for a polling
31place.
32(9) Elections in the county conducted pursuant to this section
33may be held on no more than three different dates.
34(b) (1) If the county conducts an all-mailed ballot election
35pursuant to this section, on or before December 31, 2017, the
36county shall report to the Legislature and to the Secretary of State
37
regarding the success of the election, including, but not limited to,
38any statistics on the cost to conduct the election; the turnout of
39different populations, including, but not limited to, to the extent
40possible, the population categories of race, ethnicity, age, gender,
P4 1disability, permanent vote by mail status, and political party
2affiliation; the number of ballots not counted and the reasons they
3were rejected; voter fraud; and, any other problems that become
4known to the county during the election or canvass.
5(2) Whenever possible, using the criteria set forth in paragraph
6(1), the report of the county shall compare the success of the
7all-mailed ballot election to similar elections not conducted wholly
8by mail in the same jurisdiction or comparable jurisdictions.
9(3) The report of the county shall be submitted to the Legislature
10pursuant to Section 9795 of the Government Code within six
11months after the date of the all-mailed ballot election or before the
12date of any other all-mailed ballot election subject to this section
13to be conducted in the county, whichever is sooner.
14(c) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2018,
15and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that
16is enacted before January 1, 2018, deletes or extends that date.
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