BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 1970 Page 1 ASSEMBLY THIRD READING AB 1970 (Low) As Introduced February 16, 2016 Majority vote ------------------------------------------------------------------ |Committee |Votes|Ayes |Noes | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |----------------+-----+----------------------+--------------------| |Elections |6-1 |Weber, Harper, |Travis Allen | | | |Gordon, Low, Mullin, | | | | |Nazarian | | | | | | | |----------------+-----+----------------------+--------------------| |Appropriations |14-6 |Gonzalez, Bloom, |Bigelow, Chang, | | | |Bonilla, Bonta, |Gallagher, Jones, | | | |Calderon, Daly, |Obernolte, Wagner | | | |Eggman, Eduardo | | | | |Garcia, Roger | | | | |Hernández, Holden, | | | | |Quirk, Santiago, | | | | |Weber, Wood | | | | | | | | | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------ SUMMARY: Requires the Secretary of State (SOS) to promulgate regulations to establish guidelines for county elections AB 1970 Page 2 officials relating to the processing of vote by mail (VBM) and provisional ballots. FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee, minor one-time General Fund cost (around $50,000) for the SOS to promulgate the regulations. COMMENTS: According to the author, "Increasingly each year, more California voters are choosing to cast their vote with a [VBM] ballot?As county election officials see an increase in the number of VBM ballots returned to their office during an election, so has the number of ballots returned that are left uncounted. ?The California Voter Foundation did a partial study, analyzing uncounted ballot data in three counties, Sacramento, Santa Cruz, and Orange. ? The study found that while most ballots were counted, of the nearly 30,000 VBM ballots cast that were not counted, across the three counties on average: ballots arriving late comprised of 61% of uncounted ballots; ballots lacking a signature accounted for 20%, and, ballots with signatures that did not adequately compare to the signature on file accounted for 18%. Further in Orange County, just six percent of uncounted VBM ballots were due to a signature mismatch; 34% in Sacramento County; and 15% in Santa Cruz County. "One reason for the difference in the number of mismatched signatures across counties could be attributed to the lack of guidelines or uniform standards for workers who are comparing signatures on a ballot envelope to a signature on file? AB 1970 will require the [SOS] to draft regulations establishing guidelines for county elections relating to the processing of [VBM] ballots. ?By providing elections officials with a proper AB 1970 Page 3 and uniform set of guidelines, there will be decreased number in uncounted VBM ballots and an increased opportunity for citizens to make their vote count." Please see the policy committee analysis for a full discussion on this bill. Analysis Prepared by: Nichole Becker / E. & R. / (916) 319-2094 FN: 0002740