Amended in Senate June 16, 2016

Amended in Assembly May 3, 2016

Amended in Assembly April 6, 2016

Amended in Assembly March 17, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 2455

Introduced by Assembly Members Chiu and Bonta

(Coauthor: Assembly Member Gonzalez)

February 19, 2016

An act to add Section begin delete 2197.5 end delete begin insert 2147 end insert to the Elections Code, relating to voter registration.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2455, as amended, Chiu. Electronic voter registration: public postsecondary educational institutions.

Under existing law, a person may not be registered to vote except by affidavit of registration. Pursuant to the Student Voter Registration Act of 2003, the Secretary of State is required to annually provide every high school, community college, California State University, and University of California campus with voter registration forms. The act also requires every community college and California State University campus that operates an automated class registration system, in coordination with the Secretary of State, to permit students during the class registration process to apply to register to vote online by submitting an affidavit of voter registration electronically on the Internet Web site of the Secretary of State. The act encourages the University of California to comply with this provision.

This bill would require the California State University and the California Community Colleges to implement a process and the infrastructure to allow a person who enrolls online at the begin delete institution, end delete begin insert institution end insert to submit an affidavit of voter registration electronically on the Internet Web site of the Secretary of State by July 1, 2018. The bill would encourage the University of California to comply with begin delete its provisions. end delete begin insert this provision. end insert By requiring community colleges to provide a higher level of service, the 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.

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

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

SECTION 1.  

It is the intent of the Legislature, in enacting this
act, to take preliminary measures towards the establishment of an
automatic voter registration system for California citizens enrolled
at state public college and university campuses.

begin delete

SEC. 2.  

Section 2197.5 is added to the Elections Code, to read:

2197.5.  

No later than July 1, 2018, the California State
University and the California Community Colleges shall implement
a process and the infrastructure to allow a person who enrolls
online at the institution to submit an affidavit of voter registration
electronically on the Internet Web site of the Secretary of State in
accordance with this chapter. The University of California is
encouraged to coordinate with the Secretary of State pursuant to
this section.

end delete

begin insert

begin insert SEC. 2. end insert   

end insert

begin insert Section 2147 is added to the end insert begin insert Elections Code end insert begin insert , to read: end insert

begin insert

begin insert 2147. end insert   

No later than July 1, 2018, the California State
University and the California Community Colleges shall implement
a process and the infrastructure to allow a person who enrolls
online at the institution to submit an affidavit of voter registration
electronically on the Internet Web site of the Secretary of State in
accordance with Chapter 2.5 (commencing with Section 2196).
The University of California is encouraged to coordinate with the
Secretary of State pursuant to this section.

end insert

SEC. 3.  

If the Commission on State Mandates determines that
this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to
local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made
pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division
4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.