BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair
2015 - 2016 Regular Session
SB 365 (Pavley) - Vote by mail ballot drop boxes
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|Version: May 4, 2015 |Policy Vote: E. & C.A. 3 - 1 |
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|Urgency: No |Mandate: No |
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|Hearing Date: May 28, 2015 |Consultant: Maureen Ortiz |
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SUSPENSE FILE.
Bill
Summary: SB 365 authorizes county elections officials to
establish vote by mail (VBM) ballot drop-off locations, and
requires the Secretary of State (SOS) to promulgate regulations
establishing guidelines for security measures and procedures no
later than January 1, 2017.
Fiscal
Impact:
Approximately $55,000 in administrative expenses (General
Fund)
The Secretary of State indicates costs of approximately $55,000
SB 365 (Pavley) Page 1 of
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to promulgate regulations.
Background: Existing law provides that all VBM ballots shall be voted on
or before the day of the election. After marking the ballot,
the VBM voter must either return the ballot by mail or in person
at the county elections office, or return it to a member of a
precinct board at a polling place within the jurisdiction.
Any voter who is unable to return the voted VBM by mail, or drop
it off at the elections office or polling place may designate
his or her spouse, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild,
brother, sister, or a person residing in the same household to
return the ballot on his or her behalf.
Elections officials must establish procedures to ensure the
secrecy of a VBM ballot returned to a precinct polling place and
the security, confidentiality, and integrity of any related
personal information collected, stored, or otherwise used.
Proposed Law:
SB 365 does the following:
1) Authorizes a VBM voter to return the ballot to the elections
official from whom it came at a vote by mail ballot drop-off
location.
2) Defines "vote by mail ballot drop box" as a secure
receptacle established by a county or city and county elections
official whereby a voted vote by mail ballot may be returned to
the elections official from whom it was obtained.
3) Defines "vote by mail ballot drop-off location" as a
location consisting of a secured vote by mail ballot drop box at
which a voted VBM ballot may be returned.
4) Requires the Secretary of State to promulgate regulations on
or before January 1, 2017. The regulations must establish
guidelines based on best practices for security measures and
SB 365 (Pavley) Page 2 of
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procedures, including, but not limited to, chain of custody,
pick-up times, proper labeling, and security of the vote by mail
ballot drop boxes that the county may use if establishing the
VBM drop-off locations.
Related
Legislation: This bill is similar to SB 240 (Yee) of 2013 which
would have required the establishment of VBM ballot drop-off
boxes at colleges and universities. That bill failed passage in
the Assembly.
Staff
Comments: Staff notes that a number of counties already provide
ballot drop-off boxes at locations such as libraries, city
halls, county offices, non-profit and community organizations,
and others.
SB 365 will statutorily authorize the use of ballot drop-off
locations as one of three methods that a vote-by-mail voter may
use to return his or her ballot.
Additionally, the bill defines "vote by mail ballot drop box" as
a secure receptacle established by a county or city and county
elections official whereby a voted VBM ballot may be returned to
the elections official from whom it was obtained.
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