BILL ANALYSIS
AB 686
Page 1
GOVERNOR'S VETO
AB 686 (Ruskin)
As Amended February 26, 2009
2/3 vote
ELECTIONS 5-0
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|Ayes:|Fong, Adams, Coto, | | |
| |Saldana, Swanson | | |
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|ASSEMBLY: |65-6 |(May 18, 2009) |SENATE: |35-0 |(August 27, |
| | | | | |2009) |
| | | | | | |
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SUMMARY : Repeals a provision of law pertaining to now defunct
lever voting machines that limits a voter to five minutes in a
voting booth or compartment while marking his or her ballot and
adds a provision that allows a voter to inform precinct board
members when he or she needs more than 10 minutes to mark his or
her ballot.
EXISTING LAW prohibits:
1)Voting booths or compartments from being occupied by more than
one person at a time, unless the voter is eligible to receive
assistance in casting his or her ballot.
2)Voters from remaining in or occupying the booths or
compartments for longer than either 5 or 10 minutes unless a
longer time period will not inconvenience other voters.
FISCAL EFFECT : Keyed non-fiscal by the Legislative Counsel.
COMMENTS : Existing law contains two conflicting provisions that
set a limit on the amount of time that a voter can remain in a
voting booth or compartment. Elections Code Section 14224 sets
AB 686
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a 10 minute limit on the amount of time that a voter can remain
in a voting booth or compartment to cast his or her ballot,
while Elections Code Section 19363 sets a five minute limit.
Elections Code Section 19363 is located in a part of the code
dealing with lever voting machines - machines that are no longer
used in this state.
GOVERNOR'S VETO MESSAGE :
"This bill seeks to clarify how long a voter may remain in a
voting booth. Two separate code sections reference that a voter
may remain in the booth for either five minutes or ten minutes,
with an exception that allows for more time as long as no other
voter is inconvenienced. There is no evidence that the
discrepancy in current law has resulted in a significant problem
for voters."
Analysis Prepared by : Lori Barber & Ethan Jones / E. & R. /
(916) 319-2094
FN: 0003245