BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 1271
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   May 13, 2009

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Kevin De Leon, Chair

                  AB 1271 (Krekorian) - As Amended:  April 28, 2009 

          Policy Committee:                              ElectionsVote:5-2

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          Yes    Reimbursable:              Yes

           SUMMARY  

          This bill allows a vote-by-mail (VBM) ballot to be picked up or  
          dropped off by any authorized representative of the VBM voter.  
          Specifically, this bill:  

          1)Allows a VBM voter to designate in writing an authorized  
            person who is 16 years of age or older to deliver or receive a  
            VBM ballot on his or her behalf.

          2)Defines an "authorized representative" as a person who is  
            designated in writing by a voter to the elections official to  
            receive, return for the purposes of this bill, or both receive  
            and return, the voter's VBM ballot.

          3)Prohibits an authorized representative from being a candidate,  
            the spouse of a candidate, or a paid or volunteer worker of  
            campaign-related committee, political party, or any other  
            group or organization at whose behest the individual  
            designated to receive the ballot and/or return the ballot is  
            performing a service. 

          4)Clarifies that an application for a VBM ballot must be  
            received by the elections official by 7th day prior to an  
            election.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Minor reimbursable costs.

           COMMENTS  

           Purpose  .  Current law limits the people who may pick up or drop  








                                                                  AB 1271
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          off a ballot for a VBM voter, generally restricting such  
          activities to immediate family members or people living in the  
          same household as the VBM voter.  Additionally, existing law  
          requires a VBM voter to return his or her own ballot, unless he  
          or she is ill or physically disabled.  This bill would allow a  
          voter to authorize almost any person, with the general exception  
          of campaign workers, to pick up or drop-off their ballot,  
          provided such authorization is in writing.  By expanding the  
          list of individuals who may be authorized to drop off and pick  
          up ballots, this bill is intended to give voters more options in  
          obtaining and returning ballots, while simplifying enforcement  
          of the law for elections officials.  

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081