BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  SB 740
                                                                  Page  1


          SENATE THIRD READING
          SB 740 (Cedillo)
          As Introduced  February 27, 2009
          Majority vote 

           SENATE VOTE  :37-0  
           
           ELECTIONS           7-0         APPROPRIATIONS      15-0        
           
           ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
          |Ayes:|Fong, Niello, Bill        |Ayes:|De Leon, Nielsen,         |
          |     |Berryhill, Coto, Mendoza, |     |Ammiano, Coto, Davis,     |
          |     |Saldana, Swanson          |     |Duvall, Fuentes, Hall,    |
          |     |                          |     |Harkey, Miller, John A.   |
          |     |                          |     |Perez, Skinner, Solorio,  |
          |     |                          |     |Audra Strickland,         |
          |     |                          |     |Torlakson                 |
           ----------------------------------------------------------------- 

           SUMMARY  :  Requires elections officials to reject a voted  
          provisional ballot if the provisional ballot envelope is not  
          signed by the voter and requires elections officials to retain  
          provisional ballots and provisional ballot envelopes with other  
          election materials.  Specifically,  this bill  requires elections  
          officials to:   

          1) Reject a provisional ballot if the provisional ballot  
             envelope is missing the voter's signature.

          2) Retain voted provisional ballots and their envelopes for 22  
             months from the date of federal elections and six months for  
             non-federal elections.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :  According to the Assembly Appropriations  
          Committee, minor state reimbursable costs for county elections  
          officials to comply with the bill's requirements.  

          COMMENTS  :  According to the author, this bill adds voted  
          provisional ballots and provisional ballot voter identification  
          envelopes to the list of items that must be kept by the  
          elections official for 22 months.  While this is current  
          practice in most county elections, it is important to clarify it  
          in state law.  SB 740 also clarifies that if a provisional  
          ballot envelope isn't signed, elections officials must reject  








                                                                  SB 740
                                                                  Page  2


          the ballot.  This bill works to improve integrity in our  
          election procedures.


           Analysis Prepared by  :    Lori Barber / E. & R. / (916) 319-2094 


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