BILL NUMBER: SB 970 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY AUGUST 20, 2010
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 29, 2010
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 14, 2010
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 10, 2010
AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 1, 2010
AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 18, 2010
AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 6, 2010
AMENDED IN SENATE MARCH 11, 2010
INTRODUCED BY Senator Corbett
(Coauthor: Senator Hancock)
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Fong, Mendoza, Saldana, and Swanson)
FEBRUARY 5, 2010
An act to add and repeal Article 6 (commencing with Section 12290)
to Chapter 3 of Division 12 of the Elections Code, relating to
elections.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 970, as amended, Corbett. Preelection day
Vote by mail voting.
Existing law generally requires voters who wish to vote and who do
not cast their ballots by mail to cast their ballot at the precinct
polling place on election day.
This bill would permit, until December 31, 2016, the Secretary of
State, in conjunction with the county elections officials, the
University of California, the California State University, and the
California Community Colleges, to select 3 college campuses, one each
within the University of California, the California State
University, and the California Community Colleges, to serve as
preelection day polling places vote by mail
ballot dropoff locations for any precinct in the county's
jurisdiction during at least one general election. The bill would
require voluntary consent from the local elections official within
whose jurisdiction a preelection day voting polling place
vote by mail ballot drop off location
would be located for preelection day voting to take place
in that jurisdiction . The bill would require that the
preelection day polling places vote by mail
ballot drop off locations be open
available to receive votes on the 5 business days
preceding election day. The bill would require each county elections
official who has a preelection day polling place
vote by mail ballot dropoff location within his or her
jurisdiction during an election to report to the Legislature and the
Secretary of State regarding the use of the preelection day
voting polling place vote by mail ballot drop
off location within 6 months of the date of the election.
The Secretary of State would then be required to report to the
Legislature regarding an assessment of early voting
designated vote by mail ballot dropoff locations
on college campuses by examining the participation in the program
and the costs to the state for implementing the program.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
(a) Preelection day voting on college campuses will allow
college students more time Vote by mail ballot
dropoff locations on college campuses will provide college students a
more convenient way to vote and thereby more effectively
manage their busy class schedules.
(b) Research findings show that the younger a voter becomes
engaged in the political process, the more likely he or she will
remain an active participant in our democratic system of government.
SEC. 2. Article 6 (commencing with Section 12290) is added to
Chapter 3 of Division 12 of the Elections Code, to read:
Article 6. Preelection Day Voting Polling Places on
College Campuses Designated Vote by Mail Ballot
Dropoff Locations
12290. (a) For at least one
general election from January 1, 2011, but prior to December 31,
2016, the Secretary of State, in conjunction with the county
elections officials, the University of California, the California
State University, and the California Community Colleges, may
establish preelection day voting polling places
designated dropoff locations for vote by mail ballots on
three college campuses in the state, subject to the following
conditions:
(1)
(a) One of the college campuses shall be within the
University of California. The campus selected must have at least
20,000 registered students at the time of selection.
(2)
(b) One of the college campuses shall be within the
California State University. The campus selected must have at least
13,000 registered students at the time of selection.
(3)
(c) One of the college campuses shall be within the
California Community Colleges. The campus selected must have at least
10,000 registered students at the time of selection.
(4) Preelection day voting shall not take place absent the
voluntary consent of the local elections official within whose
jurisdiction a preelection day voting polling place would be located.
(b) Each college campus selected to be a preelection day voting
polling place shall serve as the polling place for any precinct in
the county's jurisdiction.
12291. A preelection day voting polling place
designated vote by mail ballot dropoff location
established pursuant to Section 12290 shall be open
available during the five business days prior to the date
of the election. The preelection day voting polling place
shall be considered a satellite location of the office of the
elections official under subdivision (b) of Section 3018 and shall
comply with all the requirements of that section.
12292. A
preelection day voting polling place may not be established for any
election other than a general election as it applies to the pilot
program in this article. To maintain the security of
the ballots, a designated vote by mail ballot dropoff location shall
be placed in a secure location that is centrally located on the
campus. The county elections officials shall retrieve any ballots
returned to a designated vote by mail ballot dropoff location
nightly. The Secretary of State shall provide implementation
instructions to participating counties that address ballot security
and assurances that the vote by mail ballot dropoff locations shall
be utilized solely by eligible voters in the participating county.
12293. 12292. (a) Each county
elections official who has a preelection day voting polling
place designated vote by mail ballot dropoff location
within his or her jurisdiction during an election shall report
to the Legislature and the Secretary of State regarding the election
within six months after the date of the election as it applies to
the pilot program in this article a
designated vote by mail ballot dropoff location . This report
shall include, at a minimum, statistics regarding the cost of
a preelection day voting polling place, the turnout of
voters at the preelection day voting polling place, and any problems
with preelection day voting polling place voting that has
the designated vote by mail ballot dropoff location, the number
of ballots returned to a designated vote by mail ballot dropoff
location, and any problems with a designated vote by mail ballot
dropoff location that have been made known to the elections
official.
(b) After receiving the reports from the county elections
officials pursuant to subdivision (a) but not later than eight months
after the date of the election, the Secretary of State shall report
to the Legislature regarding an assessment of early voting
designated vote by mail ballot dropoff locations
on college campuses by examining the participation in the program as
well as the costs to the state for implementing this article on
these two three campuses.
12294. 12293. This article shall
remain in effect only until December 31, 2016, and as of that date is
repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before
December 31, 2016, deletes or extends that date.