BILL ANALYSIS �
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 216|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
|1020 N Street, Suite 524 | |
|(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | |
|327-4478 | |
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 216
Author: Swanson (D)
Amended: 7/5/12 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE ELECTIONS & CONST. AMEND. COMM. : 3-2, 7/ 6/12
AYES: Correa, Lieu, Yee
NOES: La Malfa, Gaines
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : Not relevant
SUBJECT : Voters: residency confirmation
SOURCE : Secretary of State
DIGEST : This bill permits a county elections official,
in lieu of mailing a residency confirmation postcard, to
contract with a consumer credit reporting agency or its
licensees to obtain change-of-address data. If the county
elections official contract with a consumer credit
reporting agency or its licensees, this bill requires the
county elections official, based on the change-of-address
information received, to send a specified forwardable
notice to the registered voter to enable the voter to
verify or correct the address information. If the voter
responds to the forwardable notice, or otherwise verifies
in writing his/her new residence address, this bill
requires the county elections official, as appropriate, to
correct or cancel the voter's registration. This bill
deletes the provision of law that authorizes a county
CONTINUED
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elections official to cancel the voter registration of a
voter who does not offer to vote or vote within a specified
time period, and deletes the requirement that a voter be
given an opportunity to vote at a statewide primary or
general election between the date of notice and the
beginning of the alternate residency procedure.
ANALYSIS : Existing law requires the county elections
official to conduct a preelection residence confirmation
procedure by mailing a specified nonforwardable postcard to
each registered voter of the county by the 90th day
immediately prior to the direct primary election. In lieu
of mailing a residency confirmation postcard, existing law
permits the county elections official to conduct the
residency confirmation procedure by alternative methods,
including by contracting with the United States Postal
Service or its licensees to obtain use of postal service
change-of-address data. Existing law requires the county
elections official, based on the change-of-address
information received in conducting the residency
confirmation, or the change-of-address information provided
directly by the voter, to correct or cancel, among other
things, the voter's registration.
Existing law authorizes a county elections official, if a
voter has not voted in any election within the preceding
four years, and the residence, address, name, or party
affiliation of the voter has not been updated during that
time, to send an alternate residency confirmation postcard
that describes the alternate residency procedure. If a
county uses the alternate residency confirmation procedure,
the county is required to notify all voters of the
procedure in the sample ballot pamphlet or in a separate
mailing. A voter in that county is also given the
opportunity to vote at a statewide primary or general
election between the date of the notice and the beginning
of the alternate residency procedure. Existing law further
authorizes a county elections official to cancel the voter
registration of a voter who does not offer to vote or vote
at any election between the date of the confirmation
mailing and two federal general elections after the date of
that mailing.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: No
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Local: No
SUPPORT : (Unable to verify at time of writing)
Secretary of State (source)
DLW:d 8/8/12 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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