BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  AB 346
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   May 4, 2011

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Felipe Fuentes, Chair

                    AB 346 (Atkins) - As Amended:  April 4, 2011 

          Policy Committee:                              ElectionsVote:5-2

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

           SUMMARY  

          This bill requires county elections officials to establish at 
          least one polling place at a University of California (UC), 
          California State University (CSU), or California Community 
          College (CCC) campus at every election conducted by the county.
           
           FISCAL EFFECT  

          There are 40 counties in California with a UC, CSU, and/or CCC 
          campus. Assuming an average cost of $1,300 to establish and 
          operate a polling place, annual reimbursable GF costs would be 
          $52,000. Some counties currently locate polling places on 
          college campuses. The mandate in this bill would require the 
          state to reimburse counties for these costs for one college 
          within each county.

           COMMENTS  

           1)Purpose  . According to the author, "AB 346 ensures that 
            community resources such as Universities, Colleges, and 
            Community Colleges are utilized as polling locations.  Placing 
            polling locations at known community locations not only 
            benefits the voting public but it further demonstrates the 
            State's commitment to ensuring that students have easy access 
            to voting.  Current law establishes that registering students 
            as voters is a priority but it fails to deliver the one thing 
            that students need in order to vote - easy access to a polling 
            location.  AB 346 ensures that county registrars make sure 
            students have access to polling locations."

           2)Elections Mandates  :  As recently passed by the Legislature, 
            the pending 2011-12 Budget suspends most existing 








                                                                  AB 346
                                                                  Page  2

            state-mandated local programs, including  all six existing 
            elections-related mandates, as a cost-savings mechanism. Among 
            the suspended election mandates are the requirement for 
            counties to allow any voter to become a permanent VBM voter 
            and to tabulate VBM ballots by precinct. This bill adds 
            another, albeit relative inexpensive, mandate on counties.

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