BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 2177
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 2177 (Brown)
As Amended May 23, 2014
Majority vote
ELECTIONS 5-1 APPROPRIATIONS 12-5
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|Ayes:|Fong, Mullin, Hall, |Ayes:|Gatto, Bocanegra, |
| |Perea, Rodriguez | |Bradford, |
| | | |Ian Calderon, Campos, |
| | | |Eggman, Gomez, Holden, |
| | | |Pan, Quirk, |
| | | |Ridley-Thomas, Weber |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Donnelly |Nays:|Bigelow, Donnelly, Jones, |
| | | |Linder, Wagner |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Requires county elections officials to offer early
voting for at least six hours on a Saturday and a Sunday before
each statewide election if sufficient federal funding is
obtained for that purpose. Specifically, this bill :
1)Defines "early voting," for the purposes of this bill, to mean
casting a vote by mail (VBM) ballot in person at the office of
the elections official or another location designated by the
elections official either before or on the day of the
election.
2)Permits county elections officials to apply to the Secretary
of State (SOS) for funding from the federal Help America Vote
Act (HAVA) to provide early voting. Requires a county that
obtains funding sufficient to satisfy all associated costs to
provide early voting pursuant to the following:
a) Requires each county elections official to offer early
voting for not less than six hours on at least one Saturday
and one Sunday prior to every statewide election at a
location that is accessible and complies with disability
access requirements under federal and state law.
b) Provides that the requirement to offer early voting
prior to every statewide election does not apply to an
AB 2177
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election that is conducted wholly by mail or to a precinct
in which each voter is furnished a VBM ballot.
3)Permits a county to offer early voting pursuant to the
provisions of this bill if it does not obtain funding
sufficient to satisfy all associated costs.
4)Requires the SOS to provide guidance to local elections
officials in accomplishing the following:
a) Establishing one or more locations for early voting,
which may include the office of the local elections
official;
b) Notifying voters of the early voting location or
locations; and,
c) Ensuring that the early voting location or locations and
the procedures used therein comply with disability access
requirements under federal and state law.
5)Declares the intent of the Legislature in enacting this bill
to make voting more convenient and accessible in order to
increase voter turnout at elections.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, cost pressure for federal HAVA funds in the range of
up to $150,000 to $250,000 annually, assuming costs of $3,000 to
$5,000 per county to provide weekend voting at one location for
one statewide election each fiscal year.
COMMENTS : According to the author, "In order to a have a
thriving democracy all citizens must exercise their right to
vote. As a result, it is imperative that [the] government makes
the act of voting as accessible as possible. Early voting is
voting that takes place (usually on the weekend) before election
day. Voting on the weekend will give another alternative to
people who work and have difficulty finding the time to vote on
Tuesdays. AB 2177 would require an election official on at
least one Saturday and Sunday before Election Day to allow
voters to vote in person at an easily accessible designated
location. Increasing participation will only help to strengthen
our democracy."
AB 2177
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Although existing state law does not use the term "early
voting," any California voter can receive and cast a VBM ballot
in the office of the elections official beginning 29 days prior
to election day and ending at the close of the polls on election
day. Additionally, elections officials are permitted, but not
required, to offer early voting at "satellite locations" of the
office of the elections official, and may offer voting at their
offices or such "satellite locations" on weekends or at times
beyond regular office hours.
In fact, according to information from a survey of county
elections officials conducted by the Los Angeles County
Registrar of Voters and other information gathered by Assembly
Elections & Redistricting Committee staff, it appears that at
least 28 counties, representing 89% of registered voters in
California, offered early voting for at least one weekend day
prior to the November 2012 presidential general election. At
least eleven counties, representing more than 56% of registered
voters in California, provided weekend voting opportunities that
would have complied with the requirements of this bill.
Please see the policy committee analysis for a full
discussion of this bill.
Analysis Prepared by : Ethan Jones / E. & R. / (916) 319-2094
FN: 0003714