Vetoed by Governor Gavin Newsom

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote on a bill that requires voter party affiliation notification prior to primary elections.

Highlights:

• Requires the county elections official, from the 14th day before an election until the closure of the polls on election day, to accept a written request by a voter, listing a change of address within the same county or a change to the voter’s political party preference, that contains (Sec. 1 & 2):

• The voter’s printed name;

• The voter’s former residence address;

• The voter’s new residence address;

• A certification by the voter of the content of the written request as to its truthfulness and correctness; and

• The voter’s signature and date of execution.

• Requires a non-provisional ballot to be issued to the voter if either of the following instances occur (Sec. 1 & 2):

• The voter appears at the voter’s precinct, the voter’s name is on the roster, and the voter has not been issued a vote by mail ballot or the conditions in subdivision (a) of Section 3015 are not satisfied; or

• The voter appears at a location equipped with an electronic poll book or other means to determine the voter’s precinct, the location can provide the voter with a ballot for the voter’s precinct, the county has established connectivity between locations, and the location verifies that the voter has not cast a ballot at another location for the election and notes in the voter’s record that the voter cast a ballot.

• Requires a provisional ballot to be issued if either (Sec. 1 & 2):

• The voter appears at the voter’s precinct, the voter’s name is on the roster, the voter has been issued a vote by mail ballot, and the conditions in subdivision (a) of Section 3015 are not satisfied; or

• The voter appears at a location that is equipped with an electronic poll book or other means to determine the voter’s precinct, but the county has not established connectivity between locations which makes the location unable to verify that the voter has not cast a ballot at another location for the election.

• Requires the county elections official, before each partisan primary election, to send a notice with each nonpartisan vote by mail ballot to each voter listed without a political party preference (Sec. 3).

• Requires the county elections official, if the applicant is a registered voter, to (Sec. 5):

• Put their name on a list of people to whom a vote by mail ballot is sent each time there is an election in their precinct;

• Include an explanation of the vote by mail procedure and of Section 3206, in all vote by mail mailings to the voter; and 

• Maintain a copy of the vote by mail ballot list on file open to public inspection for election and governmental purposes. 

• Requires a county elections official, between the 130th and 102nd day before a presidential primary election, to send a notice to each registered voter in the county with (Sec. 8):

• The current political party preference of the voter;

• Information on the type of ballot the voter will be able to cast;

• A statement that a voter listed with no political party preference can request the ballot of one of the political parties that authorizes these voters to vote in their presidential primary election, and the name of each political party that authorizes this process;

• Instructions on how to change political party preference; and

• Information on how a voter listed with no political party preference can request a ballot of a political party that so permits.

• Requires a county elections official, between the 99th and 71st day before a presidential primary election, to send a notice to each registered voter in the county listed with no political party preference, and who has not requested the ballot of a political party, with (Sec. 8):

• A statement that the voter has declined to disclose a political party preference;

• Information on the type of ballot the voter will be able to cast at the presidential primary election;

• A statement that a voter listed with no political party preference can request the ballot of one of the political parties that authorizes these voters to vote in their presidential primary election, and the name of each political party that authorizes this process;

• Instructions on how to change political party preference; 

• Information on how a voter listed with no political party preference can request a ballot of a political party that so permits;

• A toll free number through which a voter can access information regarding which political party has authorized a voter listed with no political party preference to vote the party’s ballot at the upcoming presidential primary election;

• A link to, or the address of the internet website on which a voter can access information regarding which political party has authorized a voter listed with no political party preference to vote the party’s ballot at the upcoming presidential primary election; and

• A checkoff box with a printed statement allowing the voter to request a vote by mail ballot for a specific party, and instructions on how and when to return the vote by mail ballot request. 

• Requires the county elections official to include a notice informing the voter that they can request the ballot of a political party for the next primary election if the party so authorizes, for each nonpartisan vote by mail ballot sent to a voter listed with no political party preference (Sec. 10).

• Authorizes a voter listed with no political party preference, any time before the close of the polls on election day, to return their nonpartisan vote by mail ballot and request to receive the ballot for a political party (Sec. 10).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote on a bill that requires voter party affiliation notification prior to primary elections.

Highlights:

• Requires the county elections official, from the 14th day before an election until the closure of the polls on election day, to accept a written request by a voter, listing a change of address within the same county or a change to the voter’s political party preference, that contains (Sec. 1 & 2):

• The voter’s printed name;

• The voter’s former residence address;

• The voter’s new residence address;

• A certification by the voter of the content of the written request as to its truthfulness and correctness; and

• The voter’s signature and date of execution.

• Requires a non-provisional ballot to be issued to the voter if either of the following instances occur (Sec. 1 & 2):

• The voter appears at the voter’s precinct, the voter’s name is on the roster, and the voter has not been issued a vote by mail ballot or the conditions in subdivision (a) of Section 3015 are not satisfied; or

• The voter appears at a location equipped with an electronic poll book or other means to determine the voter’s precinct, the location can provide the voter with a ballot for the voter’s precinct, the county has established connectivity between locations, and the location verifies that the voter has not cast a ballot at another location for the election and notes in the voter’s record that the voter cast a ballot.

• Requires a provisional ballot to be issued if either (Sec. 1 & 2):

• The voter appears at the voter’s precinct, the voter’s name is on the roster, the voter has been issued a vote by mail ballot, and the conditions in subdivision (a) of Section 3015 are not satisfied; or

• The voter appears at a location that is equipped with an electronic poll book or other means to determine the voter’s precinct, but the county has not established connectivity between locations which makes the location unable to verify that the voter has not cast a ballot at another location for the election.

• Requires the county elections official, before each partisan primary election, to send a notice with each nonpartisan vote by mail ballot to each voter listed without a political party preference (Sec. 3).

• Requires the county elections official, if the applicant is a registered voter, to (Sec. 5):

• Put their name on a list of people to whom a vote by mail ballot is sent each time there is an election in their precinct;

• Include an explanation of the vote by mail procedure and of Section 3206, in all vote by mail mailings to the voter; and 

• Maintain a copy of the vote by mail ballot list on file open to public inspection for election and governmental purposes. 

• Requires a county elections official, between the 130th and 102nd day before a presidential primary election, to send a notice to each registered voter in the county with (Sec. 8):

• The current political party preference of the voter;

• Information on the type of ballot the voter will be able to cast;

• A statement that a voter listed with no political party preference can request the ballot of one of the political parties that authorizes these voters to vote in their presidential primary election, and the name of each political party that authorizes this process;

• Instructions on how to change political party preference; and

• Information on how a voter listed with no political party preference can request a ballot of a political party that so permits.

• Requires a county elections official, between the 99th and 71st day before a presidential primary election, to send a notice to each registered voter in the county listed with no political party preference, and who has not requested the ballot of a political party, with (Sec. 8):

• A statement that the voter has declined to disclose a political party preference;

• Information on the type of ballot the voter will be able to cast at the presidential primary election;

• A statement that a voter listed with no political party preference can request the ballot of one of the political parties that authorizes these voters to vote in their presidential primary election, and the name of each political party that authorizes this process;

• Instructions on how to change political party preference; 

• Information on how a voter listed with no political party preference can request a ballot of a political party that so permits;

• A toll free number through which a voter can access information regarding which political party has authorized a voter listed with no political party preference to vote the party’s ballot at the upcoming presidential primary election;

• A link to, or the address of the internet website on which a voter can access information regarding which political party has authorized a voter listed with no political party preference to vote the party’s ballot at the upcoming presidential primary election; and

• A checkoff box with a printed statement allowing the voter to request a vote by mail ballot for a specific party, and instructions on how and when to return the vote by mail ballot request. 

• Requires the county elections official to include a notice informing the voter that they can request the ballot of a political party for the next primary election if the party so authorizes, for each nonpartisan vote by mail ballot sent to a voter listed with no political party preference (Sec. 10).

• Authorizes a voter listed with no political party preference, any time before the close of the polls on election day, to return their nonpartisan vote by mail ballot and request to receive the ballot for a political party (Sec. 10).

Full Bill Text