(1) Existing law authorizes a county elections official, if a voter has not voted in any election within the preceding 4 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.
This bill, the “Reliable Voter Rolls Act,” would instead require a county elections official,
if a voter has not voted in any election within the preceding 4 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. By requiring a higher level of service from local agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would delete provisions that require the county to notify all voters of the procedure in the sample ballot pamphlet or in a separate mailing and provisions that give a voter in the county 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.
(2) Existing law authorizes a county elections official to cancel the voter registration of a voter whose name has been placed on the inactive file of registered voters for failure to respond to a confirmation
mailing or an address verification mailing and who does not offer to vote or vote at any election between the date of the mailing and 2 federal general elections after the date of that mailing. Under existing law, when a voter whose name has been placed on the inactive file of registered voters and offers to vote at any election between the date of the verification notice and 2 federal general elections after the date of the notice, or who notifies the elections official of continued residency, the name of the voter is placed on the active voter file.
The bill would instead require a county elections official to place the name of a voter on the inactive file of registered voters when the voter fails to respond to a confirmation mailing or an address verification mailing and who does not offer to vote or vote at any election between the date of the mailing and the next federal
election at least one year after the date of the mailing.
The bill would require the county elections official to place the name of the voter on the inactive file within 6 months of that federal election. The bill would require a voter whose name has been placed on the inactive file of registered voters and who offers to vote at any election, or who notifies the elections official of a continued residency, to be placed on the active voter file. The bill would also require the county elections official to place the name of the voter on the inactive file if the information received pursuant to specified statutory provisions or change-of-address information provided directly by the voter indicates the voter has moved to a new address in another county, if the mailings have been returned as undeliverable, or if the voter fails to confirm his or her address.
(3) The
California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.