CA-ELEC Elections Code CA

Counting of words, for purposes of this code, shall be as follows:

This section does not apply to counting words for ballot designations under Section 13107.

The Secretary of State is the chief elections officer of the state, and has the powers and duties specified in this code and Section 12172.5 of the Government Code.

There is established within the Secretary of State the Office of Elections Cybersecurity.

The primary missions of the Office of Elections Cybersecurity are both of the following:

A person shall not be considered a legally qualified candidate for an office, for party nomination for a partisan office, or for nomination to participate in the general election for a voter-nominated office, under the laws of this state unless that person has filed a declaration of candidacy or statement of write-in candidacy with the proper official for the particular election or primary, or is entitled to have his or her name placed on a general election ballot by reason of having been nominated at a primary election, or having been selected to fill a vacancy on the general election ballot as provided in Section 8807, or having been selected as an independent candidate pursuant to Section 8304.

Nothing in this section shall be construed as preventing or prohibiting any qualified voter of this state from casting a ballot for a person by writing the name of that person on the ballot, or from having that ballot counted or tabulated, nor shall this section be construed as preventing or prohibiting a person from standing or campaigning for an elective office by means of a “write-in” campaign. However, nothing in this section shall be construed as an exception to the requirements of Section 15341 or to permit a person to be a write-in candidate contrary to Sections 8600 and 8606.

It is the intent of the Legislature, in enacting this section, to enable the Federal Communications Commission to determine who is a “legally qualified candidate” in this state for the purposes of administering Section 315 of Title 47 of the United States Code.

This section shall be applicable to the following offices and qualifications therefor:

A person shall not be considered a candidate for, and is not eligible to be elected to, any state or local elective office if the person has been convicted of a felony involving accepting or giving, or offering to give, any bribe, the embezzlement of public money, extortion or theft of public money, perjury, or conspiracy to commit any of those crimes.

For purposes of this section, “conviction of a felony” includes a conviction of a felony in this state and a conviction under the laws of any other state, the United States, or any foreign government or country of a crime that, if committed in this state, would be a felony, and for which the person has not received a pardon from the Governor of this state, the governor or other officer authorized to grant pardons in another state, the President of the United States, or the officer of the foreign government or country authorized to grant pardons in that foreign jurisdiction.

Within three court days after a state or local agency or political subdivision files or is served with a court action relating to elections that contains a claim arising under federal law, the state or local agency or political subdivision shall provide written notice to the Secretary of State and the Attorney General. Notice shall include the case number, case name, and venue.

At least 14 court days before a state or local agency or political subdivision enters into a settlement, consent decree, or other court-approved agreement in a court action relating to elections that contains a claim arising under federal law, the state or local agency or political subdivision shall provide a draft copy of the settlement, consent decree, or other court-approved agreement to the Secretary of State and the Attorney General in order to provide them an opportunity to deliver guidance to the state or local agency or political subdivision to ensure that the settlement, consent decree, or other court-approved agreement is consistent with California law, including California regulations. Any records or information exchanged under this section shall be exempt from disclosure under the California Public Records Act (Division 10 (commencing with Section 7920.000) of Title 1 of the Government Code).

For purposes of this section, a claim arising under federal law includes, but is not limited to, a claim brought under the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 (52 U.S.C. Sec. 10301 et seq.), the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. Sec. 20501 et seq.), the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. Sec. 20901 et seq.), the Civil Rights Act of 1960 (52 U.S.C. Sec. 20701 et seq.), and the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution.

This section shall not be construed to require the Secretary of State or the Attorney General to become a party to any action of which they receive written notice.

The Legislature finds and declares that this section addresses a matter of statewide concern, and therefore this section applies to all cities and counties, including charter cities, charter counties, and charter cities and counties.

For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:

A local agency, political subdivision, or elections official shall provide notice to the Secretary of State and the Attorney General immediately, but no later than one calendar day, after becoming aware of a warrant, subpoena, or active law enforcement investigation pertaining to the search, seizure, or retention of any election records or certified voting technology, or any portion thereof, under their custody or control.

Notwithstanding any other law, the Secretary of State or the Attorney General may, as to any matter described in subdivision (b), intervene in any court proceedings connected therewith, or initiate proceedings in any court to challenge a warrant or subpoena described in this section on any valid grounds or seek any other appropriate relief. An action pursuant to this subdivision shall be entitled to calendar preference.

This section does not require the Secretary of State or the Attorney General to take any action regarding any warrant, subpoena, or active law enforcement investigation of which they receive notice pursuant to this section.

The Legislature finds and declares that this section addresses a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair as that term is used in Section 5 of Article XI of the California Constitution. Therefore, this section applies to all cities and counties, including charter cities and charter counties.

This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2030, and as of that date is repealed.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, whenever an initiative, referendum, recall, nominating petition or paper, or any other petition or paper is required to be signed by voters of a county, city, school district, or special district subject to petitioning, only a person who is an eligible registered voter at the time of signing the petition or paper is entitled to sign the petition or paper. A person who submits their affidavit of registration pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 2102 is not eligible to sign a petition or paper unless at the time of the signing of the petition or paper that person is 18 years of age.

A signer shall at the time of signing the petition or paper personally affix their signature, printed name, and place of residence, including the street and number of the place of residence, and if no street or number for the place of residence exists, then a designation of the place of residence that will enable the location to be readily ascertained. An incomplete or inaccurate apartment or unit number in the signer’s residence address shall not invalidate their signature pursuant to Section 105. A space at least one inch wide shall be left blank after each name for the use of the elections official in verifying the petition or paper.

The part of a petition for the signatures, printed names, and residence addresses of the voters and for the blank spaces for verification purposes shall be numbered consecutively commencing with the number one and continuing through the number of signature spaces allotted to each section. The petition format shall be substantially in the following form:

A county elections official who verifies signatures on an initiative, referendum, recall, nominating petition or paper, or any other petition or paper that is required to be signed by voters of a county, city, school district, or special district subject to petitioning may establish and require the use of a standardized petition form for distribution within and submission to the county.

Notwithstanding any other law, a state or local initiative, referendum, or recall petition required to be signed by voters shall contain in 11-point type, before that portion of the petition for voters’ signatures, printed names, and residence addresses, the following language, in order:

A state initiative petition shall contain, in the same location and type size described in subdivision (a), the following language in a non-boldface type: “THE PROPONENTS OF THIS PROPOSED INITIATIVE MEASURE HAVE THE RIGHT TO WITHDRAW THIS PETITION AT ANY TIME BEFORE THE MEASURE QUALIFIES FOR THE BALLOT.”

Wherever any petition or paper is submitted to the elections official, each section of the petition or paper shall have attached to it a declaration signed by the circulator of the petition or paper, setting forth, in the circulator’s own hand, the following:

Each declaration submitted pursuant to this section shall also set forth the following:

A signature invalidated pursuant to this section shall not affect the validity of another valid signature on the particular petition or paper.

Any registered voter who is a candidate for any office may obtain signatures to and sign his or her own nomination papers. The candidate’s signature shall be given the same effect as that of any other qualified signer.

Any person engaged in obtaining signatures to the nomination papers of a candidate for any office or to any recall, initiative or referendum petition, may, if otherwise qualified to sign the papers or petition, sign the papers or petition. The signature of the person shall be given the same effect as that of any other qualified signer.

Notwithstanding any other law, a state or local initiative, referendum, or recall petition that requires voter signatures and for which the circulation is paid for by a committee formed pursuant to Section 82013 of the Government Code shall either include a disclosure statement on the petition that is displayed as follows or the circulator for the petition shall present as a separate document the Official Top Funders sheet described in subdivision (a) to a prospective signer of the petition.

If this section requires the disclosure of the name of a top contributor that is a committee pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 82013 of the Government Code and is a sponsored committee pursuant to Section 82048.7 of the Government Code with a single sponsor, only the name of the single sponsoring organization shall be disclosed.

A committee that circulates a state initiative, referendum, or recall petition shall submit the Official Top Funders sheet required by subdivision (a), and any updates to that statement, to the Secretary of State, who shall post that statement on the Secretary of State’s internet website along with the previous versions the committee submitted.

This section does not require a local elections official to verify the accuracy of the information required by this section or to re-approve the petition upon any updates the committee makes.

Signatures collected on an initiative, referendum, or recall petition are not invalid solely because the information required by this section was absent or inaccurate.

For purposes of this section, “endorser” means:

“Vote by mail voter” means any voter casting a ballot in any way other than at the polling place.

“Military or overseas voter” means an elector absent from the county in which he or she is otherwise eligible to vote who is any of the following:

A “ballot” is the presentation of the contests consisting of offices and measures, and the candidates and choices to be voted on.

The ballot presentations shall include either of the following:

For a candidate, the combination of candidate name and candidate designation.

For a statewide measure, a condensed version of the ballot title and summary, including the fiscal impact summary prepared pursuant to Section 9087 of this code and Section 88003 of the Government Code, that is no more than 75 words, followed by a listing of the names of supporters and opponents in the ballot arguments printed in the state voter information guide as described in Section 9051.

For all other measures, the question and statements specified in Section 13119 or the question specified in Section 13120, as applicable.

For an advisory vote, the description as indicated in Section 9603.

Manufacture and finish card stock.

Finish unfinished ballot cards into ballot cards.

“Ballot title” is the name of a statewide initiative measure or measure proposed by the Legislature, or, in the case of a statewide referendum measure, the question included in the ballot label and the ballot title and summary.

“Candidate,” for purposes of Section 2184, includes any person who declares in writing, under penalty of perjury, that the person is a candidate, naming the office.

“Candidate,” as used in Article 1 (commencing with Section 20200) of Chapter 3 of Division 20, means an individual listed on the ballot, or who has qualified to have write-in votes on the individual’s behalf counted by elections officials, for nomination or for election to any elective state or local office, or who receives a contribution or makes an expenditure or gives the individual’s consent for any other person to receive a contribution or makes an expenditure with a view to bringing about the individual’s nomination or election to any elective state or local office, whether or not the specific elective office for which the individual will seek nomination or election is known at the time the contribution is received or the expenditure is made. The term “candidate” includes any officeholder who is subject to a recall election.

“Candidate for public office,” as used in Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 20400) of Division 20, means an individual who has qualified to have the individual’s name listed on the ballot of any election, or who has qualified to have written votes on the individual’s behalf counted by election officials, for nomination for, or election to, any state, regional, county, municipal, or district office which is filled at an election.

“Paper cast vote record” means an auditable document that corresponds to the selection made on the voter’s ballot and lists the contests on the ballot and the voter’s selections for those contests.

A paper cast vote record is a ballot only if the paper cast vote record is generated on a voting device or machine that complies with ballot layout requirements and is tabulated by a separate device from the device that created the paper cast vote record.

“Electioneering” means the visible display or audible dissemination of information that advocates for or against any candidate or measure on the ballot within the 100 foot limit specified in subdivision (b). Prohibited electioneering information or activity includes, but is not limited to, any of the following:

The activities described in subdivision (a) are prohibited within 100 feet of either of the following:

A clerk or any person who is charged with the duty of conducting an election.

A county clerk, city clerk, registrar of voters, or elections supervisor having jurisdiction over elections within any county, city, or district within the state.

“Elector” means a person who is a United States citizen 18 years of age or older and, except as specified in subdivision (b), is a resident of an election precinct in this state on or before the day of an election.

“Elector” also means a person described in paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of Section 300, who, except for the residence requirement specified in subdivision (a), is eligible to vote in this state and meets either of the following conditions:

“General election” means either of the following:

At each general election there shall be elected to the Congress of the United States:

“One percent manual tally” is the public process of manually tallying votes in 1 percent of the precincts, selected at random by the elections official, and in one precinct for each race not included in the randomly selected precincts. This procedure is conducted during the official canvass to verify the accuracy of the automated count.

In an election conducted using vote centers, a 1 percent manual tally can be conducted using the batch process set forth in Section 15360.

President of the United States, Vice President of the United States, and the delegates therefor.

Elected member of a party committee.

“Precinct board” is the board appointed by the elections official to serve at a single precinct or a consolidated precinct. In an election conducted using vote centers, “precinct board” means the board appointed by the elections official to serve at a vote center.

“Precinct board,” when used in relation to proceedings taking place after the polls have closed, likewise includes any substitutive canvassing and counting board that may have been appointed to take the place of the board theretofore serving.

“Precinct board member” is a member of the precinct board and includes an election officer.

“Residence” for voting purposes means a person’s domicile.

The domicile of a person is that place in which his or her habitation is fixed, wherein the person has the intention of remaining, and to which, whenever he or she is absent, the person has the intention of returning. At a given time, a person may have only one domicile.

The residence of a person is that place in which the person’s habitation is fixed for some period of time, but wherein he or she does not have the intention of remaining. At a given time, a person may have more than one residence.

“Signature” includes either of the following:

A mark attested as provided in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a), or an impression made by a signature stamp as provided in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a), may serve as a signature for any purpose specified in this code, including a sworn statement.

An authorized user of a signature stamp may use it to affix a signature to a document or writing any time that a signature is required by this code, provided that all of the following conditions, as applicable, are met:

A registered voter or any person who is eligible to vote, who qualifies as an authorized user pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (f), may use a signature stamp only after he or she first submits his or her affidavit of registration or a new affidavit of registration by one of the following means:

The following definitions apply for purposes of this section:

“Voter-nominated office” means a congressional or state elective office for which a candidate may choose to have his or her party preference or lack of party preference indicated upon the ballot. A political party or party central committee shall not nominate a candidate at a state-conducted primary election for a voter-nominated office. The primary conducted for a voter-nominated office does not serve to determine the nominees of a political party but serves to winnow the candidates for the general election to the candidates receiving the highest or second highest number of votes cast at the primary election. The following offices are voter-nominated offices:

This section does not prohibit a political party or party central committee from endorsing, supporting, or opposing a candidate for an office listed in subdivision (a).

Notwithstanding any other law, the prohibition on electioneering in subdivision (a) of Section 319.5 may be expanded by a county board of supervisors to up to 200 feet of either of the following:

A violation of this section is punishable as a misdemeanor as provided in Section 18370 or 18371.

If a county board of supervisors expands the area in which electioneering is prohibited pursuant to subdivision (a), the approved distance shall be uniform at every location described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (a) within the county.

A county board of supervisors shall notify the Secretary of State if the board expands the area in which electioneering is prohibited pursuant to subdivision (a).

A law enforcement officer shall abide by Sections 403 and 404 and subdivision (a) of Section 18370.

A law enforcement officer shall notify the Secretary of State and Attorney General of a suspected, planned, or actual violation of Section 403 or 404 or subdivision (a) of Section 18370.

Notwithstanding Section 14212, Section 4005, or any other law, on election day a county elections official may extend the time for closing the polls at any polling place if the county elections official determines, in consultation with the county counsel, in the official’s discretion, that voting at the polling place was disrupted as a result of a violation of Section 403 or 404 or subdivision (a) of Section 18370.

If the time for closing the polls is extended pursuant to subdivision (a), all votes cast during the time that the closing of the polls is extended shall be by provisional ballot. Any provisional ballots cast pursuant to this subdivision shall be separated and held apart from other provisional ballots cast by voters prior to the time the closing of the polls was extended.

The first Tuesday after the first Monday in March of each even-numbered year that is evenly divisible by four.

The first Tuesday after the first Monday in March of each odd-numbered year.

The second Tuesday of April in each even-numbered year.

The first Tuesday after the first Monday in June in each even-numbered year that is not evenly divisible by four.

The first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each year.

An election held in November of an even-numbered year.

An election held in June of an even-numbered year that is not evenly divisible by four and in March of each even-numbered year that is evenly divisible by four.

Any special election called by the Governor.

Elections held in chartered cities or chartered counties in which the charter provisions are inconsistent with this chapter.

School governing board elections consolidated pursuant to Section 1302.2 or initiated by petition pursuant to Section 5091 of the Education Code.

Elections of any kind required or permitted to be held by a school district located in a chartered city or county when the election is consolidated with a regular city or county election held in a jurisdiction that includes 95 percent or more of the school district’s population.

County, municipal, district, and school district initiative, referendum, or recall elections.

Any election conducted solely by mailed ballot pursuant to Division 4 (commencing with Section 4000).

Elections held pursuant to Article 1 (commencing with Section 15100) of Chapter 1, or pursuant to Article 4 (commencing with Section 15340) of Chapter 2 of, Part 10 of the Education Code.

Except as required by Section 57379 of the Government Code, and except as provided in subdivision (b), a general municipal election shall be held on an established election date pursuant to Section 1000.

Except as provided in subdivision (b), the regular election to select governing board members in any school district, community college district, or county board of education shall be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each odd-numbered year.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, when an elementary, unified, high school, or community college district includes within its boundaries the same territory, or territory that is in part the same, as a chartered city, the governing board member elections of the elementary, unified, high school, or community college district may be consolidated with the city election pursuant to Part 3 (commencing with Section 10400) of Division 10. The consolidation shall be effected by the officer conducting the election having jurisdiction of the elementary, unified, high school, or community college district, upon the written request of the governing board of the elementary, unified, high school, or community college district and with the written consent of the legislative body of the city. This section shall control in the event of any conflict with a prior order of the county superintendent of schools made pursuant to Section 5340 of the Education Code.

When a high school district or community college district election is consolidated with that of a city pursuant to this section, and the high school district or community college district has within its boundaries component districts whose elections would otherwise be held on a date specified in this code, the elections in the component districts may be consolidated with the election in the high school district or community college district. The consolidation shall be effected by the officer conducting the election having jurisdiction of the component districts upon the written request of the governing boards thereof and with the written consent of the governing boards of the districts whose governing board member elections are to be consolidated with those of the component districts.

Successors to incumbents holding office upon the effective date of this section, who in the absence of this section would have been elected at a different time, shall be chosen for office at the election nearest the time the terms of office of the incumbents would have otherwise expired. If an incumbent’s term of office is extended because of this section, he or she shall hold office until a successor qualifies for the office, but in no event shall the term of an incumbent be extended to more than four years.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, upon recommendation of the county superintendent of schools and with the approval of the county board of supervisors, the election of governing board members of school districts whose boundaries are coterminous with the boundaries of the county, shall be consolidated with the November general election pursuant to Part 3 (commencing with Section 10400) of Division 10.

When the term of an incumbent expires at midnight on March 31 of an odd-numbered year and no successor has been elected because of the provisions of subdivision (a), the members of the board whose terms have not expired shall appoint a successor to serve until a successor is elected and qualifies pursuant to subdivision (a).

Unless the principal act of a district provides that an election shall be held on one of the other dates specified in Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 1000) of Division 1, or except as provided in Section 1500, or except as provided in subdivision (b), a general district election to elect members of the governing board shall be held in each special district subject to Division 10 (commencing with Section 10000) on the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November of each odd-numbered year.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a governing body of a special district may require, by resolution, that its elections of governing body members be held on the same day as the statewide general election. The resolution shall become operative upon the approval of the board of supervisors pursuant to Section 10404.

Except as provided in subdivision (b), the election for a county initiative that qualifies pursuant to Section 9118 shall be held at the next statewide election occurring not less than 88 days after the date of the order of election. The election for a municipal or district initiative that qualifies pursuant to Section 9215 or 9310 shall be held at the jurisdiction’s next regular election occurring not less than 88 days after the date of the order of election.

The governing body of a county, city, or district may call a special election for the purpose of submitting an initiative measure to the voters before the date on which the initiative measure would appear on the ballot pursuant to subdivision (a). If the governing body calls a special election pursuant to this subdivision, the election shall be held not less than 88 days nor more than 103 days after the order of the election.

A city or city and county charter proposal that proposes to amend or repeal a charter and is proposed by a petition signed by 15 percent of the registered voters of a city or 10 percent of the registered voters of a city and county, pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 9255, shall be submitted to the voters at the next regularly scheduled general municipal election pursuant to Section 1301, or at any established statewide general or statewide primary election pursuant to Section 1200 or 1201, occurring not less than 88 days after the date of the order of election.

The first Tuesday after the first Monday in May of each year.

The last Tuesday in August of each year.

Every person who qualifies under Section 2 of Article II of the California Constitution and who complies with this code governing the registration of electors may vote at any election held within the territory within which he or she resides and the election is held.

Any person who will be at least 18 years of age at the time of the next election is eligible to register and vote at that election.

Pursuant to Section 2102, any person who is at least 16 years of age and otherwise meets all eligibility requirements to vote is eligible to preregister to vote, but is not eligible to vote until he or she is 18 years of age.

A person who leaves his or her home to go into another state or precinct in this state for temporary purposes merely, with the intention of returning, does not lose his or her domicile.

A person does not gain a domicile in any precinct into which he or she comes for temporary purposes merely, without the intention of making that precinct his or her home.

A child for whom the member or representative is a parent, step-parent, foster parent, guardian, or caretaker is enrolled in school.

The spouse, domestic partner, or intimate partner of the member or representative is located for employment.

The member or representative receives mail or other postal or parcel deliveries.

The member or representative owns, leases, or rents a dwelling.

The member or representative claims a homeowner’s exemption or any other similar claim for tax purposes.

The member or representative maintains accounts or pays for utilities, cable or satellite television, Internet service, home security service, home or landscape maintenance, or other similar services.

The member or representative registers a vehicle or boat.

The member or representative maintains policies of insurance.

The member or representative has items of personal property.

The committee shall consist of the Secretary of State, his or her designees, and additional members appointed by the Secretary of State. The appointees shall have demonstrated experience with accessibility requirements for voters with disabilities or be a county elections official.

The committee shall serve in an advisory capacity to the Secretary of State and shall do all of the following:

A person entitled to register to vote shall be a United States citizen, a resident of California, not imprisoned for the conviction of a felony, and at least 18 years of age at the time of the next election.

A person entitled to preregister to vote in an election shall be a United States citizen, a resident of California, not imprisoned for the conviction of a felony, and at least 16 years of age.

For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:

Except as provided in Chapter 4.5, a person shall not be registered as a voter except by affidavit of registration. The affidavit of registration shall be mailed or delivered to the county elections official and shall set forth all of the facts required to be shown by this chapter. A properly executed affidavit of registration shall be deemed effective upon receipt of the affidavit by the county elections official if received on or before the 15th day before an election to be held in the registrant’s precinct. A properly executed affidavit of registration shall also be deemed effective upon receipt of the affidavit by the county elections official if any of the following apply:

For purposes of verifying a signature on a recall, initiative, or referendum petition or a signature on a nomination paper or any other election petition or election paper, a properly executed affidavit of registration shall be deemed effective for verification purposes if both of the following conditions are satisfied:

An individual with a disability who is otherwise qualified to vote may complete an affidavit of registration with reasonable accommodations as needed.

An individual with a disability who is under a conservatorship may be registered to vote if he or she has not been disqualified from voting.

It is the intent of the Legislature that the election board of each county, in order to promote and encourage voter registrations, shall establish a sufficient number of registration places throughout the county, and outside the county courthouse, for the convenience of persons desiring to register, to the end that registration may be maintained at a high level.

It is also the intent of the Legislature that county elections officials, in order to promote and encourage voter registrations, shall enlist the support and cooperation of interested citizens and organizations in such a way as to reach most effectively every resident of the county.

It is also the intent of the Legislature that non-English-speaking citizens, like all other citizens, should be encouraged to vote. Therefore, appropriate efforts should be made to minimize obstacles to registration by citizens who lack sufficient skill in English to register without assistance.

It is the intent of the Legislature that county elections officials be permitted to distribute affidavits of registration and voter registration cards, in all languages required by Section 203 (52 U.S.C. Sec. 10503) or Section 4(f)(4) (52 U.S.C. Sec. 10303(f)(4)) of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, by using the county’s Internet Web site.

It is the intent of the Legislature to maintain voter registration at the highest possible level.

A county that does not satisfy the conditions to conduct an all-mailed ballot election pursuant to Section 4005 shall design and implement a voter education and outreach plan pursuant to this section. The purpose of the plan shall be to identify and register qualified electors who are not registered to vote and to encourage participation in the electoral process.

Each voter education and outreach plan shall, at a minimum, provide information to the public about online voter registration, preregistration opportunities, vote by mail procedures, ballot tracking services, options for military and overseas voters, options for voters with disabilities, options for in-person voting opportunities, language accessibility, and key election dates and deadlines.

The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation shall do both of the following:

Each county probation department shall do both of the following:

The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation shall provide each person on parole under its jurisdiction, upon that person’s request made at any time during the parole, information provided by the Secretary of State regarding voting rights for persons with a criminal history.

Each county probation department is encouraged to notify persons that a printed version of information regarding voting rights for persons with a criminal history who are under the department’s supervision is available upon request.

Each county probation department shall provide each person under the department’s supervision, upon the person’s request, information provided by the Secretary of State regarding voting rights for persons with a criminal history.

A state or local juvenile detention facility, including, but not limited to, a juvenile hall, juvenile ranch, juvenile camp, or a facility of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Division of Juvenile Justice, shall do all of the following:

A facility providing paper affidavits of registration pursuant to subdivision (a) shall do either of the following:

Whenever a voter, between the time of that person’s last voter registration and the time for the closing of registration for any given election, has changed his or her residence address by moving, the voter shall execute a new affidavit of registration or a notice or a letter of the change of address as permitted in Section 2119, in order to be eligible to vote at the next election.

Notwithstanding subdivision (a), a voter who has changed his or her residence address by moving may vote at the election immediately following the change of residence if he or she is entitled to vote under Section 2035 or 14311.

Except as provided in subdivision (d) and Article 4.5 (commencing with Section 2170), the county elections official shall accept affidavits of registration at all times except during the 14 days immediately preceding an election, when registration shall cease for that election as to electors residing in the territory within which the election is held.

Transfers of registration for an election may be made from one precinct to another precinct in the same county, from one county to another county, or for a residence address change within the same precinct at any time registration is in progress in the precinct or county to which the elector seeks to transfer. In lieu of executing a new affidavit of registration for a change of address, the county elections official shall accept a notice, a letter of the change of address signed by a voter as the voter is registered, or written notice.

The former address shall be maintained with the voter record and the registration of the voter shall be immediately updated.

If the reregistration or transfer is from one county to another county, the county elections official of the county in which the voter was formerly registered shall be notified and the registration of the voter shall be immediately updated.

The county elections official shall accept an affidavit of registration or a notification for the forthcoming election and shall immediately update the address on the voter’s affidavit of registration accordingly if the affidavit of registration or notification is executed on or before the 15th day prior to the election and if any of the following apply:

If the registration, reregistration, or notification is executed during the 14 days before an election or is executed on or before the 15th day prior to the election, but does not meet any of the conditions set forth in subdivision (d), the registration of the voter or the update to the registration of the voter shall be immediately processed, but the voter will not be eligible to vote in that election.

From the 14th day immediately preceding an election until the close of polls on election day, in lieu of executing a new affidavit of registration for a change of address within the same county, the county elections official shall accept a written request by a voter that contains all of the following:

The written request shall be delivered to the county elections official’s office or to any location that offers conditional voter registration and at which a ballot can be issued. Following delivery to such a location, the county elections official shall issue a ballot in accordance with the following:

If the county elections official receives a letter from a voter stating that the voter has moved to a new address in another county in the state and the voter provides the new address, the elections official shall immediately update the voter’s registration and the former address shall be maintained with the voter record.

If the county elections official receives a letter from a voter stating that the voter has moved to a new address in another county in the state and the voter does not provide the new address, the elections official shall cancel the old registration for any election occurring at least 15 days after the receipt of the letter.

To conduct voter outreach and voter education programs, in accordance with the requirements of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-252), using funds provided to the state by Sections 101 and 251 of that act.

To increase accessibility for eligible voters with disabilities, in accordance with the requirements of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-252), using funds provided to the state by Section 261 of that act.

Notwithstanding any other law, an affiant’s driver’s license number, identification card number, social security number, and signature contained on an affidavit of registration are confidential and shall not be disclosed by an individual or organization that distributes voter registration cards pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 2158, or by a person entrusted with an affidavit of registration from an elector pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of Section 2158. However, this subdivision shall not be construed to prohibit a person entrusted with an affidavit of registration from an elector pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of Section 2158 from returning the affidavit to the individual or organization that distributed the voter registration card pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 2158.

An individual or organization that distributes voter registration cards pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 2158, a person entrusted with an affidavit of registration from an elector pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of Section 2158, or an individual or organization that assists with the submission of an affidavit of registration electronically on the Internet Web site of the Secretary of State shall comply with both of the following:

If the county elections official refuses to register a qualified elector in the county, the elector may proceed by action in the superior court to compel his or her registration. In an action under this section, as many persons may join as plaintiffs as have causes of action.

If the county elections official has not registered a qualified elector who claims to have registered to vote through the Department of Motor Vehicles or any other public agency designated as a voter registration agency pursuant to the federal National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. Sec. 20501 et seq.), the elector may proceed by action in the superior court to compel his or her registration. In an action under this section, as many persons may join as plaintiffs as have causes of action.

No fee shall be charged by the clerk of the court for services rendered in an action under this section.

The Secretary of State shall annually provide every high school, community college, and California State University and University of California campus with voter registration forms. The Secretary of State shall provide additional forms to a school, free of charge, if so requested by a school.

The Secretary of State shall provide a written notice with each registration form describing eligibility requirements and informing each student that he or she may return the completed form in person or by mail to the elections official of the county in which the student resides or to the Secretary of State.

It is the intent of the Legislature that every eligible high school and college student receive a meaningful opportunity to apply to register to vote. It is also the intent of the Legislature that every school do all in its power to ensure that students are provided the opportunity and means to apply to register to vote. This may include providing voter registration forms at the start of the school year, including voter registration forms with orientation materials; placing voter registration forms at central locations, including voter registration forms with graduation materials; or providing hyperlinks to, and the Internet Web site address of, the Secretary of State’s electronic voter registration system in notices sent by electronic mail to students and placed on the Internet Web site of the high school, college, or university.

Every high school, community college, and California State University campus shall designate a contact person and provide his or her address, telephone number, and e-mail address, when possible, to the Secretary of State for the Secretary of State to contact in order to facilitate the distribution of voter registration cards, as provided under this article.

The University of California is encouraged to comply with this subdivision.

The Secretary of State shall promote and seek to improve student voter registration rates and participation by developing a Students Vote Project to implement the requirements of Section 66852 of the Education Code.

Through the Students Vote Project, the Secretary of State shall provide to the California Community Colleges, the California State University, and the University of California, or campuses thereof, the materials and resources required by Section 66852 of the Education Code, including print calendars with civic- and election-related dates.

The Secretary of State shall establish and maintain an internet web page for the Students Vote Project, which shall include the dates and information required to be distributed pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 66852 of the Education Code.

The affidavit of registration shall show:

The affiant shall certify the content of the affidavit of registration as to its truthfulness and correctness, under penalty of perjury, with the signature of the affiant’s name and the date of signing. If the affiant is unable to write, the affiant shall sign with a mark or cross. An affiant who is an individual with a disability may complete the affidavit with reasonable accommodations as needed.

The affidavit of registration shall also contain a space that would enable the affiant to state the affiant’s ethnicity or race, or both. An affiant shall not be denied the ability to register because the affiant declines to state the affiant’s ethnicity or race.

If a person assists the affiant in completing the affidavit of registration, that person shall sign and date the affidavit below the signature of the affiant.

The Secretary of State may continue to supply existing affidavits of registration to county elections officials before printing new or revised forms that reflect the changes made to this section by Chapter 508 of the Statutes of 2007.

At the time of registering and of transferring registration, an elector may disclose the name of the political party that he or she prefers. The name of that political party shall be stated in the affidavit of registration and the index.

The Secretary of State may continue to supply existing affidavits of registration prior to printing new or revised forms that reflect the changes required pursuant to any amendment made to this section.

Whenever any voter has declined to disclose or has changed the voter’s party preference prior to the close of registration for an election, the voter may either so disclose or have a change recorded by executing a new affidavit of registration and completing the prior registration portion of the affidavit.

From the 14th day immediately preceding an election until the close of polls on election day, in lieu of executing a new affidavit of registration to disclose or have a change recorded for a voter’s political party preference, the county elections official shall accept a written request by a voter that discloses or changes the voter’s political party preference and that contains all of the following:

Except as provided in Section 2154, the affidavit of registration shall show all the facts required to be stated.

If the affidavit does not contain all of the information required, the county elections official shall attempt to contact the affiant and collect the missing information.

If the affidavit does not contain all of the information required, and the county elections official is not able to collect the missing information, but the mailing address of the affiant is legible, the county elections official shall inform the affiant of the reason for rejection and shall send to the affiant either of the following:

If no middle name or initial is shown, it shall be presumed that none exists.

If no party preference is shown, it shall be presumed that the affiant has declined to disclose a party preference. The county elections official shall designate the affiant’s party preference as “Unknown” on a roster under Article 5 (commencing with Section 2183) and the affiant shall otherwise be treated as a “No Party Preference” voter.

If no execution date is shown, it shall be presumed that the affidavit was executed on or before the 15th day prior to the election, provided that (1) the affidavit is received by the county elections official on or before the 15th day before the election, or (2) the affidavit is postmarked on or before the 15th day before the election and received by mail by the county elections official.

If the affiant fails to identify his or her state of birth within the United States, it shall be presumed that the affiant was born in a state or territory of the United States if the birthplace of the affiant is shown as “United States,” “U.S.A.,” or other recognizable term designating the United States. The affiant’s failure to furnish his or her place of birth shall not preclude his or her affidavit of registration from being deemed complete.

In lieu of the voter notification required by Section 2155, a person under 18 years of age who submits an affidavit of registration pursuant to Section 2101 or subdivision (d) of Section 2102, as amended by Chapter 619 of the Statutes of 2014, shall be sent a voter preregistration notice upon a determination that the affidavit of registration is properly executed and that the person otherwise satisfies all eligibility requirements to vote, except that he or she is under 18 years of age. The county elections official shall send the voter preregistration notice by nonforwardable, first-class mail, address correction requested.

The voter preregistration notice required by subdivision (a) shall be substantially in the following form:

VOTER PREREGISTRATION NOTICE

Thank you for preregistering to vote. You may vote in any election held on or after your 18th birthday.

Your party preference is: (Name of political party)

Before any election in which you are eligible to vote, you will receive a state voter information guide and county voter information guide by mail.

If the information on this card is incorrect, please contact our office or update your preregistration at the Internet Web site of the Secretary of State.

The Secretary of State may, in coordination with county elections officials who choose to participate, develop specific procedures to address complaints related to voter registration, including procedures to promptly reregister voters who believe their registration was changed improperly.

The procedures adopted pursuant to this section shall not provide any exemption to laws related to voter registration within the 15 days prior to an election.

Subject to this chapter, the paper affidavit of registration shall be in a form prescribed by regulations adopted by the Secretary of State. The affidavit shall comply with all of the following:

Nothing contained in this division shall prevent the use of voter registration cards and affidavits of registration in existence on the effective date of this section and produced pursuant to regulations of the Secretary of State, and all references to voter registration cards and affidavits in this division shall be applied to the existing voter registration cards and affidavits of registration.

The Secretary of State may continue to supply existing affidavits of registration prior to printing new or revised forms that reflect the changes required pursuant to this section or Section 2150.

An affidavit of registration shall not be submitted electronically on a county’s internet website. However, a county may provide a hyperlink on the county’s internet website to the Secretary of State’s electronic voter registration system.

Provide voter registration cards designed pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 2157 for the registration of voters at his or her office and in a sufficient number of locations throughout the county for the convenience of persons desiring to register, to the end that registration may be maintained at a high level. The cards shall be available in all languages required by Section 203 (52 U.S.C. Sec. 10503) or Section 4(f)(4) (52 U.S.C. Sec. 10303(f)(4)) of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Provide voter registration cards designed pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 2157 in sufficient quantities to any individuals or organizations that wish to distribute the cards other than to persons who have been convicted of violating this section within the last five years. Individuals and organizations shall be permitted to distribute voter registration cards anywhere within the county.

Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 2158, any person who, in exchange for money or other valuable consideration, assists another to register to vote by receiving the completed affidavit of registration from the elector, shall sign in his or her handwriting and affix directly on the affidavit of registration his or her full name, telephone number, and address, and the name and telephone number of the person, company, or organization, if any, that agrees to pay money or other valuable consideration for the completed affidavit of registration. Failure to comply with this section shall not cause the invalidation of the registration of the voter.

Any person who in exchange for money or other valuable consideration assists another to register to vote by receiving the completed affidavit of registration from the elector, and knowingly misrepresents himself or herself as having helped register another to vote on a registration form is guilty of a misdemeanor, pursuant to Section 18108.1.

Maintain a list of the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of all individuals that the person, company, or other organization has agreed to compensate for assisting others to register to vote, and shall provide to each person receiving that consideration a written statement of that person’s personal responsibilities and liabilities under Sections 2138, 2138.5, 2139, 2150, 2158, 2159, 18100, 18101, 18103, 18106, 18108, 18108.1, and 18108.5. Receipt of the written statement shall be acknowledged, in writing, by the person receiving the consideration, and the acknowledgment shall be kept by the person, company, or organization that agrees to compensate that person. All records required by this subdivision shall be maintained for a minimum of three years, and shall be made available to the elections official, the Secretary of State, or an appropriate prosecuting agency, upon demand. As an alternate to maintaining the records required by this subdivision, the records may be filed with the county elections official, who shall retain those records for a minimum of three years. The county elections official may charge a fee, not to exceed actual costs, for storing records pursuant to this subdivision.

Not render any payment or promised consideration unless the information specified in Section 2159 has been affixed personally on the affidavit in the handwriting of the person with whom the agreement for payment was made.

At the time of submission of paper affidavits to an elections official, identify and separate those affidavits into groups that do and that do not comply with the requirements of Sections 2150 and 2159. A signed acknowledgment shall be attached to each group of affidavits identifying a group as in compliance with Sections 2150 and 2159, and a group as not in compliance with either Section 2150 or 2159, or both.

Failure to comply with this section shall not cause the invalidation of the registration of the voter.

A county elections official may use a provisional ballot envelope as an affidavit of registration.

A county elections official who intends to use a provisional ballot envelope as an affidavit of registration shall do all of the following:

No affidavits of registration other than those provided by the Secretary of State to the county elections officials, provisional ballot envelopes that comply with Section 2160, or the national voter registration forms authorized pursuant to the federal National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. Sec. 20501 et seq.) shall be used for the registration of voters.

A voter registration card shall not be altered, defaced, or changed in any way, other than by the insertion of a mailing address and the affixing of postage, if mailed, or as otherwise specifically authorized by the Secretary of State, before distribution of the cards.

The affidavit portion of a voter registration card shall not be marked, stamped, or partially or fully completed by a person other than an elector attempting to register to vote or by a person assisting the elector in completing the affidavit at the request of the elector.

The Secretary of State shall pay all postage for all of the following:

All payments made pursuant to this section shall be made directly from funds appropriated to the Secretary of State for this purpose.

Any person filing with the county elections official a new affidavit of registration or reregistration may have the information relating to his or her residence address, telephone number, and email address appearing on the affidavit, or any list or roster or index prepared therefrom, declared confidential upon order of a superior court issued upon a showing of good cause that a life-threatening circumstance exists to the voter or a member of the voter’s household, and naming the county elections official as a party.

Any person granted confidential voter status under subdivision (a) shall:

Any person filing with the county elections official a new affidavit of registration or reregistration may have the information relating to their residence address, telephone number, and email address appearing on the affidavit, or any list or roster or index prepared therefrom, declared confidential upon presentation of certification that the person is a participant in the Address Confidentiality for Victims of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking program pursuant to Chapter 3.1 (commencing with Section 6205) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code, or a participant in the Address Confidentiality for Reproductive Health Care Service Providers, Employees, Volunteers, Patients, and Other Individuals Who Face Threats or Violence Because of Work for a Public Entity program pursuant to Chapter 3.2 (commencing with Section 6215) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code.

Any person granted confidential voter status under subdivision (a) shall:

If authorized by the county board of supervisors, a county elections official shall, upon application of a public safety officer, make confidential that officer’s residence address, telephone number, and email address appearing on the affidavit of registration, in accordance with the terms and conditions of this section.

The application by the public safety officer shall contain a statement, signed under penalty of perjury, that the person is a public safety officer as defined in subdivision (f) and that a life-threatening circumstance exists to the officer or a member of the officer’s family. The application shall be a public record.

The confidentiality granted pursuant to subdivision (a) shall terminate no more than two years after commencement, as determined by the county elections official. The officer may submit a new application for confidentiality pursuant to subdivision (a), and the new request may be granted for an additional period of not more than two years.

Any person granted confidential voter status under subdivision (a) shall:

No action in negligence may be maintained against any government entity or officer or employee thereof as a result of the disclosure of the information that is the subject of this section unless by a showing of gross negligence or willfulness.

“A public safety officer” has the same meaning as defined in subdivision (a), (d), (e), (f), or (j) of Section 7920.535 of the Government Code.

A county elections official shall, upon application of a qualified worker, make confidential that worker’s residence address, telephone number, and email address appearing on the affidavit of registration, in accordance with the terms and conditions of this section.

The application by the qualified worker shall contain a statement, signed under penalty of perjury, that the person is a qualified worker as defined in subdivision (f) and that a life-threatening circumstance exists as to the qualified worker or a member of the worker’s family. The application shall be a public record.

The confidentiality granted pursuant to subdivision (a) shall terminate no more than two years after commencement, as determined by the county elections official. The officer may submit a new application for confidentiality pursuant to subdivision (a), and the new request may be granted for an additional period of not more than two years.

The following apply to a person granted confidential voter status under subdivision (a):

An action in negligence shall not be maintained against any government entity or officer or employee thereof as a result of the disclosure of the information that is the subject of this section except by a showing of gross negligence or willfulness.

“Qualified worker” means a person who is employed by or contracts with the Secretary of State or a local election office who performs election-related work and interacts with the public or is observed by the public doing election-related work, but does not include a person who is a precinct board member who does not otherwise perform election-related work. For the purposes of this section, a qualified worker is not limited to those who exclusively perform direct election-related work for the Secretary of State or local election offices.

The Secretary of State shall submit to the Legislature, pursuant to Section 9795 of the Government Code, no later than January 10 of each year, a report that includes the total number of applications received for the program established by this section. The report shall disclose the number of program participants within each county and shall also describe any allegations of misuse relating to election purposes.

For purposes of this section, “elected official or candidate” means a federal, state, or local elected official or a candidate for an elected federal, state, or local office.

An elected official or candidate shall have their residence address, telephone number, and email address appearing on the affidavit of registration made confidential in accordance with the terms and conditions of this section.

An elected official or candidate shall contact their county elections official to ensure their voter registration record has been made confidential in accordance with the terms and conditions of this section.

An elected official or candidate’s residence address, telephone number, and email address shall remain confidential until, for an elected official, the official no longer holds the office or, for a candidate, the winning candidate takes office.

A county or county elections official shall not be liable for taking or failing to take the actions described in this section when the county or county elections official has received erroneous information from the Secretary of State.

An action in negligence shall not be maintained against any government entity or officer or employee thereof as a result of the disclosure of the information that is the subject of this section, except by a showing of gross negligence or willfulness.

An elected official or candidate holding office as of the effective date of this section shall contact their county elections official to ensure their voter registration record has been made confidential in accordance with the terms and conditions of this section. County elections officials shall make the elected official’s information confidential when contacted by the elected official or candidate.

“Conditional voter registration” means a properly executed affidavit of registration that is delivered by the registrant to the county elections official during the 14 days immediately preceding an election or on election day and which may be deemed effective pursuant to this article after the elections official processes the affidavit, determines the registrant’s eligibility to register, and validates the registrant’s information, as specified in subdivision (c).

In addition to other methods of voter registration provided by this code, an elector who is otherwise qualified to register to vote under this code and Section 2 of Article II of the California Constitution, including military and overseas voters and voters with disabilities, may complete a conditional voter registration and cast a provisional ballot, or nonprovisional ballot under subdivision (f), during the 14 days immediately preceding an election or on election day pursuant to this article.

After receiving a conditional voter registration, the elections official shall provide a provisional ballot in accordance with the following procedures:

An elections official may offer a nonprovisional ballot to a registrant if the official does both of the following:

The Secretary of State may adopt emergency regulations to implement this section. The Legislature finds and declares that such regulations are necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, safety, or general welfare because the regulations will ensure that elections officials have sufficient time to ensure that elections are held in a safe and accessible manner.

A conditional voter registration accepted under this article shall include the information required by Article 4 (commencing with Section 2150).

A conditional voter registration accepted under this article shall be processed in accordance with general voter registration procedures provided in this chapter and established by regulations adopted by the Secretary of State.

A provisional ballot cast under this article shall be subject to the requirements for provisional voting in Article 5 (commencing with Section 14310) of Chapter 3 of Division 14.

The elections official shall cancel any duplicate voter registrations that may exist as a result of a conditional registration deemed effective and shall cancel the duplicate registrations in accordance with Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 2200).

If it appears that a registrant may have committed fraud within the meaning of Section 18560, the elections official shall immediately notify in writing both the district attorney and the Secretary of State.

Notwithstanding any other law, a person who commits fraud in the execution of a conditional voter registration pursuant to this article shall be punishable by imprisonment in the county jail for up to one year, or a fine up to twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment.

In addition to the criminal penalties prescribed in subdivision (a), a person who commits fraud in the execution of a conditional voter registration pursuant to this article shall be subject to a civil fine of an amount up to twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000). An action for a civil penalty under this subdivision may be brought by the Secretary of State or any public prosecutor with jurisdiction.

Nothing in this section shall preclude the prosecution of a person under any other applicable provision of law.

The elections official shall supply an electronic copy, or paper copy upon request, of the roster and of supplements to the roster, necessary to bring it up to date, for all elections to be held within the county. The county elections official shall also supply copies of the roster and supplements as may be requested by the elections official of a city, school district, or other body. The name of each voter whose affidavit of registration has been canceled shall be removed from the roster and supplement. The county elections official may charge an amount sufficient to reimburse the county for the expense incurred in preparing and furnishing the roster and supplements.

Each county elections official shall provide notice to the Secretary of State that the following information is available:

The Secretary of State, within 30 days after receiving the information specified in subdivision (a), shall compile a statewide list showing the number of voters, by party preferences, in the state and in each county, city, supervisorial district, Assembly district, Senate district, and congressional district in the state. A copy of this list shall be made available, upon request, to any elector in this state.

The county elections officials shall prepare the information referenced in subdivision (a) and provide notice to the Secretary of State at the following times:

Any application for voter registration information available pursuant to law and maintained by the Secretary of State or by the elections official of any county shall be made pursuant to this section.

The application shall set forth all of the following:

The applicant shall certify to the truth and correctness of the content of the application, under penalty of perjury, with the signature of his or her name at length, including given name, middle name or initial, or initial and middle name. The applicant shall state the date and place of execution of the declaration.

Completed applications for voter registration information shall be retained by the elections official for five years from the date of application.

This section shall not apply to requests for information by elections officials for election purposes or by other public agencies for governmental purposes.

The Secretary of State may prescribe additional information to be included in the application for voter registration information.

A county may not provide information for any political subdivision that is not wholly or partially contained within that county.

The Secretary of State shall adopt regulations that describe the best practices for storage and security of voter registration information received by an applicant pursuant to Section 2188.

The Secretary of State may require an applicant to take a training course regarding data security as a condition for the receipt of voter registration information if that course is made available to the applicant at no cost to the applicant.

A person who requests voter information pursuant to Section 2188 or who obtains signatures or other information collected for an initiative, referendum, political party qualification, or recall petition shall not send that information outside of the United States or make it available in any way electronically to persons outside the United States, including, but not limited to, access over the Internet.

For purposes of this section, “United States” includes each of the several states of the United States, the District of Columbia, and the territories and possessions of the United States.

Upon request, the elections official shall compile a voter list or file, by precinct, of all persons who voted in previous elections. This information shall be compiled in conjunction with the purge of voter registration files conducted pursuant to Article 2 (commencing with Section 2220) of Chapter 3.

Information compiled pursuant to this section shall include the information that is required to appear in the index as set forth in Section 2183.

Any person, candidate, or committee who is entitled to obtain a copy of any information contained in this article shall, upon written request to the elections official, be entitled to obtain the voter list or file compiled pursuant to this section. The elections official shall inform any recipient of this information whether the voter list or file includes a voting history of vote by mail voters. The elections official may require the payment of a fee not to exceed the cost of duplicating the information as a condition to furnishing the information contained in this section.

Except as provided in Section 2194.1, the affidavit of voter registration information identified in Section 7924.000 of the Government Code:

For purposes of this section, “voter’s household” is defined as the voter’s place of residence or mailing address or any persons who reside at the place of residence or use the mailing address as supplied on the affidavit of registration pursuant to paragraphs (3) and (4) of subdivision (a) of Section 2150.

The Department of Motor Vehicles shall use the electronic voter registration system required by this section to comply with its duties and responsibilities as a voter registration agency pursuant to the federal National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. Sec. 20501 et seq.).

The Department of Motor Vehicles and the Secretary of State shall maintain a process and the infrastructure to allow the electronic copy of the applicant’s signature and other information required under this section that is in the possession of the department to be transferred to the Secretary of State and to the county election management systems to allow a person who is qualified to register to vote in California to register to vote under this section.

If an applicant cannot electronically submit the information required pursuant to paragraph (7) of subdivision (a), the applicant shall nevertheless be able to complete the affidavit of voter registration electronically on the Secretary of State’s internet website, print a hard copy of the completed affidavit, and mail or deliver the hard copy of the completed affidavit to the Secretary of State or the appropriate county elections official.

The county elections official shall cancel the registration in the following cases:

The Secretary of State may cancel the registration in the following cases:

The county elections official shall preserve all uncanceled affidavits of registration in a secure manner that will protect the confidentiality of the voter information consistent with Section 2194.

The affidavits of registration shall constitute the register required to be kept by Article 5 (commencing with Section 2183) of Chapter 2.

In lieu of maintaining uncanceled affidavits of registration, the county elections official may microfilm, record on optical disc, or record on any other electronic medium that does not permit additions, deletions, or changes to the original document, the uncanceled affidavits of registration. Any such use of an electronic medium to record uncanceled affidavits shall protect the security and confidentiality of the voter information. The county elections official may dispose of any uncanceled affidavits of registration transferred pursuant to this section. The disposal of any uncanceled affidavits shall be performed in a manner that does not compromise the security or confidentiality of the voter information contained therein. For purposes of this section, a duplicate copy of an affidavit of registration shall be deemed an original. The Secretary of State may adopt appropriate regulations for the purpose of this section.

A person is presumed competent to vote regardless of the person’s conservatorship status. A person shall be deemed mentally incompetent, and therefore disqualified from voting, if, during the course of any of the proceedings set forth below, the court finds by clear and convincing evidence that the person cannot communicate, with or without reasonable accommodations, a desire to participate in the voting process, and any of the following apply:

If the proceeding under the Welfare and Institutions Code is heard by a jury, the jury shall unanimously find by clear and convincing evidence that the person cannot communicate, with or without reasonable accommodations, a desire to participate in the voting process before the person shall be disqualified from voting.

If an order establishing a conservatorship is made and in connection with the order it is found by clear and convincing evidence that the person cannot communicate, with or without reasonable accommodations, a desire to participate in the voting process, the court shall provide notice to the Secretary of State pursuant to Section 2211.5.

A person shall not be disqualified from voting pursuant to this section on the basis that the person does, or would need to do, any of the following to complete an affidavit of voter registration:

This section shall become operative on January 1, 2024.

For conservatorships established pursuant to Division 4 (commencing with Section 1400) of the Probate Code, the court investigator shall, during the yearly or biennial review of the conservatorship as required by Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 1850) of Part 3 of Division 4 of the Probate Code, review the person’s capability of communicating, with or without reasonable accommodations, a desire to participate in the voting process.

If the person has been disqualified from voting by reason of being incapable of communicating, with or without reasonable accommodations, a desire to participate in the voting process, or by reason of being incapable of completing an affidavit of voter registration, the court investigator shall determine if the person continues to be incapable of communicating, with or without reasonable accommodations, a desire to participate in the voting process, and the investigator shall so inform the court. If the investigator determines that the person continues to be incapable of communicating, with or without reasonable accommodations, a desire to participate in the voting process, a court hearing on the issue is unnecessary. If the investigator finds that the person is not incapable of communicating, with or without reasonable accommodations, a desire to participate in the voting process, the court shall hold a hearing to determine if, by clear and convincing evidence, the person cannot communicate, with or without reasonable accommodations, a desire to participate in the voting process. Unless the person is found incapable of communicating that desire, the person’s right to register to vote shall be restored, and the court shall provide notice to the Secretary of State pursuant to Section 2211.5.

If the person has not been found incapable of communicating, with or without reasonable accommodations, a desire to participate in the voting process, and the court investigator determines that the person is no longer capable of communicating that desire, the investigator shall so notify the court. The court shall hold a hearing to determine if, by clear and convincing evidence, the person cannot communicate, with or without reasonable accommodations, a desire to participate in the voting process. If the court determines that the person cannot communicate that desire, the court shall order the person to be disqualified from voting pursuant to Section 2208, and the court shall provide notice to the Secretary of State pursuant to Section 2211.5.

This section shall become operative on January 1, 2024.

If the person or the person and estate is under a conservatorship established pursuant to Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 5350) of Part 1 of Division 5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, the person may contest their disqualification from voting pursuant to the procedure set forth in Section 5358.3 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.

When the conservatorship described in subdivision (a) terminates after one year, the person’s right to register to vote shall be automatically restored and the court shall provide notice to the Secretary of State pursuant to Section 2211.5. If a petition is filed for the reappointment of the conservator, a new determination shall be made as to whether the person should be disqualified from voting.

If the right to vote is restored pursuant to Section 5358.3 of the Welfare and Institutions Code or if the conservatorship is terminated in a proceeding held pursuant to Section 5364 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, the court shall provide notice to the Secretary of State pursuant to Section 2211.5.

This section shall become operative on January 1, 2024.

Any person who (1) has plead not guilty by reason of insanity and who has been found to be not guilty pursuant to Section 1026 of the Penal Code, (2) has been found incompetent to stand trial and whose trial or judgment has been suspended pursuant to Section 1370 of the Penal Code, (3) has been convicted of a felony and who was judicially determined to be a mentally disordered sex offender pursuant to former Section 6300 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, as repealed by Chapter 928 of the Statutes of 1981, or (4) has been convicted of a felony and is being treated at a state hospital pursuant to Section 2684 of the Penal Code shall be disqualified from voting or registering to vote during that time that the person is involuntarily confined, pursuant to a court order, in a public or private facility.

Upon the order of commitment to a treatment facility referred to in subdivision (a), the court shall provide notice to the Secretary of State pursuant to Section 2211.5.

If the person is later released from the public or private treatment facility, the court shall provide notice to the Secretary of State pursuant to Section 2211.5.

This section shall become operative on January 1, 2024.

By the first day of each month, and more frequently if the clerk so chooses, the clerk of the superior court of each county shall notify the Secretary of State pursuant to subdivision (b) of each of the following:

In consultation with the Secretary of State, the Judicial Council shall adopt rules of court to implement this section and Judicial Council forms that shall be used by courts to furnish the notices described in subdivision (a). The forms shall contain clearly identified spaces for all of the following:

Upon receiving information from the Secretary of State pursuant to subdivision (d), the county elections official shall do either of the following, as applicable:

A county or county elections official shall not be liable for taking or failing to take the actions described in subdivision (e) when the county or county elections official has received erroneous information from the Secretary of State.

If a person who is ineligible to vote receives a notice under paragraph (2) of subdivision (e), subsequently becomes registered or preregistered to vote, and votes or attempts to vote in an election held after the effective date of the person’s registration or preregistration, that person shall be presumed to have acted with official authorization and shall not be guilty of fraudulently voting or attempting to vote pursuant to Section 18560, unless that person willfully votes or attempts to vote knowing that the person is not eligible to vote.

This section shall become operative on January 1, 2024.

For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:

The department shall provide to the Secretary of State, on a weekly basis and in a format prescribed by the Secretary of State, the identification information described in subdivision (c) for all of the following persons:

Upon receipt of information from the Secretary of State pursuant to subdivision (d), a county elections official shall do all of the following:

The Secretary of State shall prepare a form to be used by county elections officials to provide the notice described in paragraph (2) of subdivision (e).

A county or county elections official shall not be liable for taking or failing to take the actions described in subdivision (e) when the county or county elections official have received erroneous information from the Secretary of State or the department.

If a person who is ineligible to vote receives a notice under paragraph (2) of subdivision (e), subsequently becomes registered or preregistered to vote, and votes or attempts to vote in an election held after the effective date of the person’s registration or preregistration, that person shall be presumed to have acted with official authorization and shall not be guilty of fraudulently voting or attempting to vote pursuant to Section 18560, unless that person willfully votes or attempts to vote knowing that the person is not entitled to vote.

Each month, the Secretary of State shall post on its internet website a report showing, for the preceding period, the number of voting rights disqualifications and the number of voting rights restorations pursuant to each of Sections 2208 through 2212, as applicable, that were ordered within each county and the number of proceedings specified in paragraphs (1) through (4) of subdivision (a) of Section 2208 that occurred within each county.

In consultation with the Judicial Council, the Secretary of State shall prepare and deliver a training via a remote web-based learning platform that is accessible through the Secretary of State’s internet website. The training shall contain information about the responsibilities of superior courts and county elections officials, as specified in this chapter, and information about the legal standards for voting rights disqualification, the duties of court investigators, and the reporting requirements for courts related to voting rights disqualification and restoration.

At least annually, each court executive officer and each county elections official shall complete the training described in subdivision (b). The trainings completed by court executive officers and county elections officials shall be tracked through the remote web-based learning platform provided by the Secretary of State.

This section shall become operative on January 1, 2024.

The county elections official shall conduct a preelection residency confirmation procedure as provided in this article. This procedure shall be completed by the 90th day immediately before the primary election. The procedure shall be initiated by mailing a nonforwardable postcard to each registered voter of the county preceding the direct primary election. Postcards mailed pursuant to this article shall be sent “Address Correction Requested, Return Postage Guaranteed,” and shall be in substantially the following form:

“We are requesting your assistance in correcting the addresses of voters who have moved and have not reregistered.

“1. If you still live at the address noted on this postcard, your voter registration will remain in effect and you may disregard this notice.

“2. If the person named on this postcard is not at this address, please return this postcard to your mail carrier.”

The county elections official, at the county elections official’s discretion, shall not be required to mail a residency confirmation postcard pursuant to subdivision (a) to any of the following:

Based on the postal notices on the returned residency confirmation postcards received pursuant to Section 2220, the county elections official shall take the following actions:

All updates to a voter’s registration record made pursuant to this section shall be reflected on the voter list as required by Section 2191.

In lieu of mailing a residency confirmation postcard to each registered voter in the county, the county elections official may include the return address of the county elections official’s office on the outside portion of the county voter information guide or county voter information guide envelope mailed to the voter for an election conducted within the last six months preceding the start of the confirmation process, along with the statements “Address Correction Requested” and “Notice: If the person named on the county voter information guide is not at the address, please help keep the voter rolls current and save taxpayer dollars by returning this county voter information guide to your mail carrier.”

A voter not eligible for an election during the last six months preceding the start of the confirmation process, or a voter not mailed a county voter information guide with an address correction requested, shall have his or her address confirmed by either a residency confirmation postcard or an address verification mailing conducted pursuant to this article using NCOA/Operation Mail data pursuant to Section 2222 or consumer credit reporting agency data pursuant to Section 2227.

If a voter has not voted in an election within the preceding four years, and the voter’s residence address, name, or party preference has not been updated during that time, the county elections official may send an alternate residency confirmation postcard. The use of this postcard may be sent subsequent to NCOA or county voter information guide returns, but shall not be used in the residency confirmation process conducted under Section 2220. The postcard shall be forwardable, including a postage-paid and preaddressed return form to enable the voter to verify or correct the address information, and shall be in substantially the following form:

“If the person named on the postcard is not at this address, PLEASE help keep the voter rolls current and save taxpayer dollars by returning this postcard to your mail carrier.”

“IMPORTANT NOTICE”

“According to our records you have not voted in any election during the past four years, which may indicate that you no longer reside in ____ County. If you continue to reside in California you must confirm your residency address in order to remain on the active voter list and receive election materials in the mail.”

“If confirmation has not been received within 15 days, you may be required to provide proof of your residence address in order to vote at future elections.”

The use of a toll-free number to confirm the old residence address is optional. A change to a voter’s address shall be received in writing.

A county using the alternate residency confirmation procedure shall notify all voters of the procedure in the county voter information guide or in a separate mailing.

This section shall become inoperative on January 1, 2020, and, as of January 1, 2029, is repealed.

If postal service change-of-address data indicates that the voter has moved to a new residence address in California, the forwardable notice shall be in substantially the following form:

“We have received notification that you have moved to a new residence address in California. Your voter registration record has been updated to this new address. If this is correct, you do not have to take any action. If this is incorrect, you can notify our office by either returning the attached postage-paid postcard, or by calling toll free; you must notify us at least 15 days prior to the next election or you may be required to vote using a provisional ballot.”

If postal service change-of-address data received from a nonforwardable mailing indicates that a voter has moved and left no forwarding address or indicates that a voter has moved out of the state, a forwardable notice shall be sent in substantially the same format as the notice set forth in paragraph (2) of subsection (d) of Section 20507 of Title 52 of the United States Code.

The use of a toll-free number to confirm the old residence address is optional. Any change to the voter address must be received in writing.

Upon the mailing of the forwardable address confirmation notice described in subdivision (b) to a voter, the county elections official shall not update the status of the voter’s registration to inactive.

Upon the mailing of the forwardable address confirmation notice described in subdivision (c) to a voter, the county elections official shall update the status of the voter’s registration to inactive.

Based on change-of-address information received pursuant to Sections 2220 to 2225, inclusive, or change-of-address information provided directly by the voter, the county elections official shall take the following actions as appropriate:

The voter registration record of a voter whose status is inactive for failure to respond to an address verification mailing required by subdivision (c) of Section 2225, and who does not offer to vote or vote at any election between the date of the mailing and two federal general elections after the date of that mailing, shall be canceled.

A voter who has a registration status of inactive, who offers to vote at any election between the date of the verification mailing required by subdivision (c) of Section 2225 and two federal general elections after the date of that mailing, who notifies the elections official of a continued residency, or who has confirmed the voter’s voter registration record on the internet website of the Secretary of State, shall have the voter’s voter registration status updated to active.

All address updates, cancellations, and active and inactive transactions made to voter registration records pursuant to this section shall be reflected on the voter list as required by Section 2191.

In lieu of mailing a residency confirmation postcard, as prescribed in subdivision (a) of Section 2220, the county elections official may contract with a consumer credit reporting agency or its licensees to obtain use of change-of-address data in accordance with this section.

If the county elections official contracts with a consumer credit reporting agency or its licensees pursuant to subdivision (a), all of the following shall occur:

Based on change-of-address data received from a consumer credit reporting agency or its licensees, the county elections official shall send a forwardable notice, including a postage-paid and preaddressed return form, which may be in the form of a postcard, to the registered voter to enable the voter to verify or correct address information. The forwardable notice shall be in substantially the following form:

“We have received notification that you have moved to a new residence address in ____ County. You will remain registered to vote at your old address unless you notify our office that the address to which this card was mailed is a change of your permanent residence. Please notify our office in writing by returning the attached postage-paid postcard. If this is not a permanent residence, and you do not wish to change your address for voting purposes, please disregard this notice.”

The county elections official shall take all of the following actions as appropriate:

For purposes of this section, “consumer credit reporting agency” has the same meaning as set forth in subdivision (d) of Section 1785.3 of the Civil Code.

Voter registration is one of the biggest barriers to participation in our democracy.

In 1993, Congress enacted the federal National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. Sec. 20501 et seq.), commonly known as the “Motor Voter Law,” with findings recognizing that the right of citizens to vote is a fundamental right; it is the duty of federal, state, and local governments to promote the exercise of the right to vote; and the primary purpose of the act is to increase the number of eligible citizens who register to vote.

It is the intent of the Legislature to enact the California New Motor Voter Program to provide California citizens additional opportunities to participate in democracy through exercise of their fundamental right to vote.

“Completed voter registration” and “completed voter registration application” mean the part of the driver’s license application containing the voter registration application for an applicant who has not affirmatively declined to register to vote, the transmittal of which is not prohibited by subdivision (f) of Section 2265, and which includes the minimum information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and preregistrations, to assess the eligibility of the applicant, and to administer voter registration, preregistration, and other procedures for elections.

“Department” means the Department of Motor Vehicles.

“Driver’s license application” means a driver’s license or identification card application, renewal, or notification of a change of address pursuant to Section 12800, 12815, 13000, or 14600 of the Vehicle Code.

The Secretary of State and the department shall establish the California New Motor Voter Program for the purpose of increasing opportunities for voter registration by any person who is qualified to be a voter under Section 2 of Article II of the California Constitution.

This chapter shall not be construed as requiring the department to determine eligibility for voter registration and voting. The Secretary of State is solely responsible for determining eligibility for voter registration, voter preregistration, and voting.

Every driver’s license application shall include a voter registration application. All of the following apply to the voter registration application included with the driver’s license application:

A voter who attests to the voter’s eligibility shall be registered to vote unless the voter affirmatively declines to register to vote.