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AB-1040 • 2026

Elections: residency: displacement by natural disaster.

Elections: residency: displacement by natural disaster.

Elections
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Essayli
Last action
Official status
Assembly - Died - Elections
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Keeping Voting Residency After a Natural Disaster

This law says people who leave their homes because of a natural disaster do not lose their voting address if they plan to return.

What This Bill Does

  • Adds a rule for voters displaced by natural disasters.
  • Says leaving home due to a disaster is considered temporary.
  • Allows voters to keep their old address even while living elsewhere temporarily.
  • Requires the voter to intend to go back to that same area or jurisdiction.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who must leave their homes because of natural disasters
  • Voters planning to return to their original voting district

Terms To Know

Domicile
The place where a person lives and plans to stay or return for voting purposes.
Jurisdiction
A specific area, like a city or county, that has its own government rules.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law does not say how long someone can stay away before losing their address.
  • It only applies if the person intends to return to the same voting area.

Bill History

  1. California Legislative Information

    Assembly - Died - Elections

Official Summary Text

Elections: residency: displacement by natural disaster.