Elections: voter registration.

Plain English Breakdown

The exact date of implementation depends on the Secretary of State's certification of necessary technology readiness, which is uncertain at this time.

Voter Registration Changes

This law allows people without a California driver's license or state ID to register to vote online by providing their last four digits of their Social Security number and uploading a signature.

What This Bill Does

• Allows voters who do not have a California driver’s license or state identification card to submit an affidavit of voter registration electronically on the Secretary of State’s website.
• Requires these voters to provide the last four digits of their Social Security number along with their online application.
• Lets people upload a clear image of their signature through the electronic voter registration system, which must be accessible for those with disabilities.
• Permits county elections officials to compare signatures on mail ballots with the uploaded digital signature or driver’s license/state ID card signature.
• Gives the Secretary of State permission to verify an applicant's identity using their Social Security number, full name, and date of birth.

Who It Names or Affects

• People who want to register to vote but do not have a California driver’s license or state identification card.
• County elections officials responsible for verifying voter signatures.
• The Secretary of State's office which manages the voter registration process.

Terms To Know

Affidavit

A written statement that a person signs, saying it is true and complete.

Digitized image

An electronic copy of a physical signature or document.

Limits and Unknowns

• The law will take effect on the earlier of January 1, 2027, or five days after the Secretary of State certifies that necessary technology is ready.
• It does not specify what happens if someone does not have a Social Security number.

Official Summary Text

AB 1116, as amended, Berman.
Elections: voter registration.
Existing law authorizes a person who is qualified to register to vote and who has a valid California driver’s license or state identification card to submit an affidavit of voter registration electronically on the Secretary of State’s internet website. Existing law requires this affidavit to contain a statement that the county elections official must compare the affiant’s signature on the identification envelope for the return of a vote by mail ballot with the signatures appearing in the voter’s registration record, including the signature appearing on the applicant’s driver’s license or state identification card. The Secretary of State must require a person who submits such an affidavit to submit, among other things, the number from their California driver’s license or state identification card.
This bill would additionally authorize a person
who is qualified to register to vote to submit an affidavit of voter registration on the Secretary of State’s internet website even if the person has not been issued a California driver’s license or state identification card, as long as the person provides the last four digits of their social security number with their affidavit. The bill would require the Secretary of State to develop a
process to allow such an applicant to electronically upload a high-quality digitized image of the applicant’s signature through the electronic voter registration system, and would require this signature upload process
method to collect an electronic image of the applicant’s signature, and would require this collection method
to be accessible to people with disabilities. The bill would additionally authorize a county elections official
to compare the affiant’s signature on the identification envelope for the return of a vote by mail ballot with this
digitized
electronic
image of the affiant’s signature. The bill would authorize the Secretary of State to authenticate the identity of an applicant who electronically submits an affidavit of voter registration without providing a California driver’s license or state identification card by verifying the last 4 digits of the applicant’s social security number, the applicant’s full name, and the applicant’s date of birth. The bill would specify that its provisions become operative on
the earlier of (1) January 1, 2027, or (2) five days after the date on which the Secretary of State certifies that information technology infrastructure necessary to implement its provisions is functional.
September 1, 2027.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF