Early voting: satellite locations.

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material did not provide specific details on how elections officials will now notify people about satellite locations, only that it changes from issuing a general news release to providing notice.

Early Voting: Satellite Locations

This law allows voters to use satellite locations earlier in an election and requires counties that do not conduct all-mail ballot elections to have at least one early voting location open on the Saturday before a statewide election.

What This Bill Does

• Allows voters to vote their mail ballots at satellite locations starting 29 days before Election Day.
• Requires counties that do not conduct all-mail ballot elections to provide at least one early voting location open for six hours on the Saturday before a statewide election.
• Permits voters at these early voting locations to return their mail ballots, register to vote, receive provisional ballots, and get replacement ballots.
• Removes the requirement for voters to use voter identification envelopes when returning their mail ballots at satellite locations.

Who It Names or Affects

• Voters who want to return their mail ballots early
• Counties that conduct elections

Terms To Know

Satellite location

A place where voters can go to vote or drop off their mail ballots before Election Day.

Provisional ballot

A special ballot given to a voter whose eligibility is in question on Election Day.

Limits and Unknowns

• The law does not specify when it will take effect.
• Local elections officials may need extra funding from the state to follow these new rules.

Official Summary Text

AB 1249, Wilson.
Early voting: satellite locations.
Existing law requires an elections official, no later than 29 days before the day of an election, to begin mailing vote by mail ballots to registered voters. Existing law permits a voter using a vote by mail ballot to vote the ballot at the office of the elections official, including satellite locations, before the close of polls on election day. Existing law requires the elections official to provide notice of a satellite location by issuing a general news release no later than 14 days before voting at the satellite location may occur. Existing law requires a vote by mail ballot voted at a satellite location pursuant to the above provisions to be placed in a vote by mail voter identification envelope for processing, except as specified.
This bill would permit a voter using a vote by mail ballot,
no later than 29 days before the day of an election, to vote the ballot at the office of the elections official or a satellite location. For a statewide election, if the county does not conduct an all-mailed ballot election, as specified, the bill would require the county to provide at least one early voting location on the Saturday before the day of the election that is open for at least 6 hours. The bill would require the early voting location to permit the voter to return their vote by mail ballot, register to vote, receive and vote a provisional ballot, and receive a replacement ballot, among other requirements. The bill would repeal the above requirement that the voter use a voter identification envelope when voting their vote by mail ballot at the satellite location. The bill would repeal the above requirement that the elections official issue a news release regarding satellite locations, and instead require the elections official to provide notice of a satellite
location not later than two weeks before voting may occur at the satellite location.
By imposing new duties on local elections officials, the bill would create a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF