Voter registration: prospective jurors.

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide information on whether local agencies will receive funding for implementing the program.

Voter Registration and Jury Service

This law requires jury commissioners to notify election officials if a juror says they are not eligible for voting due to citizenship or residency status, leading to the cancellation or update of their voter registration.

What This Bill Does

• Requires jury commissioners to inform the Secretary of State and county elections official when a prospective juror states under penalty of perjury that they cannot serve on a jury because they are not a U.S. citizen or do not reside in the correct area.
• If an election official determines someone is ineligible to vote based on this information, their voter registration will be canceled and they'll receive notice asking them to prove eligibility.
• Elections officials must update voter registrations if a juror's address changes to another county.

Who It Names or Affects

• People who are registered voters in California
• Jury commissioners and elections officials

Terms To Know

Juror affidavit

A written statement by a person saying they can or cannot serve on a jury.

State-mandated local program

A program that the state requires counties to run, which may need funding from the state.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill did not pass in committee and was reconsidered but failed again.
• It is unclear when or if this bill will become a law.

Official Summary Text

SB 1310, as amended, Choi.
Voter registration: prospective jurors.
Existing law permits a United States citizen who is 18 years of age, a resident of California, and not imprisoned for a felony to register to vote and to vote. Existing law provides procedures for the Secretary of State and a county elections official to register a person to vote, and to update and to cancel the person’s voter registration.
Existing law provides criteria that disqualify a person from serving on a jury, including if the person is not a United States citizen or not a resident of the jurisdiction where they are summoned. Existing law requires prospective jurors to be selected at random from sources that represent cross sections of the population of the area served by the court. Existing law provides that voter registration lists are appropriate source lists for the selection of jurors.
This bill would require a jury commissioner to provide notice to the Secretary of State and the county elections official if the jury commissioner receives information from a juror affidavit that contains an attestation by the prospective juror under penalty of perjury that they are not qualified for jury service
for a reason that would also make them ineligible to vote.
because they are not a United States citizen or not a resident of the county.
The bill would require the elections official who receives this information and determines the person is ineligible to vote to inactivate the person’s voter registration and send notice to the person that provides them an opportunity to confirm their eligibility, as specified. The bill would require an elections official to update the voter
registration for a
prospective juror
person
who is registered to vote
but whose residence address is
if the jury commissioner provides a current residence address for the person that is
in a county other than the county in which they were summoned.
By establishing new duties for 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