Elections: voting by mail.

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and digest do not provide specific details about funding or reimbursement, only a general statement about potential mandated costs.

Voting by Mail in California

The bill changes how people can vote by mail in California, allowing voters to request a mail ballot for any election and creating procedures for permanent mail voter status.

What This Bill Does

• Repeals the requirement that county elections officials send ballots to all registered voters automatically.
• Allows voters to ask for a mail ballot for any election they want to vote in.
• Sets up rules for people who want to be permanent mail voters, meaning they always get their ballot by mail.
• Requires counties to send mail ballots to those who have signed up as permanent mail voters.

Who It Names or Affects

• Registered voters in California
• County elections officials

Terms To Know

Permanent vote by mail voter

A person who has signed up to always receive their ballot by mail.

State-mandated local program

A program that the state requires counties or other local agencies to run, which may come with funding from the state.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify when it will take effect.
• It is unclear how many voters will choose to become permanent mail voters.
• The exact costs of implementing these changes are not known yet.

Official Summary Text

SB 335, as amended,
Jones
Strickland.
California Environmental Protection Program: administration.
Elections: voting by mail.
Existing law requires county elections officials to mail a ballot to every registered voter for all elections, as provided. Existing law authorizes any county to conduct an all-mailed ballot election under certain conditions.
This bill would repeal the provisions requiring county elections officials to mail a ballot to every registered voter and authorizing a county to conduct an all-mailed ballot election. The bill would instead authorize a voter to request a vote by mail ballot for any election, as specified. The bill would also authorize and establish procedures for a voter to apply to become a permanent vote by mail voter. The bill would require a county elections official to mail a vote by mail ballot for each election to a voter who has qualified to become
a permanent vote by mail voter.
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.
Existing law establishes the California Environmental Protection Program, which is concerned with the preservation and protection of California’s environment. Existing law requires the program to be administered by the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency.
This bill would make a nonsubstantive change to the above provision relating to the administration of the program.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF