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SB-406 • 2026

Elections: ballot submission deadline.

Elections: ballot submission deadline.

Elections
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Choi
Last action
2026-02-02
Official status
Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The candidate explanation accurately reflects the bill's content based on the provided official source material.

Elections: Ballot Submission Deadline

This law changes the deadline for submitting vote-by-mail ballots to be before polls close on election day, except for military and overseas voters who have their ballots postmarked by election day and received within 7 days afterward.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes when a vote-by-mail ballot must be received by elections officials from up to 7 days after an election to no later than when the polls close on election day.
  • Keeps the existing rule that allows military or overseas voters' ballots to still be counted if they are postmarked by election day and received within 7 days afterward.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Voters who use vote-by-mail ballots
  • Military or overseas voters

Terms To Know

vote-by-mail ballot
A ballot that is sent to a voter by mail instead of voting in person at a polling place.
postmarked
When the post office puts a stamp or mark on an envelope showing when it was mailed.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify what happens if ballots are received after the new deadline.
  • The bill's exact effective date is not provided in the official summary.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-02 California Legislative Information

    Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56.

  2. 2025-04-01 California Legislative Information

    April 1 set for first hearing. Held in committee without recommendation.

  3. 2025-03-20 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing April 1.

  4. 2025-03-19 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on E. & C.A.

  5. 2025-02-18 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 17.

  6. 2025-02-14 California Legislative Information

    Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Official Summary Text

SB 406, as introduced, Choi.
Elections: ballot submission deadline.
Under existing law, a vote-by-mail ballot is timely cast if it is postmarked or otherwise time-stamped on or before election day and received in the mail no later than 7 days after election day.
This bill would instead require a vote-by-mail ballot to be returned to the applicable elections official no later than the close of the polls on election day, except that the bill would require a vote-by-mail ballot cast by a military or overseas voter to be counted if it is postmarked on or before election day and received no later than 7 days after election day.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Download Bill PDF