Elections: vote by mail ballots.

Under existing law, an application for a vote by mail ballot shall be made by a voter to an elections official having jurisdiction over the election between the 29th and 7th days prior to the election. Existing law permits an elections official to deliver a vote by mail ballot to the voter, the voter's spouse, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, or other person residing in the same household as the voter, so long as the individual to whom the ballot is delivered signs a statement under penalty of perjury that contains the name of the voter and affirms that the person receiving the ballot is 16 years of age or older and is authorized to deliver the vote by mail ballot. Existing law permits a voter who is unable to return his or her vote by mail ballot due to illness or other physical disability to designate his or her spouse, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, or other person residing in the same household as the voter to return the vote by mail ballot. Except in the case of a candidate or the spouse of a candidate, existing law prohibits a person returning another voter's vote by mail ballot from being a paid or volunteer worker of a general purpose committee, controlled committee, independent expenditure committee, political party, candidate's campaign committee, or any other group or organization at whose behest the individual designated to return the ballot is performing a service. This bill would provide that an application for a vote by mail ballot must be received by the elections official between the 29th and 7th days prior to the election. The bill would delete the requirement that the voter be physically unable to return the vote by mail ballot and, with specified exceptions, authorize any person to be designated in writing by the voter to receive or return the voter's vote by mail ballot. The bill would, with an exception, prohibit an authorized representative from being a candidate or the spouse of a candidate, or a paid or volunteer worker of a general purpose committee, controlled committee, independent expenditure committee, political party, campaign committee of a candidate, or any other group or organization at whose behest the individual designated to receive the ballot, return the ballot, or both receive and return the ballot is performing a service. Because the bill would change the duties of local elections officials, it would impose 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 these statutory provisions.