Voter registration.

Under existing law, the registration of a voter is permanent for all purposes during his or her life, unless and until the affidavit of registration is canceled by a county elections official for a specified cause. Existing law authorizes a county elections official, if a voter has not voted in any election within the preceding 4 years, and the residence, address, name, or party affiliation of the voter has not been updated during that time, to send an alternate residency confirmation postcard that describes the alternate residency procedure. If a county uses the alternate residency confirmation procedure, the county is required to notify all voters of the procedure in the sample ballot pamphlet or in a separate mailing. A voter in that county is also given the opportunity to vote at a statewide primary or general election between the date of the notice and the beginning of the alternate residency procedure. Existing law further authorizes a county elections official to cancel the voter registration of a voter whose name has been placed on the inactive file of registered voters for failure to respond to a confirmation mailing or an address verification mailing and who does not offer to vote or vote at any election between the date of the mailing and 2 federal general elections after the date of that mailing. This bill would instead provide that a county elections official may cancel the voter registration of a voter whose name has been placed on the inactive file of registered voters for failure to respond to a confirmation mailing or an address verification mailing and who does not offer to vote or vote at any election between the date of the mailing and 4 presidential elections after the date of that mailing. By increasing duties of elections officials, the bill 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.