Elections: voting.

(1) Existing law specifies the qualifications for registration as a voter and excludes from eligibility a person in prison or on parole for the conviction of a felony. Under existing law, a person who willfully allows himself or herself, or another person, to register as a voter knowing that the registration qualifications are not met, is guilty of a crime. This bill would additionally make a person on probation for the conviction of a felony not eligible to register to vote, and would, as of January 1, 2011, require elections officials to cancel their voter registration upon notice from the court of the conviction. (2) Existing law requires that the identification envelope for returning a vote by mail ballot contain specified information. This bill would additionally require that the identification envelope include the last 4 digits of the voter's California driver's license or identification card number or, if unavailable, the last 4 digits of the voter's social security number and a security flap to conceal the voter's information during mailing. The bill would require the elections official to verify the accuracy of that information before counting the vote. (3) Existing law requires vote by mail ballots to be received by elections officials by the close of the polls on election day. This bill would require that a vote by mail ballot of a member of the Armed Forces of the United States who is stationed outside of the United States be cast by election day and received by elections officials no later than 21 days after election day. (4) Existing law requires that a person desiring to vote announce his or her name and address to a precinct worker at the polling place. This bill would also require a person who desires to vote to show specified proof of identification. The bill would authorize a person who does not have proof of identification to vote a provisional ballot after completing an affidavit under penalty of perjury that he or she is a registered voter. The bill would require the Department of Motor Vehicles to waive the fee for an identification card requested for satisfying the voter identification requirement. (5) By imposing additional duties on elections officials and creating new crimes, 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 with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.