Elections: voter identification.

(1) Existing law requires that the identification envelope for returning a vote by mail ballot contain specified information and that a vote by mail ballot be received by the issuing elections official or the precinct board no later than the close of polls on election day. This bill would additionally require that the identification envelope include the last 4 digits of the voter's California driver's license number or California identification card number or, if the voter does not possess either of those types of identification, the last 4 digits of the voter's social security number, and would require that the voter's signature and numeric identifying information be verified as being consistent with the voter's state or federal records prior to the voter's ballot being counted. The bill would also require that the identification envelope have a security flap or sleeve to conceal the voter's signature and identifying information during mailing. (2) Existing law requires that a person desiring to vote announce his or her name and address to the precinct board member at the polling place and then write the information in the index, except for specified exceptions. This bill would require a person desiring to vote at a polling place to produce and show proof of identification, as defined, to the precinct worker at the polling place. This bill would also provide for a voter to cast a provisional ballot if the voter declines to provide, or is otherwise unable to provide, sufficient proof of identification. This bill would also provide exemptions from the requirement to provide proof of identification for voters residing in state-licensed care facilities that are used as polling places and voters who establish a religious objection to being photographed. This bill would also provide that, for purposes of complying with the proof of identification requirement, a registered voter could obtain a state-issued identification card from the Department of Motor Vehicles at no cost. (3) Because this bill would increase the duties of local elections officials regarding conducting elections, 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.