Elections: vote by mail ballots.

Existing law requires vote by mail ballots to be voted on or before the day of the election. Existing law requires that a vote by mail ballot be returned by mail or in person to the elections official who issued the ballot or in person to a member of a precinct board at a polling place within the jurisdiction, except as specified. This bill would authorize a voter to return his or her vote by mail ballot to a precinct board at any polling place within the state. The bill would require the elections official of a county where a vote by mail ballot is returned, if the ballot is returned to a polling place in a county other than the county of the elections official who issued the ballot, to forward the ballot to the elections official who issued the ballot. By imposing additional duties on local elections officials, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law requires that vote by mail ballots and mail ballot precinct ballots returned to the elections office and to the polls on election day and which are not included in the semifinal official canvass phase of the election be processed and counted during the official canvass, as specified. This bill would specify that this requirement also applies to any ballots that are returned to another jurisdiction in the state and which are forwarded to the issuing jurisdiction as required by this bill. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 3017 of the Elections Code proposed by AB 2080, which would become operative only if AB 2080 and this bill are both enacted, both bills become effective on or before January 1, 2013, and this bill is enacted last. 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.