Voters: residency confirmation.

Existing law requires the county elections official to conduct a preelection residence confirmation procedure by mailing a specified nonforwardable postcard to each registered voter of the county by the 90th day immediately prior to the direct primary election. In lieu of mailing a residency confirmation postcard, existing law permits the county elections official to conduct the residency confirmation procedure by alternative methods, including by contracting with the United States Postal Service or its licensees to obtain use of postal service change-of-address data. Existing law requires the county elections official, based on the change-of-address information received in conducting the residency confirmation, or the change-of-address information provided directly by the voter, to correct or cancel, among other things, the voter's registration. This bill would permit a county elections official, in lieu of mailing a residency confirmation postcard, to contract with a consumer credit reporting agency or its licensees to obtain change-of-address data. If the county elections official contracts with a consumer credit reporting agency or its licensees, this bill would require the county elections official, based on the change-of-address information received, to send a specified forwardable notice to the registered voter to enable the voter to verify or correct the address information. If the voter responds to the forwardable notice, or otherwise verifies in writing his or her new residence address, this bill would require the county elections official, as appropriate, to correct or cancel the voter's registration. 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 who does not offer to vote or vote at any election between the date of the confirmation mailing and 2 federal general elections after the date of that mailing. This bill would delete the provision that authorizes a county elections official to cancel the voter registration of a voter who does not offer to vote or vote within a specified time period, and would delete the requirement that a voter be given an opportunity to vote at a statewide primary or general election between the date of notice and the beginning of the alternate residency procedure.