Elections: voting procedures.

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 a verification panel, concealed during mailing, setting forth 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 that would conceal voter's identification information during mailing. This bill would make an exception from the deadline for returning a vote by mail ballot for specified members of the military stationed outside of the United States, instead requiring that their vote by mail ballot be postmarked on or before election day and received by their elections official not later than 21 days after election day. 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 to produce and show a valid form of state-issued photographic identification to the precinct worker at the polling place. 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.