Voting: felons.

The California Constitution requires the Legislature to provide for the disqualification of electors while mentally incompetent or imprisoned or on parole for the conviction of a felony. Existing law provides that a person is entitled to register to vote if he or she is a United States citizen, a resident of California, not imprisoned or on parole for the conviction of a felony, and at least 18 years of age at the time of the next election. This bill, for purposes of determining who is entitled to register to vote, would define imprisoned as currently serving a state or federal prison sentence and would define parole as a term of supervision by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The bill would clarify that conviction does not include a juvenile adjudication. Existing law requires any program adopted by a county pursuant to certain provisions that is designed to encourage the registration of electors, with respect to any printed literature or media announcements made in connection with the program, to contain a statement that a person entitled to register to vote must be a United States citizen, a California resident, not in prison or on parole for conviction of a felony, and at least 18 years of age at the time of the election. This bill would instead require that the statement, as described above, state that a person entitled to register to vote must be a United States citizen, a California resident, not currently in state or federal prison or on state parole for the conviction of a felony, and at least 18 years of age at the time of the election. By requiring a county to change the statement included as part of its voter registration program, as described above, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law requires the clerk of the superior court of each county, on the basis of the records of the court, to furnish to the chief elections official of the county, at least on April 1 and September 1 of each year, a statement showing the names, addresses, and dates of birth of all persons who have been convicted of felonies since the clerk's last report. Existing law requires the elections official to cancel the affidavits of registration of those persons who are currently imprisoned or on parole for the conviction of a felony. This bill would instead require that the statement furnished by the clerk of the superior court of each county to the county elections official show the names, addresses, and dates of birth of all persons who have been committed to state prison as the result of the conviction of a felony since the clerk's last report. 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.