Elections: voter language preference.

Existing law specifies the contents of a voter notification regarding party preference, printed vote by mail ballot applications, the uniform electronic vote by mail ballot application prepared and distributed by the Secretary of State, and applications for permanent vote by mail status. The federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 requires counties in the state that have single language minority groups that meet specified literacy and English language proficiency criteria to provide registration or voting notices, forms, instructions, assistance, or other materials or information relating to the electoral process in the languages of those minority groups as well as in English. This bill would require the application materials described above to allow the applicant to specify the preferred language in which the applicant would like to receive future election materials. The bill would require the voter notification described above to include a statement of the voter's language preference. The bill would require the county elections official to send with the voter notification information regarding the languages in which a voter in the county may receive election materials and instructions on how the voter may change the voter's language preference. By increasing the duties of county elections officials, the bill 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 the statutory provisions noted above.