California Voter Protection Act of 2019.

(1) Existing law authorizes certain counties, on or after specified dates, to conduct any election as an all-mailed ballot election if, among other conditions, the county elections official permits a voter to vote a ballot at a vote center. Existing law also requires, as another condition for conducting an all-mailed ballot election, that beginning 29 days before the day of the election, the county elections official mail to each registered voter a vote by mail ballot packet that includes a return envelope with instructions for the use and return of the vote by mail ballot. This bill, the California Voter Protection Act of 2019, would require the elections official to begin mailing vote by mail ballots no later than 29 days before an election and would require that the mailing be complete within 5 days. The bill would prohibit the county elections official from discriminating against any region or precinct in the county in choosing which ballots to mail first within the prescribed 5-day mailing period. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 4005 of the Elections Code proposed by AB 59 to be operative only if this bill and AB 59 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. (2) Existing law requires that application for a vote by mail voter's ballot be made in writing to the elections official having jurisdiction over the election during a specified period prior to the election, subject to specified exceptions. This bill would impose the requirements described in (1) above to the mailing of vote by mail ballots in elections that are not all-mailed ballot elections, thereby requiring the elections official to begin mailing vote by mail ballots no later than 29 days before an election. By imposing new duties on local elections officials, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (3) 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.