Elections: voter registration: partisan primary elections.

Existing law requires a voter to disclose a preference for a political party in order to participate in the political party's primary election. However, existing law permits a voter who has declined to disclose a political party preference to request the ballot of a political party at a partisan primary election if the political party authorizes a voter who has declined to disclose a political party preference to vote the ballot of the political party at that partisan election. Existing law requires that information to be included in the voter registration card, the vote by mail ballot application, the state and county voter information guides, the internet websites of the Secretary of State and the county elections officials, and the nonpartisan vote by mail ballot that is sent to a voter who has declined to disclose a political party preference. This bill would require a county elections official, between the 130th and 102nd day before a presidential primary election, to send each registered voter in the county a notice containing specified information, including the voter's current political party preference, the type of ballot the voter will be able to cast at the presidential primary election, and instructions on how the voter may change the voter's political party preference. The bill would require a county elections official, between the 99th and 71st day before a presidential primary election, to send each registered voter within the county who has declined to disclose a political party preference, and who has not requested the ballot of a political party, a second similar notice that also allows the voter to request a vote by mail ballot for a specified political party by signing and returning the notice. Existing law permits a voter who has declined to disclose a political party preference to request the ballot of a political party that has authorized a voter who has declined to disclose a political party preference to vote in its partisan primary election in the voter's vote by mail application, by telephone, over the internet if available, or by email or facsimile transmission if permitted by the county elections official. Existing law permits a voter who has declined to disclose a political party preference and who has received a nonpartisan vote by mail ballot to, no later than 7 days before the date of the partisan primary election, return the unvoted ballot to the county elections official and receive the ballot for a political party, as specified. This bill would revise and clarify how a voter who has declined to disclose a political party preference may request the ballot of a political party. The bill would require a county elections official to accept from a vote by mail voter who has declined to disclose a political party preference a request submitted by telephone, email, or facsimile transmission, as specified. The bill would permit an unvoted nonpartisan ballot to be returned in exchange for the ballot of a political party at any time before the close of the polls on election day. The bill would make other nonsubstantive conforming changes. Existing law requires a county elections official to accept affidavits of registration received on or before the 15th day before an election and to accept conditional voter registration affidavits received during the 14 days immediately preceding an election and on election day. Existing law establishes procedures for a voter to change the voter's residence address by executing a new affidavit of registration or a notice or letter of the change of address, or for a voter to change the voter's political party preference by executing a new affidavit of registration. This bill would permit a voter, from the 14th day immediately preceding an election until the close of polls on election day, in lieu of executing a new affidavit of registration, to change the voter's residence address or political party preference by submitting to the voter's county elections official a written request containing the new residence address or political party preference and signed under penalty of perjury. The bill would require a ballot or provisional ballot to be provided to the voter, as specified, and would require the registration of the voter to be immediately updated. By imposing additional duties on local elections officials and expanding the scope of crimes, this 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 with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.