Elections: voter registration.

(1) Existing law requires the Secretary of State to coordinate with voter registration agencies in order to facilitate compliance with the federal National Voter Registration Act of 1993 and promote the exercise of the right to vote by eligible voters. The federal act requires a voter registration agency to distribute mail voter registration application forms, assist applicants in completing voter registration application forms, and accept completed voter registration application forms. This bill would require a county or a city and county that operates a jail facility to allow organizations to conduct in-person voter registration activities, including, but not limited to, the provision of vote-by-mail applications, in each county jail facility. The bill would require a county or city and county to establish policies and criteria governing the admittance of individuals from those organizations into jail facilities, including procedures for notifying an individual of the basis for denial of admittance and the opportunity to appeal a denial of admittance. The bill would require the sheriff of the county or city and county in which a jail facility is located to publish those procedures on the sheriff's internet website, as specified. (2) Existing law requires the clerk of the superior court of each county to periodically furnish the Secretary of State and county elections official with certain information regarding persons who have been committed to state prison for a felony conviction. Existing law requires the Secretary of State or the county elections official to cancel the affidavit of voter registration of persons who are currently imprisoned or on parole for the conviction of a felony. This bill would repeal those provisions and instead require the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, on a weekly basis, to provide the Secretary of State with specified identifying information for persons imprisoned for the conviction of a felony, persons on parole with the department for the conviction of a felony, and persons released from that imprisonment or parole. The bill would require the Secretary of State to provide county elections officials with that information. The bill would require county elections officials to cancel the affidavits of voter registration of persons who are imprisoned or on parole conviction of a felony, and to notify persons who have been released from imprisonment or parole that their voting rights are restored, that they may register to vote, and of the procedures for registering to vote. By increasing the duties of county and city and county 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.