Elections: vote by mail ballots.

Existing law requires a vote by mail voter to return a voted vote by mail ballot (1) by mail or in person to the elections official, (2) in person to a member of a precinct board at a polling place or vote center, or (3) to a vote by mail ballot dropoff location, as specified. Existing law permits a vote by mail voter who is unable to return the ballot to designate another person to return the ballot. Existing law requires elections officials to establish procedures to track and confirm receipt of a voted vote by mail ballot and to provide that information via online access or a toll-free telephone number. This bill would require a person who collects and is designated to return vote by mail ballots for persons other than the designated person's spouse, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, or a person residing in the same household as the designated person to register with the Secretary of State, as specified. The bill would require that a registered person be a United States citizen and at least 18 years of age. The bill would require the Secretary of State to assign a registration number to each person and to develop and maintain a publically accessible database with specified information about each registered person. The bill would require a registered person to provide each voter designating the person to return the voter's ballot with a receipt containing specified information and would prohibit the registered person from offering a voter any form of compensation in exchange for designating the person to return the voter's ballot. The bill would require a registered person to file a declaration containing specified information and identifying each voter who designated the registered person to return the voter's vote by mail ballot. The bill would make a violation of these provisions an infraction punishable by a fine of not more than $100 for a first offense and $200 for a second offense. For a third or subsequent offense, the bill would require the Secretary of State to permanently revoke the registered person's registration. The bill would require the that tracking and confirmation procedures established by elections officials confirm whether a vote by mail ballot was collected and returned by a person required to register pursuant to these provisions. By expanding the scope of the existing crime of perjury, by creating a new crime, and by increasing the duties of local elections officials, 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.