Disqualification from voting.

Existing law requires a county elections official to cancel a person's voter registration in certain circumstances, including when a person is deemed mentally incompetent, upon proof that the person is presently imprisoned for conviction of a felony, and when a person fails to respond to an address verification mailed by the elections official and does not attempt to vote at the next two federal general elections. Existing law also sets forth criteria and procedures for a person's right to vote to be restored. This bill would require the clerk of the superior court of each county to notify the Secretary of State each month of findings made by the court regarding a person's competency to vote and the number of court proceedings related to the determination of a person's competency to vote, as specified. The bill would require the Secretary of State, upon receipt of identifying information for the affected persons, to send this information to the appropriate county elections official, who must proceed to cancel the person's registration or notify the person that their right to vote has been restored, as applicable. The bill would require the elections official to provide notice of the intent to cancel the person's registration between 15 and 30 days before the cancellation. The bill would require the Secretary of State to post a report on their internet website each month showing the number of disqualifications and restorations of voting rights that occurred in each county, and to deliver a training to court officers and elections officials regarding the aforementioned requirements. The bill's provisions would become operative on January 1, 2024. By imposing additional duties on 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.