Elections: Voter registration: California New Motor Voter Program.

Existing law requires, in conformance with federal law, that the Secretary of State and the Department of Motor Vehicles establish and implement the California New Motor Voter Program for the purpose of increasing opportunities for voter registration for qualified voters. Existing law requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to transmit to the Secretary of State specified information related to the person's eligibility to vote, which the person provides when applying for a driver's license or identification card or when the person notifies the department of an address change. Existing law provides that this information transmitted to the Secretary of State constitutes a completed affidavit of registration, and the Secretary of State is required to register the person to vote, unless the person affirmatively declines to register to vote or the person is ineligible to vote, or other specified conditions exist. Existing law defines a "voter registration agency" to mean, among other entities, a department, division, or office of state or local government, or a program supported by state funds, that is designated by executive order of the Governor or pursuant to the National Voter Registration Act of 1993. This bill would require the Department of Motor Vehicles to transmit specified information to the Secretary of State with respect to a person who, when submitting an application for a driver's license or identification card, provides documentation demonstrating United States citizenship and that the person is of an eligible age to register or preregister to vote, among other requirements. The bill would require the Secretary of State, upon receipt of this information, to register or preregister the person to vote. The bill would require, if a person is registered or preregistered to vote in this manner, that the appropriate county elections official send to the person's address of record a notice advising that the person may decline to register or preregister to vote, designate a party preference, select a language preference, or choose to be a permanent vote by mail voter. The bill would also require the county elections official to send a notice to a person if the Secretary of State changes the person's voter registration information after receiving updated name or address information from the department. The bill would require certain information contained within the notices to be translated into the minority languages for the county, as further specified. This bill would prohibit the department, if at the time a person submits an application for a driver's license or identification card to the department the person provides a document demonstrating the person is not a United States citizen, from providing that person the opportunity to attest to meeting all voter eligibility requirements and from electronically providing records of that person to the Secretary of State. The bill would prescribe additional requirements with respect to voter registration for a person who provides a new name or address when submitting an application for a driver's license or identification card. This bill would expand the definition of "voter registration agency" to also include entities designated by the Secretary of State. The bill would require the Secretary of State to establish a schedule whereby specified voter registration agencies must provide the Secretary of State electronic information regarding individuals who are eligible to vote or who provide updated registration information. This bill would make these provisions operative on the earlier of (1) January 1, 2025, or (2) five days after the Secretary of State certifies that the information technology infrastructure to substantially implement the bill is functional. This bill would allow the Secretary of State, commencing January 1, 2022, to perform administrative actions necessary to implement these provisions. By imposing new duties on county elections officials with respect to voter registration, 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.