Elections: voter registration.

Existing law requires the Secretary of State to adopt regulations to facilitate the availability of death statistics from the State Department of Health Care Services. Existing law requires the Secretary of State or county elections officials, as applicable, to use those death statistics to cancel the affidavits of voter registration of deceased persons. This bill would authorize the Secretary of State, on or before January 1, 2028, to enter into an agreement with the federal Social Security Administration to facilitate the availability of death statistics. If the Secretary of State enters into such an agreement, the bill would require the Secretary of State to adopt regulations governing the electronic transfer of death statistics from the Social Security Administration. The bill would require the Secretary of State or county elections officials, as applicable, to use data obtained from the federal Social Security Administration to cancel the affidavits of registration of deceased persons. 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, 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.