SB 266 California Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Elections: language accessibility.

Summary

(1) Existing state and federal law, including the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, require the Secretary of State and county elections officials to provide language assistance to voters in order to access voting information, register to vote, and cast their votes at the polling place. Existing law requires a county elections official to provide, as a reference for voters, a facsimile copy of the ballot with the ballot measures and ballot instructions printed in Spanish and other languages if the Secretary of State has determined that doing so is appropriate, as specified. This bill would require the Secretary of State, by December 15, 2029, and by December 15 of every subsequent year that immediately follows a year in which there is a presidential election, to determine the number of residents of voting age in each precinct who are members of a single language minority group and lack sufficient skills in English to vote without assistance and to post on the Secretary of State's website a list of languages used by single language minority groups that make up 3% or more of the voting-age residents of a particular county or precinct. For an election with a single language minority group that makes up 3% or more of the voting-age residents or if the Secretary of State otherwise finds sufficient reason to provide translated ballots, the bill would require elections officials, beginning January 1, 2030, to, among other things, provide ballots, ballot identification envelopes, and related notices and instructions in the language of an applicable language minority group. The bill would also make related, conforming changes. (2) Existing law requires an elections official, upon receiving a vote by mail ballot, to compare the signature on the identification envelope with the voter's signature appearing on specified voter registration records. Existing law requires the elections official to notify a voter whose signature does not match or who failed to sign the envelope of the opportunity to verify or provide a signature. The elections official is required to translate the notice and related instructions into all languages required for that county under the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This bill would instead require the Secretary of State to translate the notice, instructions, and voter statements to verify or provide a signature. (3) Existing law requires translations of ballots, ballot materials, and candidate statements printed in the county voter information guide to be made by a person with specified qualifications who is selected by the county elections official. This bill would authorize county elections officials to select a translator or interpreter, who has demonstrated experience in translating official or legal documents and has been referred by a nonprofit organization specializing in language access, legal aid, or community advocacy, to make those translations. (4) Existing law requires specified information to be publicly posted at each polling place, including information regarding the languages other than English in which members of the precinct board can assist voters. This bill would also require information regarding other available language assistance to be publicly posted at each polling place. (5) By increasing the duties of local 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.

Bill status failed 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Feb 3, 2025 Last action Feb 2, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 4 comparisons

What changed between versions

04/30/25 - Amended Senate → 05/06/25 - Amended Senate · 4 edits · May 6, 2025

MODERATE

The May 6 amendment to SB 266 broadens the scope of translated ballot requirements from county and municipal elections to all elections where a qualifying language minority is identified, and shifts the responsibility for translating signature verification notices, instructions, and statements from local elections officials to the Secretary of State. This centralizes translation work at the state level, potentially improving consistency and reducing the burden on local jurisdictions.

SCOPE

Removed the limitation to 'counties and municipalities' in Section 2601(c), so that translated ballot requirements now apply to any election where a language is identified under subdivision (a) or (b), not just county and municipal elections.

Throughout Section 2601(c), removed references to 'county or municipal elections official' and replaced with simply 'the elections official,' further broadening applicability beyond county and municipal jurisdictions.

REQUIREMENT

Changed translation responsibility for signature verification notices, instructions, and voter statements from local elections officials to the Secretary of State. Previously, local officials were required to translate these materials; now the Secretary of State must do so in all languages required by Section 2601 and Section 203 of the federal Voting Rights Act.

Added a new paragraph (6) to Section 3019(d) explicitly requiring the Secretary of State to translate the signature verification statement itself in all applicable languages, not just the notice and instructions that accompany it.

02/03/25 - Introduced → 03/24/25 - Amended Senate · 9 edits · Mar 24, 2025

MAJOR

SB 266 was transformed from a single-section bill expressing legislative intent to enact future language access legislation into a comprehensive multi-section bill that imposes concrete requirements on elections officials. The amended version adds a new Section 2601 requiring translated ballots in languages used by 3% or more of voting-age residents starting in 2030, overhauls mail-in ballot signature verification with cure periods and anti-discrimination safeguards, and expands all-mailed ballot election requirements to include vote centers, language advisory committees, and public consultation processes. The bill now imposes a state-mandated local program requiring state reimbursement.

SCOPE

New Section 2601 requires the Secretary of State to identify language minority groups making up 3% or more of voting-age residents in each county or precinct by December 15, 2029 (and every post-presidential election year), and requires counties to provide ballots, identification envelopes, notices, and instructions in those languages beginning January 1, 2030.

REQUIREMENT

New Section 2601 allows the Secretary of State to find a significant and substantial need for translated ballots based on information provided by citizens or organizations, even if the 3% threshold is not met.

Section 3019 (signature verification) was completely rewritten to establish that an exact signature match is not required, prohibit elections officials from considering a voter's party preference, race, or ethnicity when comparing signatures, require a two-official review before rejecting a ballot for signature mismatch, and create cure periods allowing voters to submit signature verification statements or unsigned envelope statements until 5 p.m. two days before certification.

Section 3019 now requires elections officials to notify voters by mail, phone, text, or email when a signature does not compare or an envelope is unsigned, and provides for a combined signature verification and unsigned envelope statement that can be submitted electronically.

Section 4005 (all-mailed ballot elections) was substantially expanded to require at least one vote center per 10,000 registered voters on election day and the three days before, at least one per 50,000 registered voters from 10 to 4 days before the election, ballot dropoff locations near public transportation open at least 12 hours per day for exterior boxes, and detailed accessibility requirements.

Section 4005 now requires county elections officials to establish a language accessibility advisory committee, a voting accessibility advisory committee, and (in counties over 500,000 registered voters) a voter education and outreach advisory committee, plus hold public meetings with community stakeholders before finalizing election administration plans.

FISCAL

The bill now imposes a state-mandated local program (changed from 'no' to 'yes'), triggering potential state reimbursement to local agencies for costs mandated by the state under the California Constitution.

DEFINITION

Section 2601 explicitly includes language minority groups not subject to Section 203 of the federal Voting Rights Act, broadening coverage beyond what federal law currently requires.

TIMELINE

The original bill had no implementation timeline (it was purely an intent statement). The amended version sets specific deadlines: December 15, 2029 for the Secretary of State's first language determination, and January 1, 2030 for counties to begin providing translated materials.

Floor votes

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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

May 23, 2025

Upper · Passed

May 23 hearing: Held in committee and under submission.

upper

May 6, 2025

Upper · Passed

From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

upper

Apr 30, 2025

Upper · Passed

Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

upper

Apr 29, 2025

Upper · Passed

From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 0. Page 933.) (April 29).

upper

Apr 2, 2025

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on E. & C.A.

upper

Mar 24, 2025

Upper · Passed

From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.

upper

Feb 14, 2025

Committee

Referred to Com. on RLS.

upper

Feb 3, 2025

Introduced

Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

upper

1 primary · 3 co-sponsors