August 18, 2005

Status of State Election Legislation

Here is the status of significant election-related Senate bills. I will provide an update on Assembly bills in the near future:

SB 11 would limit political activities of the Secretary of State, and prohibit contributions from election system vendors to candidates for state and local office.

Status: Passed the Senate, in the Assembly Committee on Elections and Redistricting.

SB 39: Elections Code section 3206 currently requires that a voter's name be removed from the permanent absentee voter list if the voter fails to cast a ballot in any statewide election. SB 39 would amend section 3206 to provide that a voter's name would be removed from the list only if he or she failed to vote in two consecutive statewide elections.

Status: Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 113, Statutes of 2005.

SB 117 requires elections officials to provide absentee voters with a business reply envelope in which to return a completed ballot, thereby paying the costs of postage for these ballots.

Status: Passed the Senate, in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

SB 226 would require a voter to present proof of his or her identity and residency to a member of the precinct board in order to receive a ballot.

Status: Reconsideration granted by Senate Committee on Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments

SB 370 would provide that the electronic record of each DRE vote would be the official record of the vote but that the paper audit record would govern if there is any difference between it and the electronic record during a recount.

Status: Passed the Senate, before the Assembly for third reading.

SB 596 would allow any city, county, or district to conduct a local election using a preference voting method (also known as "instant runoff voting" or "ranked choice voting") to elect a single candidate to office or for an election to elect two or more candidates to office.

Status: Re-referred to the Senate Committee on Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments.

SB 787 would prohibit local elections officials from engaging in certain political activities.

Status: Passed the Senate, in the Assembly Committee on Elections and Redistricting.

SB 1016 would require the Secretary of State and local elections officials to inform voters of the permissible uses of information on voter registration cards.

Status: Passed the Senate, in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

Posted by Randy Riddle at August 18, 2005 11:57 AM