SB 718: Elections: official canvass: unprocessed ballots.

Existing law requires a county elections official, upon receiving a vote by mail ballot, to compare the signature on the identification envelope with the voters signature appearing on specified voter registration records. If the elections official determines that the signatures do not match, or if the identification envelope does not contain a signature, existing law requires the elections official to notify the voter of the opportunity to verify the voters signature or provide a signature, as applicable. Existing law requires the elections official to accept the voters ballot if the voter verifies the signature or provides a signature by no later than 2 days before the certification of the election.

Existing law requires county elections officials during the official canvass period following an election to send reports to the Secretary of State regarding the number of unprocessed ballots.

This bill would require county elections officials to include in those reports the number of vote by mail ballots that have been processed but not counted because the identification envelope is missing the voters signature or has a signature that does not compare to the signature on file. This bill would additionally require the Secretary of State to make public the information contained in those reports. By increasing the duties of county elections officials, this bill would create 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.