SB 884: Elections in 2026, 2027, and 2028.

Existing law generally requires county elections officials to divide the county into precincts and designate a polling place for each precinct. As an alternative, a county elections official may conduct any election as an all-mailed ballot election, in which case the elections official is required to, among other things, provide at least 1 vote center for every 50,000 registered voters from the 10th day preceding the election to the 4th day preceding the election. Existing law requires counties that conduct all-mailed ballot elections to provide at least 2 ballot dropoff locations within the jurisdiction where the election is held or at least 1 ballot dropoff location for every 15,000 registered voters, whichever results in more ballot dropoff locations. Existing law requires other counties to provide at least 2 ballot dropoff locations within the jurisdiction or at least 1 ballot dropoff location for every 30,000 registered voters. Ballot dropoff locations must be open beginning at least 28 days before the election. Under existing law, a vote by mail ballot is timely cast if it is postmarked on or before election day and received in the mail by the voters elections official no later than 7 days after election day. Existing law prohibits and makes it a misdemeanor to engage in specified electioneering activities within 100 feet of a polling place, elections officials office, satellite location, or an outdoor site at which a voter may cast or drop off a ballot.

This bill, for elections in 2026 through 2028, except for the June 2026 statewide primary, would do the following: (1) require counties that conduct all-mailed ballot elections to provide vote centers starting on the 20th day preceding the election; (2) require counties that conduct all-mailed ballot elections to provide at least 2 ballot dropoff locations or at least 1 ballot dropoff location for every 7,500 registered voters, require other counties to provide at least 2 ballot dropoff locations or at least 1 ballot dropoff location for every 15,000 registered voters, and require that these ballot dropoff locations be open beginning at least 30 days before the election; (3) deem vote by mail ballots timely cast if they are received by the elections official up to 10 days after election day; (4) prohibit the enforcement of federal immigration laws while within 200 feet of specified voting locations; (5) extend the prohibition on electioneering activities to within 200 feet of the specified voting locations; and (6) authorize a county elections official to extend the time for closing the polls at any polling place if the county elections official determines that voting at the polling place was disrupted as a result of a violation of the prohibitions on enforcement of federal immigration laws or electioneering.

By increasing the duties of county elections officials, and by expanding the scope of an existing crime, 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 with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.