Election Day Posting Requirements - Procedures At Polls - Elections - CA

Section § 14200

California law requires that certain voting information must be displayed at every polling place. This includes a sample ballot, the date and hours of the election, and instructions on voting procedures such as casting regular and provisional ballots. Voters must also be informed about voting rights, how to address violations, and laws against election fraud. Additionally, there should be information on language assistance available from precinct board members.

A member of each precinct board shall cause the following voting information to be publicly posted at each polling place:

(a) A sample version of the ballot that will be used for the election.

(b) Information regarding the date of the election and the hours during which polling places will be open.

(d) Instructions for mail-in registrants and first-time voters under Section 303(b) of the federal Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. Sec. 20901 et seq.).

(e) General information on voting rights under applicable federal and state laws, including information on the right of an individual to cast a provisional ballot and instructions on how to contact the appropriate officials if these rights are alleged to have been violated.

(f) General information on federal and state laws regarding prohibitions on acts of fraud and misrepresentation as they pertain to elections.

(g) Information regarding the languages other than English in which members of the precinct board can assist voters. The information shall be provided in all of the languages other than English spoken by the members.

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Section § 14201

This law mandates that in areas where there is a need, facsimile ballots in languages like Spanish must be provided to assist non-English-speaking voters. If 3% or more of the voting-age population in a county or precinct don't speak English proficiently, then facsimile ballots should be available in their language. When the number exceeds 20% in a precinct, at least four facsimile copies are required.

Elections officials must train precinct board members on handling these ballots, and signs must inform voters of their availability. All polling places and available languages must be listed online 14 days before an election. The law ensures non-English-speaking voters have similar access to voting as English speakers, and involves publicizing languages available for facsimile or translated ballots.

Counties that already provide translated ballots under federal law don't need to offer facsimile copies in those languages. The primary goal is to support non-English speakers in exercising their voting rights easily.

(a) In counties and precincts where the Secretary of State has determined that it is appropriate, the county elections official shall provide facsimile copies of the ballot, as described in subdivision (b), with the ballot measures and ballot instructions printed in Spanish, one of which shall be posted in a conspicuous location in the polling place and at least one of which shall be made available for voters at the polling place to use as a reference when casting a private ballot. Facsimile ballots shall also be printed in other languages and provided in the same manner if a significant and substantial need is found by the Secretary of State. A facsimile copy of the ballot available for voters to use in casting a private ballot shall be sufficiently distinct in appearance from a regular ballot to prevent voters from attempting to vote on the facsimile copy.

(b)

(1) In determining if it is appropriate to provide the election materials in Spanish or other languages, the Secretary of State shall determine the number of residents of voting age in each county and precinct who are members of a single language minority, and who lack sufficient skills in English to vote without assistance. If the number of these residents equals 3 percent or more of the voting-age residents of a particular county or precinct, or if interested citizens or organizations provide the Secretary of State with information that gives the Secretary of State sufficient reason to believe a need for the furnishing of facsimile ballots, the Secretary of State shall find a need to provide at least two facsimile copies with the ballot measures and ballot instructions printed in Spanish or other applicable language in the affected polling places.

(2) If the Secretary of State determines that the number of voting-age residents in a precinct who are members of a single language minority and who lack sufficient skills in English to vote without assistance exceeds 20 percent of the voting-age residents in that precinct, the county elections official shall provide at least four facsimile copies of the ballot in the language of that language minority, one of which shall be posted in a conspicuous location in the polling place and at least three of which shall be made available for voters at the polling place to use as a reference when casting a private ballot.

(c)

(1) In polling places where facsimile copies of the ballot are necessary, members of the precinct boards shall be trained on the purpose and proper handling of the facsimile copies of the ballot and shall be prepared to inform voters of the existence of the facsimile copies of the ballot, as appropriate.

(2) If a voter requests a facsimile copy of a ballot that is available in the voter’s language of preference pursuant to subdivision (a), a member of the precinct board shall provide the facsimile copy of the ballot to the voter.

(3) In polling places where facsimile copies of the ballot are necessary, a sign near the roster shall inform voters of the existence of the facsimile copies of the ballot. The sign shall be in English and in the language or languages of the facsimile copies available in that polling place.

(d) At least 14 days before an election, the county elections official shall provide information on the county elections internet website identifying all polling places in the county and the languages of facsimile copies of the ballot that will be available to voters at each polling place. Explanatory information pertaining to the list of polling places, but not the list itself, shall be available in all languages in which the county provides facsimile copies of the ballot.

(e) The county elections official shall include text in the county voter information guide that refers voters with language needs to the portion of the county elections internet website containing the information specified in subdivision (d). The text shall be in all languages in which the county provides facsimile copies of the ballot.

(f) The Secretary of State shall make the determinations and findings set forth in subdivisions (a) and (b) by January 1 of each year in which the Governor is elected.

(g)

(1) A county elections official shall not be required to provide facsimile copies of the ballot in a particular language if the county elections official is required to provide translated ballots in that language pursuant to Section 203 of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 (52 U.S.C. Sec. 10101 et seq.).

(2) In a polling place where a county elections official is required pursuant to subdivision (a) to provide a facsimile copy of the ballot in a language other than English, the county elections official may instead provide voters with a ballot translated into that language. A county elections official who provides and publicizes translated ballots in the same manner as translated ballots provided and publicized pursuant to Section 203 of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 (52 U.S.C. Sec. 10101 et seq.), in lieu of providing facsimile copies of the ballot in any language required under subdivision (a), need not comply with subdivisions (c), (d), and (e) as pertaining to that language.

(h) It is the intent of the Legislature that non-English-speaking citizens, like all other citizens, should be encouraged to vote. Therefore, appropriate efforts should be made on a statewide basis to minimize obstacles to voting by citizens who lack sufficient skill in English to vote without assistance.

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Section § 14202

Before the polls open, election officials must post at least one copy of the voter list, organized by street address in numerical order, at or near each polling place for easy access by voters. If the election is using vote centers, officials must still provide access to the voter list at each location.

(a) Before opening the polls, the precinct board shall post in separate, convenient places at or near the polling place, and of easy access to the voters, at least one printed copy of the voter list for that polling place. The copies of the voter list shall be by street address in numerical order.

(b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), in elections conducted using vote centers, at each polling place the elections official or the precinct board shall provide access to the voter list.

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Section § 14203

When an election is canceled according to Section 8026, the precinct officer must put up the signs mentioned in Section 14106 so they're easy to see inside each voting booth or compartment.

The precinct officer shall post the signs required by Section 14106 in plain view within each voting booth or compartment whenever an election has been canceled pursuant to Section 8026.

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