Conditional Voter Registration - Registration - Elections - CA

Section § 2170

This law explains how people in California can use "conditional voter registration" to register to vote during the 14 days leading up to an election, including election day itself. It's a way for eligible voters, like military or overseas voters and those with disabilities, to register and vote even if they've missed the regular deadline.

The registration is processed by county elections officials, who verify the voter's identity through records from the DMV or Social Security. If the information can't be verified but the person is otherwise eligible to vote, they'll get a unique ID number, and their registration is still valid.

To support this process, conditional registration and voting must be available at all official voting locations and polling places. Elections officials must protect the secrecy of the ballot while also ensuring that the voter's eligibility is confirmed before the vote is counted. If everything checks out, the voter's ballot is included in the official election results.

(a) “Conditional voter registration” means a properly executed affidavit of registration that is delivered by the registrant to the county elections official during the 14 days immediately preceding an election or on election day and which may be deemed effective pursuant to this article after the elections official processes the affidavit, determines the registrant’s eligibility to register, and validates the registrant’s information, as specified in subdivision (c).

(b) In addition to other methods of voter registration provided by this code, an elector who is otherwise qualified to register to vote under this code and Section 2 of Article II of the California Constitution, including military and overseas voters and voters with disabilities, may complete a conditional voter registration and cast a provisional ballot, or nonprovisional ballot under subdivision (f), during the 14 days immediately preceding an election or on election day pursuant to this article.

(c)

(1) A conditional voter registration shall be deemed effective if the county elections official is able to determine before or during the canvass period for the election that the registrant is eligible to register to vote and that the information provided by the registrant on the registration affidavit matches information contained in a database maintained by the Department of Motor Vehicles or the federal Social Security Administration.

(2) If the information provided by the registrant on the registration affidavit cannot be verified pursuant to paragraph (1) but the registrant is otherwise eligible to vote, the registrant shall be issued a unique identification number pursuant to Section 2150 and the conditional voter registration shall be deemed effective.

(d) The county elections official shall offer conditional voter registration and voting pursuant to this article, in accordance with all of the following procedures:

(1) The elections official shall provide conditional voter registration and voting pursuant to this article at all permanent and satellite offices of the county elections official and all polling places in the county.

(2) The elections official shall advise registrants that a conditional voter registration will be effective only if the registrant is determined to be eligible to register to vote for the election and the information provided by the registrant on the registration affidavit is verified pursuant to subdivision (c).

(3) The elections official shall conduct the receipt and handling of each conditional voter registration and offer and receive a corresponding ballot in a manner that protects the secrecy of the ballot and allows the elections official to process the registration, determine the registrant’s eligibility to register, and validate the registrant’s information before counting or rejecting the corresponding ballot.

(4) After receiving a conditional voter registration, the elections official shall process the registration, determine the registrant’s eligibility to register, and attempt to validate the registrant’s information.

(5) If a conditional registration is deemed effective, the elections official shall include the corresponding ballot in the official canvass.

(e) After receiving a conditional voter registration, the elections official shall provide a provisional ballot in accordance with the following procedures:

(1) If the elections office, satellite office, or polling place is equipped with an electronic poll book, or other means to determine the voter’s precinct, the elections official shall provide the voter with a ballot for the voter’s precinct if the ballot is available. The ballot may be cast by any means available at the elections office, satellite office, or polling place.

(2) If the elections official is unable to determine the voter’s precinct, or a ballot for the voter’s precinct is unavailable, the elections official shall provide the voter with a ballot and inform the voter that only the votes for the candidates and measures on which the voter would be entitled to vote in the voter’s assigned precinct may be counted pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (c) of Section 14310. The ballot may be cast by any means available at the elections office, satellite office, or polling place.

(3) Notwithstanding paragraph (2), if the elections official is able to determine the voter’s precinct, but a ballot for the voter’s precinct is unavailable, the elections official may inform the voter of the location of the voter’s polling place. A voter described in this paragraph shall not be required to vote at the voter’s polling place and may instead, at the voter’s choosing, cast a ballot pursuant to paragraph (2).

(4) This subdivision does not apply to elections conducted pursuant to Section 4005.

(f) An elections official may offer a nonprovisional ballot to a registrant if the official does both of the following:

(1) Uses the statewide voter registration database developed in compliance with the requirements of the federal Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. Sec. 20901 et seq.) to do all of the following before issuing the nonprovisional ballot:

(A) Verify that the registrant is deemed eligible to register to vote.

(B) Verify that the registrant has not voted in the state in that election.

(C) Verify that the registrant has not been included on a roster for that election in another county in the state that is not conducting elections pursuant to Section 4005.

(D) Update the voter’s record to indicate that the voter has voted in that election.

(2) If the registrant has been included on a roster for that election in that county, the official updates that roster to indicate that the voter has voted and shall not be issued another nonprovisional ballot for that election.

(g) The Secretary of State may adopt emergency regulations to implement this section. The Legislature finds and declares that such regulations are necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, safety, or general welfare because the regulations will ensure that elections officials have sufficient time to ensure that elections are held in a safe and accessible manner.

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Section § 2171

This law section explains how conditional voter registrations are handled. It states that when someone registers to vote conditionally, their registration must include specific information as outlined in another part of the law. These registrations should be processed like regular voter registrations, following rules set by the Secretary of State. Additionally, if a person who registered conditionally casts a provisional ballot, that ballot must meet specific requirements for provisional voting.

(a) A conditional voter registration accepted under this article shall include the information required by Article 4 (commencing with Section 2150).

(b) A conditional voter registration accepted under this article shall be processed in accordance with general voter registration procedures provided in this chapter and established by regulations adopted by the Secretary of State.

(c) A provisional ballot cast under this article shall be subject to the requirements for provisional voting in Article 5 (commencing with Section 14310) of Chapter 3 of Division 14.

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Section § 2172

This law requires election officials to cancel any duplicate voter registrations that happen when conditional registrations take effect. They must remove these duplicates following specific procedures. Additionally, if someone seems to have committed voter fraud, the official must quickly inform both the district attorney and the Secretary of State in writing.

(a) The elections official shall cancel any duplicate voter registrations that may exist as a result of a conditional registration deemed effective and shall cancel the duplicate registrations in accordance with Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 2200).

(b) If it appears that a registrant may have committed fraud within the meaning of Section 18560, the elections official shall immediately notify in writing both the district attorney and the Secretary of State.

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Section § 2173

This law states that if someone commits fraud when registering to vote conditionally, they can face up to one year in county jail, a fine up to $25,000, or both.

Additionally, aside from these criminal penalties, they can also be hit with a civil fine of up to $25,000, which can be pursued by the Secretary of State or a relevant prosecutor.

This section does not stop enforcement of any other laws that apply to the fraudulent action.

(a) Notwithstanding any other law, a person who commits fraud in the execution of a conditional voter registration pursuant to this article shall be punishable by imprisonment in the county jail for up to one year, or a fine up to twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment.

(b) In addition to the criminal penalties prescribed in subdivision (a), a person who commits fraud in the execution of a conditional voter registration pursuant to this article shall be subject to a civil fine of an amount up to twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000). An action for a civil penalty under this subdivision may be brought by the Secretary of State or any public prosecutor with jurisdiction.

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