RegistrationRoster
Section § 2183
This law requires election officials to provide up-to-date copies of voter rosters for all county elections, and upon request, for city, school district, or other local elections. These rosters must exclude the names of voters who are no longer registered.
The county may charge a fee to cover the costs of providing these rosters. Each roster includes the name, address, phone number (if provided), and political party preference of voters, along with a space for noting the line number of each voter. Names can include personal titles like "Miss" or "Mr." if the voter chooses.
Section § 2184
This law allows certain individuals and campaign committees to request a list of voters from county elections officials for a fee. Specifically, Members of the Legislature, Congress, or any candidates voting in a county, city, or political subdivision can request these rosters. The roster can also be requested by committees that support or oppose ballot measures, referendums, or initiative measures. The cost for this list is fifty cents per thousand names, and the money collected goes to the county's general fund.
Section § 2185
This law requires county election officials to provide party central committees with the rosters of voters for primary, general, and certain special elections. These rosters are provided for free and can be given in electronic or paper format, as requested by the committee chairs.
Section § 2187
This law requires county elections officials to give the Secretary of State precise details about voter registration numbers. They must report the total number of voters, along with details about their political party preferences, or lack thereof, in various political areas like districts and cities. The Secretary of State must then put together a statewide report from this data and make it accessible to any voter who asks for it. Reports from counties are due at specific times before and around primary and general elections, and one additional report is due every odd-numbered year. The Secretary of State can set more reporting times as needed, but there can't be more than 12 in a year.
Section § 2188
This law outlines the process for applying to access voter registration information in California. It requires applicants to submit a form with their full name, addresses, phone number, driver's license or ID number, the specific data they want, and why they need it. If someone else is making the request for another party, they must also include details about that party. The applicant's ID will be checked to verify the information, and they must sign a declaration under penalty of perjury. Applications are kept on file for five years. This rule doesn't apply to requests from election officials for electoral or governmental purposes.
The Secretary of State can require additional information on these applications. Counties are restricted from providing voter data for areas outside their boundaries.
Section § 2188.1
This law allows the Secretary of State in California to add fake voter names into the voter registration database. The purpose is to help find and prevent any misuse of voter registration information.
Section § 2188.2
This section states that the Secretary of State must create rules on how to properly store and secure voter registration information. Additionally, they can require people to complete a free training course on data security before they receive this information.
Section § 2188.3
If someone or an organization gets voter registration data and there's a security breach, they must promptly tell the Secretary of State about it as soon as possible, without dragging their feet.
Section § 2188.5
This law says that if someone gets voter information or petition signatures in California, they can't send that information outside the United States or share it electronically with anyone outside the U.S. This rule also applies if someone is accessing that information over the internet. 'United States' in this context includes all U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories and possessions.
Section § 2189
Before the polls open on election day, the county elections official must give each precinct board at least one updated roster of voters for that polling place. This roster should show any canceled names and include any recent updates.
Section § 2191
This law says that if someone asks, election officials must create a list of voters, organized by area, who have voted in past elections. The list should be made when updating voter registration files to remove inactive voters. The information included in this list must meet certain requirements outlined in another part of the law.
People like candidates or committees can request this voter information in writing. They will be informed if the list includes vote by mail history. There might be a cost involved, but it can't be more than what it costs to copy the information.
Section § 2193
This law requires the Secretary of State to check for and identify potential duplicate voter registrations using information provided by county election officials. If duplicates are found, they must be combined, and the registration with the most recent date will become the active record for that voter.
Section § 2194
This law covers how voter registration information in California is handled to protect privacy. The information can't be used for personal or commercial purposes like harassment or marketing and is kept confidential from public viewing at election offices except in certain circumstances. The law allows some authorized entities, like candidates and government officials, to access the information for election-related purposes. Important personal data such as driver's license, ID numbers, social security numbers, and voter signatures are strictly confidential. Home addresses or signatures can only be released during specific challenges of a person's vote. No civil liability arises from disclosure unless there is gross negligence or willfulness. 'Voter’s household' includes people living at or using the voter's address. If a vote-by-mail ballot's signature doesn't match the one on record, this information is also kept confidential but can be shared with authorized individuals or entities.
Section § 2194.1
This law states that voter registration records become open to the public 100 years after they were created. If these records are in large volumes that include multiple years, they must be 100 years old before they can be made public.