STATE STATUTES & CODES
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CALIFORNIA STATUTES AND CODES
SECTIONS 3000-3024
ELECTIONS CODE
SECTION 3000-3024
3000. This division shall be liberally construed in favor of the vote by mail voter. 3001. Except as provided in Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 3200) and Sections 3007.5 and 3007.7, application for a vote by mail voter's ballot shall be made in writing to the elections official having jurisdiction over the election between the 29th and the 7th day prior to the election. The application shall be signed by the applicant and shall show his or her place of residence. Any applications received by the elections official prior to the 29th day shall be kept and processed during the application period. 3002. (a) Notwithstanding Section 3001, a person granted confidentiality pursuant to Section 2166 shall be considered a vote by mail voter. (b) The provisions of Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 3200) relating to permanent vote by mail voters shall apply so far as they may be consistent with this section and Section 2166. (c) All persons granted confidentiality pursuant to Section 2166 shall (1) be required to vote by mail ballot, and (2) in addition to the required residence address, provide a valid mailing address to the county elections official to be used in place of the residence address. 3003. The vote by mail ballot shall be available to any registered voter. 3004. The county elections official shall place a notice in any office within the county where applications are taken for federal passports or where military enlistments are received to inform potential special absentee voters of their right to a vote by mail voter's ballot and where registration materials and application forms can be obtained. 3005. Whenever, on the 88th day before the election, there are 250 or less persons registered to vote in any precinct, the elections official may furnish each voter with a vote by mail ballot along with a statement that there will be no polling place for the election. The elections official shall also notify each voter of the location of the two nearest polling places in the event the voter chooses to return the ballot on election day. The voter shall not be required to file an application for the vote by mail ballot and the ballot shall be sent as soon as the ballots are available. No precinct shall be divided in order to conform to this section. 3006. (a) A printed application that is to be distributed to a voter for requesting a vote by mail voter's ballot shall inform the voter that the application for the vote by mail voter's ballot must be received by the elections official not later than seven days prior to the date of the election and shall contain spaces for the following: (1) The printed name and residence address of the voter as it appears on the affidavit of registration. (2) The address to which the ballot is to be mailed. (3) The voter's signature. (4) The name and date of the election for which the request is to be made. (b) (1) The information required by paragraphs (1) and (4) of subdivision (a) may be preprinted on the application. The information required by paragraphs (2) and (3) of subdivision (a) shall be personally affixed by the voter. (2) An address, as required by paragraph (2) of subdivision (a), may not be the address of a political party, a political campaign headquarters, or a candidate's residence. However, a candidate, his or her spouse, immediate family members, and any other voter who shares the same residence address as the candidate may request that a vote by mail ballot be mailed to the candidate's residence address. (3) An application that contains preprinted information shall contain a conspicuously printed statement substantially similar to the following: "You have the legal right to mail or deliver this application directly to the local elections official of the county where you reside." (c) The application shall inform the voter that if he or she is not affiliated with a political party, the voter may request a vote by mail ballot for a particular political party for the primary election, if that political party has adopted a party rule, duly noticed to the Secretary of State, authorizing that vote. The application shall contain a toll-free telephone number, established by the Secretary of State, that the voter may call to access information regarding which political parties have adopted such a rule. The application shall contain a checkoff box with a conspicuously printed statement that reads substantially similar to the following: "I am not presently affiliated with any political party. However, for this primary election only, I request a vote by mail ballot for the _________ Party." The name of the political party shall be personally affixed by the voter. (d) The application shall provide the voter with information concerning the procedure for establishing permanent vote by mail voter status, and the basis upon which permanent vote by mail voter status is claimed. (e) The application shall be attested to by the voter as to the truth and correctness of its content, and shall be signed under penalty of perjury. 3007. The Secretary of State shall prepare and distribute to appropriate elections officials a uniform application format for a vote by mail voter's ballot that conforms to this chapter. This format shall be followed by all individuals, organizations, and groups who distribute applications for a vote by mail voter's ballot. The uniform format need not be utilized by elections officials in preparing a vote by mail voter's ballot application to be included with the sample ballot. 3007.5. (a) The Secretary of State shall prepare and distribute to appropriate elections officials a uniform electronic application format for a vote by mail voter's ballot that conforms to this section. (b) The uniform electronic application shall inform the voter that the application for the vote by mail voter's ballot must be received by the elections official not later than seven days prior to the date of the election and shall contain spaces for at least the following information: (1) The name and residence address of the registered voter as it appears on the affidavit of registration. (2) The address to which the ballot is to be mailed. (3) The name and date of the election for which the request is made. (4) The date of birth of the registered voter. (c) The uniform electronic application shall inform the voter that if he or she is not affiliated with a political party, the voter may request a vote by mail ballot for a particular political party for the primary election, if that political party has adopted a party rule, duly noticed to the Secretary of State, authorizing that vote. The application shall contain a toll-free telephone number, established by the Secretary of State, that the voter may call to access information regarding which political parties have adopted such a rule. The application shall list the parties that have notified the Secretary of State of the adoption of such a rule. The application shall contain a checkoff box with a conspicuously printed statement that reads substantially similar to the following: "I am not presently affiliated with any political party. However, for this primary election only, I request a vote by mail ballot for the ____ Party." The name of the political party shall be personally affixed by the voter. (d) The uniform electronic application shall contain a conspicuously printed statement substantially similar to the following: "Only the registered voter himself or herself may apply for a vote by mail ballot. An application for a vote by mail ballot made by a person other than the registered voter is a criminal offense." (e) The uniform electronic application shall include a statement substantially similar to the following: "A ballot will not be sent to you if this application is incomplete or inaccurate." (f) The uniform electronic application format shall not permit the form to be electronically submitted unless all of the information required to complete the application is contained in the appropriate fields. 3007.7. (a) The local elections official may offer a voter the ability to electronically apply for a vote by mail voter's ballot. If the local elections official offers the uniform electronic application, the electronic application shall be in an interactive Internet format to be completed through the local elections official' s secure Internet Web site and may not be a downloadable form. The nondownloadable form shall be of a format that would allow the registered voter making an application for a vote by mail voter's ballot to enter the required information and submit the single form directly to the elections official's secure Internet Web site. The local elections official shall make every effort to ensure the security of the submitted information. (b) Upon receiving an electronic vote by mail ballot application that contains the required information within the proper time, the elections official shall check the information provided against the voter's information on file. If the elections official deems the applicant entitled to a vote by mail voter's ballot, the elections official shall deliver the appropriate vote by mail voter's ballot by mail or in person. (c) If the elections official determines that an electronic vote by mail ballot application does not contain all of the required information, or for any other reason is defective, and the elections official is able to ascertain the voter's address, the elections official may not mail the voter a vote by mail voter's ballot, but shall mail the voter a notice of defect. The notice of defect shall do both of the following: (1) Specifically inform the voter of the information that is required or the reason for the defect in the application. (2) State the procedure necessary to remedy the defective application. (d) An address, as required by paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of Section 3007.5, may not be the address of any political party, a political campaign headquarters, or a candidate's residence. However, a candidate, his or her spouse, immediate family members, and any other voter who shares the same residence address as the candidate may request that a vote by mail ballot be mailed to the candidate's residence address. (e) Except as provided in Section 3007.5 and this section, all other sections of this code pertaining to vote by mail voter applications, submissions, deadlines, and canvassing shall apply to electronic vote by mail ballot applications and applicants. 3008. (a) Any individual, organization, or group that distributes applications for vote by mail voter ballots and receives completed application forms shall return the forms to the appropriate elections official within 72 hours of receiving the completed forms, or before the deadline for application, whichever is sooner. The name, address, and telephone number of any organization that authorizes the distribution of the applications shall be included on the application. (b) Any application for a vote by mail voter's ballot that is sent by an individual, group, or organization to a voter shall be nonforwardable. Any vote by mail voter's ballot that is returned to an elections official as undeliverable shall not be forwarded by the elections official. (c) A person may not submit a vote by mail ballot application electronically for another registered voter. 3009. (a) Upon receipt of any vote by mail ballot application signed by the voter that arrives within the proper time, the elections official should determine if the signature and residence address on the ballot application appear to be the same as that on the original affidavit of registration. The elections official may make this signature check upon receiving the voted ballot, but the signature must be compared before the vote by mail voter ballot is canvassed. (b) If the elections official deems the applicant entitled to a vote by mail voter's ballot he or she shall deliver by mail or in person the appropriate ballot. The ballot may be delivered to the applicant, his or her spouse, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling, or a person residing in the same household as the vote by mail voter, except that in no case shall the ballot be delivered to an individual under 16 years of age. The elections official shall deliver the vote by mail ballot to the applicant's spouse, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling, or a person residing in the same household as the vote by mail voter only if that person signs a statement attested to under penalty of perjury that provides the name of the applicant and his or her relationship to the applicant, and affirms that he or she is 16 years of age or older, and is authorized by the applicant to deliver the vote by mail ballot. (c) If the elections official determines that an application does not contain all of the information prescribed in Section 3001 or 3006, or for any other reason is defective, and the elections official is able to ascertain the voter's address, the elections official shall, within one working day of receiving the application, mail the voter a vote by mail voter's ballot together with a notice. The notice shall inform the voter that the voter's vote by mail voter' s ballot shall not be counted unless the applicant provides the elections official with the missing information or corrects the defects prior to, or at the time of, receipt of the voter's executed vote by mail voter's ballot. The notice shall specifically inform the voter of the information that is required or the reason for the defects in the application, and shall state the procedure necessary to remedy the defective application. If the voter substantially complies with the requirements contained in the elections official's notice, the voter's ballot shall be counted. In determining from the records of registration if the signature and residence address on the application appear to be the same as that on the original affidavit of registration, the elections official or registrar of voters may use the duplicate file of affidavits of registered voters or the facsimiles of voter's signatures, provided that the method of preparing and displaying the facsimiles complies with law. 3010. The elections official shall deliver to each qualified applicant: (a) The ballot for the precinct in which he or she resides. In primary elections this shall also be accompanied by the ballot for the central committee of the party with which the voter is affiliated, if any. (b) All supplies necessary for the use and return of the ballot. No officer of this state may make any charge for services rendered to any voter under this chapter. 3011. (a) The identification envelope shall contain all of the following: (1) A declaration, under penalty of perjury, stating that the voter resides within the precinct in which he or she is voting and is the person whose name appears on the envelope. (2) The signature of the voter. (3) The residence address of the voter as shown on the affidavit of registration. (4) The date of signing. (5) A notice that the envelope contains an official ballot and is to be opened only by the canvassing board. (6) A warning plainly stamped or printed on it that voting twice constitutes a crime. (7) A warning plainly stamped or printed on it that the voter must sign the envelope in his or her own handwriting in order for the ballot to be counted. (8) A statement that the voter has neither applied, nor intends to apply, for a vote by mail voter's ballot from any other jurisdiction for the same election. (9) The name of the person authorized by the voter to return the vote by mail ballot pursuant to Section 3017. (10) The relationship to the voter of the person authorized to return the vote by mail ballot. (11) The signature of the person authorized to return the vote by mail ballot. (b) Except at a primary election for partisan office, and notwithstanding any other provision of law, the vote by mail voter's party affiliation may not be stamped or printed on the identification envelope. 3012. Whenever the elections official is required to mail a vote by mail voter's ballot to any elector and the address to which the ballot is to be mailed is a point outside the territorial limits of the United States, the elections official shall mail the vote by mail voter's ballot to the elector by airmail and, if under any law of the United States official election ballots may be mailed without the payment of postage, the elections official shall so mail them. 3013. Upon delivering or mailing a vote by mail voter's ballot, the elections official shall enter on the application of the vote by mail voter, or on the affidavit of registration, the type of ballot and the date of delivering or mailing. Before the election the elections official shall send to the inspector of each precinct in his or her county or city a list of the voters in that precinct applying for and receiving ballots under the provisions of this chapter. 3014. The elections official shall send a second vote by mail voter ballot to any voter upon receipt of a statement under penalty of perjury that the voter has failed to receive, lost, or destroyed his or her original ballot. The elections official shall keep a record of each vote by mail voter ballot sent to and received from a voter and shall verify, prior to counting any duplicate ballot, that the voter has not attempted to vote twice. If it is determined that a voter has attempted to vote twice, both ballots shall be void. 3015. Vote by mail voters who return to their home precincts on election day may vote only if they surrender their vote by mail voter ballots to the inspector of the precinct board. The precinct board shall return the unused vote by mail voters' ballots to the elections official in an envelope designated for this purpose. 3016. Any vote by mail voter who is unable to surrender his or her vote by mail voter's ballot within the meaning of Section 3015 shall be issued a provisional ballot in accordance with Section 14310. 3017. (a) All vote by mail ballots cast under this division shall be voted on or before the day of the election. After marking the ballot, the vote by mail voter shall do either of the following: (1) return the ballot by mail or in person to the elections official from whom it came or (2) return the ballot in person to any member of a precinct board at any polling place within the jurisdiction. However, a vote by mail voter who, because of illness or other physical disability, is unable to return the ballot, may designate his or her spouse, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, brother, sister, or a person residing in the same household as the vote by mail voter to return the ballot to the elections official from whom it came or to the precinct board at any polling place within the jurisdiction. The ballot must, however, be received by either the elections official from whom it came or the precinct board before the close of the polls on election day. (b) The elections official shall establish procedures to ensure the secrecy of any ballot returned to a precinct polling place and the security, confidentiality, and integrity of any personal information collected, stored, or otherwise used pursuant to this section. (c) On or before March 1, 2008, the elections official shall establish procedures to track and confirm the receipt of voted vote by mail ballots and to make this information available by means of online access using the county's elections division Internet Web site. If the county does not have an elections division Internet Web site, the elections official shall establish a toll-free telephone number that may be used to confirm the date a voted vote by mail ballot was received. (d) The provisions of this section are mandatory, not directory, and no ballot shall be counted if it is not delivered in compliance with this section. (e) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), no vote by mail voter's ballot shall be returned by any paid or volunteer worker of any general purpose committee, controlled committee, independent expenditure committee, political party, candidate's campaign committee, or any other group or organization at whose behest the individual designated to return the ballot is performing a service. However, this subdivision shall not apply to a candidate or a candidate's spouse. 3018. (a) Any voter using a vote by mail ballot may, prior to the close of the polls on election day, vote the ballot at the office of the elections official. The voter shall vote the ballot in the presence of an officer of the elections official or in a voting booth, at the discretion of the elections official, but in no case may his or her vote be observed. Where voting machines are used the elections official may provide one voting machine for each ballot type used within the jurisdiction. Elections officials may provide electronic voting devices for this purpose provided that sufficient devices are provided to include all ballot types in the election. (b) For purposes of this section, the office of an elections official may include satellite locations. Notice of the satellite locations shall be made by the elections official by the issuance of a general news release, issued not later than 14 days prior to voting at the satellite location, except that in a county with a declared emergency or disaster, notice shall be made not later than 48 hours prior to voting at the satellite location. The news release shall set forth the following information: (1) The satellite location or locations. (2) The dates and hours the satellite location or locations will be open. (3) A telephone number that voters may use to obtain information regarding vote by mail ballots and the satellite locations. (c) Vote by mail ballots voted at a satellite location pursuant to this section shall be placed in a vote by mail voter identification envelope to be completed by the voter pursuant to Section 3011. However, if the elections official utilizes electronic voting devices, the vote by mail ballot may be cast on an electronic voting device. 3019. Upon receipt of the vote by mail ballot the elections official shall compare the signature on the envelope with that appearing on the affidavit of registration and, if they compare, deposit the ballot, still in the identification envelope, in a ballot container in his or her office. A variation of the signature caused by the substitution of initials for the first or middle name, or both, shall not invalidate the ballot. If the ballot is rejected because the signatures do not compare, the envelope shall not be opened and the ballot shall not be counted. The cause of the rejection shall be written on the face of the identification envelope. If the elections official has compared the signature of the voter' s application with the affidavit pursuant to Section 3009, the application may be used rather than the affidavit to make the signature check required by this section. No ballot shall be removed from its identification envelope until the time for processing. No ballot shall be rejected for cause after the envelope has been opened. In determining from the records of registration if the signature and residence address on the identification envelope appear to be the same as that on the affidavit of registration, the elections official or registrar of voters may use the duplicate file of affidavits of registered voters or the facsimiles of voters' signatures, provided that the method of preparing and displaying the facsimiles complies with the law. 3020. All vote by mail ballots cast under this division shall be received by the elections official from whom they were obtained or by the precinct board no later than the close of the polls on election day. 3021. After the close of the period for requesting vote by mail voter ballots by mail any voter unable to go to the polls because of illness or disability resulting in his or her confinement in a hospital, sanatorium, nursing home, or place of residence, or any voter unable because of a physical handicap to go to his or her polling place or because of that handicap is unable to vote at his or her polling place due to existing architectural barriers at his or her polling place denying him or her physical access to the polling place, voting booth, or voting apparatus or machinery, or any voter unable to go to his or her polling place because of conditions resulting in his or her absence from the precinct on election day may request in a written statement, signed under penalty of perjury that a ballot be delivered to him or her. This written statement shall not be required if the vote by mail ballot is voted in the office of the elections official as defined by subdivision (b) of Section 3018, at the time of the request. This ballot shall be delivered by the elections official to any authorized representative of the voter who presents this written statement to the elections official. Before delivering the ballot the elections official may compare the signature on the request with the signature on the voter's affidavit of registration, but in any event, the signature shall be compared before the vote by mail ballot is canvassed. The voter shall mark the ballot, place it in the identification envelope, fill out and sign the envelope and return the ballot, personally or through the authorized representative, to either the elections official or any polling place within the jurisdiction. These ballots shall be processed and counted in the same manner as other vote by mail ballots. 3022. The elections official shall include with the sample ballot an application for a vote by mail ballot. 3023. Each ballot that is delivered pursuant to this chapter shall be accompanied by a ballot pamphlet, unless the voter has already been provided a ballot pamphlet. 3024. The cost to administer vote by mail ballots where issues and elective offices related to school districts, as defined by Section 17519 of the Government Code, are included on a ballot election with noneducation issues and elective offices shall not be fully or partially prorated to a school district. The Commission on State Mandates shall delete school districts, county boards of education, and community college districts from the list of eligible claimants in the Parameters and Guidelines for the Absentee Ballot Mandates.
SECTION 3000-3024
3000. This division shall be liberally construed in favor of the vote by mail voter. 3001. Except as provided in Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 3200) and Sections 3007.5 and 3007.7, application for a vote by mail voter's ballot shall be made in writing to the elections official having jurisdiction over the election between the 29th and the 7th day prior to the election. The application shall be signed by the applicant and shall show his or her place of residence. Any applications received by the elections official prior to the 29th day shall be kept and processed during the application period. 3002. (a) Notwithstanding Section 3001, a person granted confidentiality pursuant to Section 2166 shall be considered a vote by mail voter. (b) The provisions of Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 3200) relating to permanent vote by mail voters shall apply so far as they may be consistent with this section and Section 2166. (c) All persons granted confidentiality pursuant to Section 2166 shall (1) be required to vote by mail ballot, and (2) in addition to the required residence address, provide a valid mailing address to the county elections official to be used in place of the residence address. 3003. The vote by mail ballot shall be available to any registered voter. 3004. The county elections official shall place a notice in any office within the county where applications are taken for federal passports or where military enlistments are received to inform potential special absentee voters of their right to a vote by mail voter's ballot and where registration materials and application forms can be obtained. 3005. Whenever, on the 88th day before the election, there are 250 or less persons registered to vote in any precinct, the elections official may furnish each voter with a vote by mail ballot along with a statement that there will be no polling place for the election. The elections official shall also notify each voter of the location of the two nearest polling places in the event the voter chooses to return the ballot on election day. The voter shall not be required to file an application for the vote by mail ballot and the ballot shall be sent as soon as the ballots are available. No precinct shall be divided in order to conform to this section. 3006. (a) A printed application that is to be distributed to a voter for requesting a vote by mail voter's ballot shall inform the voter that the application for the vote by mail voter's ballot must be received by the elections official not later than seven days prior to the date of the election and shall contain spaces for the following: (1) The printed name and residence address of the voter as it appears on the affidavit of registration. (2) The address to which the ballot is to be mailed. (3) The voter's signature. (4) The name and date of the election for which the request is to be made. (b) (1) The information required by paragraphs (1) and (4) of subdivision (a) may be preprinted on the application. The information required by paragraphs (2) and (3) of subdivision (a) shall be personally affixed by the voter. (2) An address, as required by paragraph (2) of subdivision (a), may not be the address of a political party, a political campaign headquarters, or a candidate's residence. However, a candidate, his or her spouse, immediate family members, and any other voter who shares the same residence address as the candidate may request that a vote by mail ballot be mailed to the candidate's residence address. (3) An application that contains preprinted information shall contain a conspicuously printed statement substantially similar to the following: "You have the legal right to mail or deliver this application directly to the local elections official of the county where you reside." (c) The application shall inform the voter that if he or she is not affiliated with a political party, the voter may request a vote by mail ballot for a particular political party for the primary election, if that political party has adopted a party rule, duly noticed to the Secretary of State, authorizing that vote. The application shall contain a toll-free telephone number, established by the Secretary of State, that the voter may call to access information regarding which political parties have adopted such a rule. The application shall contain a checkoff box with a conspicuously printed statement that reads substantially similar to the following: "I am not presently affiliated with any political party. However, for this primary election only, I request a vote by mail ballot for the _________ Party." The name of the political party shall be personally affixed by the voter. (d) The application shall provide the voter with information concerning the procedure for establishing permanent vote by mail voter status, and the basis upon which permanent vote by mail voter status is claimed. (e) The application shall be attested to by the voter as to the truth and correctness of its content, and shall be signed under penalty of perjury. 3007. The Secretary of State shall prepare and distribute to appropriate elections officials a uniform application format for a vote by mail voter's ballot that conforms to this chapter. This format shall be followed by all individuals, organizations, and groups who distribute applications for a vote by mail voter's ballot. The uniform format need not be utilized by elections officials in preparing a vote by mail voter's ballot application to be included with the sample ballot. 3007.5. (a) The Secretary of State shall prepare and distribute to appropriate elections officials a uniform electronic application format for a vote by mail voter's ballot that conforms to this section. (b) The uniform electronic application shall inform the voter that the application for the vote by mail voter's ballot must be received by the elections official not later than seven days prior to the date of the election and shall contain spaces for at least the following information: (1) The name and residence address of the registered voter as it appears on the affidavit of registration. (2) The address to which the ballot is to be mailed. (3) The name and date of the election for which the request is made. (4) The date of birth of the registered voter. (c) The uniform electronic application shall inform the voter that if he or she is not affiliated with a political party, the voter may request a vote by mail ballot for a particular political party for the primary election, if that political party has adopted a party rule, duly noticed to the Secretary of State, authorizing that vote. The application shall contain a toll-free telephone number, established by the Secretary of State, that the voter may call to access information regarding which political parties have adopted such a rule. The application shall list the parties that have notified the Secretary of State of the adoption of such a rule. The application shall contain a checkoff box with a conspicuously printed statement that reads substantially similar to the following: "I am not presently affiliated with any political party. However, for this primary election only, I request a vote by mail ballot for the ____ Party." The name of the political party shall be personally affixed by the voter. (d) The uniform electronic application shall contain a conspicuously printed statement substantially similar to the following: "Only the registered voter himself or herself may apply for a vote by mail ballot. An application for a vote by mail ballot made by a person other than the registered voter is a criminal offense." (e) The uniform electronic application shall include a statement substantially similar to the following: "A ballot will not be sent to you if this application is incomplete or inaccurate." (f) The uniform electronic application format shall not permit the form to be electronically submitted unless all of the information required to complete the application is contained in the appropriate fields. 3007.7. (a) The local elections official may offer a voter the ability to electronically apply for a vote by mail voter's ballot. If the local elections official offers the uniform electronic application, the electronic application shall be in an interactive Internet format to be completed through the local elections official' s secure Internet Web site and may not be a downloadable form. The nondownloadable form shall be of a format that would allow the registered voter making an application for a vote by mail voter's ballot to enter the required information and submit the single form directly to the elections official's secure Internet Web site. The local elections official shall make every effort to ensure the security of the submitted information. (b) Upon receiving an electronic vote by mail ballot application that contains the required information within the proper time, the elections official shall check the information provided against the voter's information on file. If the elections official deems the applicant entitled to a vote by mail voter's ballot, the elections official shall deliver the appropriate vote by mail voter's ballot by mail or in person. (c) If the elections official determines that an electronic vote by mail ballot application does not contain all of the required information, or for any other reason is defective, and the elections official is able to ascertain the voter's address, the elections official may not mail the voter a vote by mail voter's ballot, but shall mail the voter a notice of defect. The notice of defect shall do both of the following: (1) Specifically inform the voter of the information that is required or the reason for the defect in the application. (2) State the procedure necessary to remedy the defective application. (d) An address, as required by paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of Section 3007.5, may not be the address of any political party, a political campaign headquarters, or a candidate's residence. However, a candidate, his or her spouse, immediate family members, and any other voter who shares the same residence address as the candidate may request that a vote by mail ballot be mailed to the candidate's residence address. (e) Except as provided in Section 3007.5 and this section, all other sections of this code pertaining to vote by mail voter applications, submissions, deadlines, and canvassing shall apply to electronic vote by mail ballot applications and applicants. 3008. (a) Any individual, organization, or group that distributes applications for vote by mail voter ballots and receives completed application forms shall return the forms to the appropriate elections official within 72 hours of receiving the completed forms, or before the deadline for application, whichever is sooner. The name, address, and telephone number of any organization that authorizes the distribution of the applications shall be included on the application. (b) Any application for a vote by mail voter's ballot that is sent by an individual, group, or organization to a voter shall be nonforwardable. Any vote by mail voter's ballot that is returned to an elections official as undeliverable shall not be forwarded by the elections official. (c) A person may not submit a vote by mail ballot application electronically for another registered voter. 3009. (a) Upon receipt of any vote by mail ballot application signed by the voter that arrives within the proper time, the elections official should determine if the signature and residence address on the ballot application appear to be the same as that on the original affidavit of registration. The elections official may make this signature check upon receiving the voted ballot, but the signature must be compared before the vote by mail voter ballot is canvassed. (b) If the elections official deems the applicant entitled to a vote by mail voter's ballot he or she shall deliver by mail or in person the appropriate ballot. The ballot may be delivered to the applicant, his or her spouse, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling, or a person residing in the same household as the vote by mail voter, except that in no case shall the ballot be delivered to an individual under 16 years of age. The elections official shall deliver the vote by mail ballot to the applicant's spouse, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling, or a person residing in the same household as the vote by mail voter only if that person signs a statement attested to under penalty of perjury that provides the name of the applicant and his or her relationship to the applicant, and affirms that he or she is 16 years of age or older, and is authorized by the applicant to deliver the vote by mail ballot. (c) If the elections official determines that an application does not contain all of the information prescribed in Section 3001 or 3006, or for any other reason is defective, and the elections official is able to ascertain the voter's address, the elections official shall, within one working day of receiving the application, mail the voter a vote by mail voter's ballot together with a notice. The notice shall inform the voter that the voter's vote by mail voter' s ballot shall not be counted unless the applicant provides the elections official with the missing information or corrects the defects prior to, or at the time of, receipt of the voter's executed vote by mail voter's ballot. The notice shall specifically inform the voter of the information that is required or the reason for the defects in the application, and shall state the procedure necessary to remedy the defective application. If the voter substantially complies with the requirements contained in the elections official's notice, the voter's ballot shall be counted. In determining from the records of registration if the signature and residence address on the application appear to be the same as that on the original affidavit of registration, the elections official or registrar of voters may use the duplicate file of affidavits of registered voters or the facsimiles of voter's signatures, provided that the method of preparing and displaying the facsimiles complies with law. 3010. The elections official shall deliver to each qualified applicant: (a) The ballot for the precinct in which he or she resides. In primary elections this shall also be accompanied by the ballot for the central committee of the party with which the voter is affiliated, if any. (b) All supplies necessary for the use and return of the ballot. No officer of this state may make any charge for services rendered to any voter under this chapter. 3011. (a) The identification envelope shall contain all of the following: (1) A declaration, under penalty of perjury, stating that the voter resides within the precinct in which he or she is voting and is the person whose name appears on the envelope. (2) The signature of the voter. (3) The residence address of the voter as shown on the affidavit of registration. (4) The date of signing. (5) A notice that the envelope contains an official ballot and is to be opened only by the canvassing board. (6) A warning plainly stamped or printed on it that voting twice constitutes a crime. (7) A warning plainly stamped or printed on it that the voter must sign the envelope in his or her own handwriting in order for the ballot to be counted. (8) A statement that the voter has neither applied, nor intends to apply, for a vote by mail voter's ballot from any other jurisdiction for the same election. (9) The name of the person authorized by the voter to return the vote by mail ballot pursuant to Section 3017. (10) The relationship to the voter of the person authorized to return the vote by mail ballot. (11) The signature of the person authorized to return the vote by mail ballot. (b) Except at a primary election for partisan office, and notwithstanding any other provision of law, the vote by mail voter's party affiliation may not be stamped or printed on the identification envelope. 3012. Whenever the elections official is required to mail a vote by mail voter's ballot to any elector and the address to which the ballot is to be mailed is a point outside the territorial limits of the United States, the elections official shall mail the vote by mail voter's ballot to the elector by airmail and, if under any law of the United States official election ballots may be mailed without the payment of postage, the elections official shall so mail them. 3013. Upon delivering or mailing a vote by mail voter's ballot, the elections official shall enter on the application of the vote by mail voter, or on the affidavit of registration, the type of ballot and the date of delivering or mailing. Before the election the elections official shall send to the inspector of each precinct in his or her county or city a list of the voters in that precinct applying for and receiving ballots under the provisions of this chapter. 3014. The elections official shall send a second vote by mail voter ballot to any voter upon receipt of a statement under penalty of perjury that the voter has failed to receive, lost, or destroyed his or her original ballot. The elections official shall keep a record of each vote by mail voter ballot sent to and received from a voter and shall verify, prior to counting any duplicate ballot, that the voter has not attempted to vote twice. If it is determined that a voter has attempted to vote twice, both ballots shall be void. 3015. Vote by mail voters who return to their home precincts on election day may vote only if they surrender their vote by mail voter ballots to the inspector of the precinct board. The precinct board shall return the unused vote by mail voters' ballots to the elections official in an envelope designated for this purpose. 3016. Any vote by mail voter who is unable to surrender his or her vote by mail voter's ballot within the meaning of Section 3015 shall be issued a provisional ballot in accordance with Section 14310. 3017. (a) All vote by mail ballots cast under this division shall be voted on or before the day of the election. After marking the ballot, the vote by mail voter shall do either of the following: (1) return the ballot by mail or in person to the elections official from whom it came or (2) return the ballot in person to any member of a precinct board at any polling place within the jurisdiction. However, a vote by mail voter who, because of illness or other physical disability, is unable to return the ballot, may designate his or her spouse, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, brother, sister, or a person residing in the same household as the vote by mail voter to return the ballot to the elections official from whom it came or to the precinct board at any polling place within the jurisdiction. The ballot must, however, be received by either the elections official from whom it came or the precinct board before the close of the polls on election day. (b) The elections official shall establish procedures to ensure the secrecy of any ballot returned to a precinct polling place and the security, confidentiality, and integrity of any personal information collected, stored, or otherwise used pursuant to this section. (c) On or before March 1, 2008, the elections official shall establish procedures to track and confirm the receipt of voted vote by mail ballots and to make this information available by means of online access using the county's elections division Internet Web site. If the county does not have an elections division Internet Web site, the elections official shall establish a toll-free telephone number that may be used to confirm the date a voted vote by mail ballot was received. (d) The provisions of this section are mandatory, not directory, and no ballot shall be counted if it is not delivered in compliance with this section. (e) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), no vote by mail voter's ballot shall be returned by any paid or volunteer worker of any general purpose committee, controlled committee, independent expenditure committee, political party, candidate's campaign committee, or any other group or organization at whose behest the individual designated to return the ballot is performing a service. However, this subdivision shall not apply to a candidate or a candidate's spouse. 3018. (a) Any voter using a vote by mail ballot may, prior to the close of the polls on election day, vote the ballot at the office of the elections official. The voter shall vote the ballot in the presence of an officer of the elections official or in a voting booth, at the discretion of the elections official, but in no case may his or her vote be observed. Where voting machines are used the elections official may provide one voting machine for each ballot type used within the jurisdiction. Elections officials may provide electronic voting devices for this purpose provided that sufficient devices are provided to include all ballot types in the election. (b) For purposes of this section, the office of an elections official may include satellite locations. Notice of the satellite locations shall be made by the elections official by the issuance of a general news release, issued not later than 14 days prior to voting at the satellite location, except that in a county with a declared emergency or disaster, notice shall be made not later than 48 hours prior to voting at the satellite location. The news release shall set forth the following information: (1) The satellite location or locations. (2) The dates and hours the satellite location or locations will be open. (3) A telephone number that voters may use to obtain information regarding vote by mail ballots and the satellite locations. (c) Vote by mail ballots voted at a satellite location pursuant to this section shall be placed in a vote by mail voter identification envelope to be completed by the voter pursuant to Section 3011. However, if the elections official utilizes electronic voting devices, the vote by mail ballot may be cast on an electronic voting device. 3019. Upon receipt of the vote by mail ballot the elections official shall compare the signature on the envelope with that appearing on the affidavit of registration and, if they compare, deposit the ballot, still in the identification envelope, in a ballot container in his or her office. A variation of the signature caused by the substitution of initials for the first or middle name, or both, shall not invalidate the ballot. If the ballot is rejected because the signatures do not compare, the envelope shall not be opened and the ballot shall not be counted. The cause of the rejection shall be written on the face of the identification envelope. If the elections official has compared the signature of the voter' s application with the affidavit pursuant to Section 3009, the application may be used rather than the affidavit to make the signature check required by this section. No ballot shall be removed from its identification envelope until the time for processing. No ballot shall be rejected for cause after the envelope has been opened. In determining from the records of registration if the signature and residence address on the identification envelope appear to be the same as that on the affidavit of registration, the elections official or registrar of voters may use the duplicate file of affidavits of registered voters or the facsimiles of voters' signatures, provided that the method of preparing and displaying the facsimiles complies with the law. 3020. All vote by mail ballots cast under this division shall be received by the elections official from whom they were obtained or by the precinct board no later than the close of the polls on election day. 3021. After the close of the period for requesting vote by mail voter ballots by mail any voter unable to go to the polls because of illness or disability resulting in his or her confinement in a hospital, sanatorium, nursing home, or place of residence, or any voter unable because of a physical handicap to go to his or her polling place or because of that handicap is unable to vote at his or her polling place due to existing architectural barriers at his or her polling place denying him or her physical access to the polling place, voting booth, or voting apparatus or machinery, or any voter unable to go to his or her polling place because of conditions resulting in his or her absence from the precinct on election day may request in a written statement, signed under penalty of perjury that a ballot be delivered to him or her. This written statement shall not be required if the vote by mail ballot is voted in the office of the elections official as defined by subdivision (b) of Section 3018, at the time of the request. This ballot shall be delivered by the elections official to any authorized representative of the voter who presents this written statement to the elections official. Before delivering the ballot the elections official may compare the signature on the request with the signature on the voter's affidavit of registration, but in any event, the signature shall be compared before the vote by mail ballot is canvassed. The voter shall mark the ballot, place it in the identification envelope, fill out and sign the envelope and return the ballot, personally or through the authorized representative, to either the elections official or any polling place within the jurisdiction. These ballots shall be processed and counted in the same manner as other vote by mail ballots. 3022. The elections official shall include with the sample ballot an application for a vote by mail ballot. 3023. Each ballot that is delivered pursuant to this chapter shall be accompanied by a ballot pamphlet, unless the voter has already been provided a ballot pamphlet. 3024. The cost to administer vote by mail ballots where issues and elective offices related to school districts, as defined by Section 17519 of the Government Code, are included on a ballot election with noneducation issues and elective offices shall not be fully or partially prorated to a school district. The Commission on State Mandates shall delete school districts, county boards of education, and community college districts from the list of eligible claimants in the Parameters and Guidelines for the Absentee Ballot Mandates.
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