California Elections Code 13300.7 – Notwithstanding any other law, county and city elections officials …
Notwithstanding any other law, county and city elections officials may establish procedures designed to permit a voter to opt out of receiving the voter’s county voter information guide, state voter information guide, notice of polling place, and associated materials by mail, and instead obtain them electronically via email or by accessing them on the county’s or city’s internet website, if all of the following conditions are met:
(a) The procedures establish a method of providing notice of and an opportunity by which a voter can notify elections officials of the voter’s desire to obtain ballot materials electronically in lieu of receiving them by mail.
Terms Used In California Elections Code 13300.7
- Election: means any election including a primary that is provided for under this code. See California Elections Code 318
- Elections official: means any of the following:
California Elections Code 320
- Polling place: means a location where a voter casts a ballot and includes the following terms, as applicable: poll, polling location, and vote center. See California Elections Code 338.5
- Signature: includes either of the following:
California Elections Code 354.5
- Voter: means any elector who is registered under this code. See California Elections Code 359
(b) The voter email address or any other information provided by the voter under this section remains confidential pursuant to § 7924.000 of the Government Code and Section 2194 of this code.
(c) The procedures provide notice and opportunity for a voter who has opted out of receiving a county voter information guide and other materials by mail to opt back into receiving them by mail.
(d) The procedures establish a process by which a voter can apply electronically to become a vote by mail voter.
(e) A voter may only opt out of, or opt back into, receiving the voter’s county voter information guide and other ballot materials by mail if the elections official receives the request and can process it before the statutory deadline for the mailing of those materials for the next election, pursuant to Section 13303. If a voter misses this deadline, the request shall take effect the following election.
(f) The procedures shall include a verification process to confirm the voter’s identity in any of the following manners:
(1) In writing with a signature card that can be matched to the one on file with the elections official.
(2) Electronically with the electronic transmission containing the voter’s California driver’s license number, California identification number, or a partial social security number.
(3) By telephone or in person, upon confirmation of the voter’s date of birth, residence address, and California driver’s license number, California identification number, or a partial social security number.
(g) Information made available over the internet pursuant to this section shall meet or exceed the most current, ratified standards under Section 508 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. § 794d), as amended, and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 adopted by the World Wide Web Consortium for accessibility. Election officials may also implement recommendations of the Voting Accessibility Advisory Committee made pursuant to paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) of Section 2053, and of any local Voting Accessibility Advisory Committee created pursuant to the guidelines promulgated by the Secretary of State related to the accessibility of polling places by the physically handicapped.
(Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 28, Sec. 44. (SB 1380) Effective January 1, 2023.)