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<ns0:Id>20250SB__142099INT</ns0:Id>
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<ns0:Action>
<ns0:ActionText>INTRODUCED</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2026-02-20</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:SessionYear>2025</ns0:SessionYear>
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<ns0:MeasureType>SB</ns0:MeasureType>
<ns0:MeasureNum>1420</ns0:MeasureNum>
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<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Senator Richardson</ns0:AuthorText>
<ns0:Authors>
<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>LEAD_AUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>SENATE</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Richardson</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Title> An act to amend Section 9084 of, and to add Section 3016.6 to, the Elections Code, relating to elections, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately. </ns0:Title>
<ns0:RelatingClause>elections, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately</ns0:RelatingClause>
<ns0:GeneralSubject>
<ns0:Subject>Vote by mail ballots and early voting.</ns0:Subject>
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<ns0:DigestText>
<html:p>Existing law provides that no later than 29 days before the day of an election, a voter using a vote by mail ballot may, before the polls close, vote the ballot at the office of the elections official or a satellite location. Existing law provides that a voter may vote their vote by mail ballot, without the identification envelope, in person at the office of the county elections official, a satellite location, the polling place designated for the voter’s home precinct, or a vote center, as specified. Existing law provides that for a statewide election, a county that does not conduct an all-mailed ballot election must provide at least one early voting location for at least 6 hours on the Saturday before election day. Existing law requires the Secretary of State to prepare and publish the state voter information guide containing specified information.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would require the Secretary of State to promulgate, and post on its internet website, regulations setting forth procedures that a county elections official must follow to implement voter education and outreach initiatives to inform the public about the vote by mail and early voting procedures described above. The bill would require the Secretary of State to include information about these vote by mail and early voting procedures in the state voter information guide.</html:p>
<html:p>By imposing new duties on county elections officials, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.</html:p>
<html:p>The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would provide that, if the
Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.</html:p>
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<ns0:DigestKey>
<ns0:VoteRequired>TWO_THIRDS</ns0:VoteRequired>
<ns0:Appropriation>NO</ns0:Appropriation>
<ns0:FiscalCommittee>YES</ns0:FiscalCommittee>
<ns0:LocalProgram>YES</ns0:LocalProgram>
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<ns0:ImmediateEffect>YES</ns0:ImmediateEffect>
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<ns0:Urgency>YES</ns0:Urgency>
<ns0:TaxLevy>NO</ns0:TaxLevy>
<ns0:Election>NO</ns0:Election>
<ns0:UsualCurrentExpenses>NO</ns0:UsualCurrentExpenses>
<ns0:BudgetBill>NO</ns0:BudgetBill>
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<ns0:Preamble>The people of the State of California do enact as follows:</ns0:Preamble>
<ns0:BillSection id="id_9B00A020-3868-4DCC-8F32-B4E3EBEAE12B">
<ns0:Num>SECTION 1.</ns0:Num>
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Section 3016.6 is added to the
<ns0:DocName>Elections Code</ns0:DocName>
, to read:
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<ns0:Num>3016.6.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>
(a)
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The Secretary of State shall promulgate regulations setting forth procedures that a county elections official shall follow to implement voter education and outreach initiatives to provide information to the public about all of the following:
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<html:p>
(1)
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The process by which a voter may, no later than 29 days before the day of an election, vote their vote by mail ballot at the office of the elections official or a satellite location, pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 3016.3.
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<html:p>
(2)
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For a statewide election, the process by which a county that does not conduct an election pursuant to Section 4005 shall provide at least one early voting location on the Saturday before the day of the
election, pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 3016.3.
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<html:p>
(3)
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The process by which a voter may vote their vote by mail ballot, without the identification envelope, in person at the office of the elections official, a satellite location, the polling place designated for the voter’s home precinct, or a vote center established under Section 4005, pursuant to Section 3016.5.
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<html:p>
(b)
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The Secretary of State shall post regulations adopted or promulgated under this section on its internet website.
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<ns0:Num>SEC. 2.</ns0:Num>
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Section 9084 of the
<ns0:DocName>Elections Code</ns0:DocName>
is amended to read:
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<ns0:Num>9084.</ns0:Num>
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<ns0:Content>
<html:p>The state voter information guide shall contain all of the following:</html:p>
<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
A complete copy of each state measure.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
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(1)
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Except as provided in paragraph (2), before each state measure, a conspicuous notice that identifies the location on the Secretary of State’s internet website of the specific constitutional or statutory provision that the state measure would repeal or revise.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
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The text of a measure relating to debts and liabilities, including a bond measure, shall be printed in the state voter information guide as required by Section 1 of Article XVI of the California Constitution.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
A copy of the arguments and rebuttals for and against each state measure.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(d)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
A copy of the analysis of each state measure.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(e)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Tables of contents, indexes, art work, graphics, and other materials that the Secretary of State determines will make the state voter information guide easier to understand or more useful for the average voter.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(f)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
A notice, conspicuously printed on the cover of the state voter information guide, indicating that additional copies of the state voter information guide will be mailed by the county elections official upon request.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(g)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
A written explanation of the judicial retention procedure as required by Section 9083.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(h)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The Voter Bill of Rights
pursuant to Section 2300.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(i)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
If the ballot contains an election for the office of United States Senator, information on candidates for United States Senator. A candidate for United States Senator may purchase the space to place a statement in the state voter information guide that does not exceed 250 words. The statement shall not make any reference to any opponent of the candidate. The statement shall be submitted in accordance with timeframes and procedures set forth by the Secretary of State for the preparation of the state voter information guide.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(j)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
If the ballot contains a question on the confirmation or retention of a justice of the Supreme Court, information on justices of the Supreme Court who are subject to confirmation or retention.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(k)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
If the ballot contains an election for the offices of President and
Vice President of the United States, a notice that refers voters to the Secretary of State’s internet website for information about candidates for the offices of President and Vice President of the United States.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(
<html:i>l</html:i>
)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
A written explanation of the appropriate election procedures for party-nominated, voter-nominated, and nonpartisan offices as required by Section 9083.5.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(m)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
A written explanation of the top 10 contributor lists required by Section 84223 of the Government Code, including a description of the internet websites where those lists are available to the public.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(n)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
An explanation of a voter’s right to vote their vote by mail ballot in either of the following manners:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
No later than 29 days before the day of the election, at the office of the elections official or a satellite location, pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 3016.3.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Without the identification envelope, in person at the office of the elections official, a satellite location, the polling place designated for the voter’s home precinct, or a vote center established under Section 4005, pursuant to Section 3016.3.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(o)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
A notice explaining that, for a statewide election, a county that does not conduct an all-mailed ballot election under Section 4005 must provide at least one early voting location on the Saturday before the day of the election that is open for a minimum of six hours, as required by subdivision (b) of Section 3016.3.
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<ns0:BillSection id="id_55D291C7-E8DF-4673-BF7D-A2D1C7C9B818">
<ns0:Num>SEC. 3.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:Content>
<html:p>If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.</html:p>
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<ns0:Num>SEC. 4.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:Content>
<html:p>This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the meaning of Article IV of the California Constitution and shall go into immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are:</html:p>
<html:p>In order for the Secretary of State to promulgate regulations setting forth procedures for county elections officials to implement voter education and outreach initiatives to inform the public about the early voting and vote by mail provisions added by Assembly Bill 1249 of the 2025–26 Regular Session of the Legislature, and to incorporate information about these provisions into the state voter information guide, before the next statewide general election on November 3, 2026, it is necessary for
this act to take effect immediately.</html:p>
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