Bill > AB827

This bill modifies California's election code to streamline and improve the process for verifying signatures on vote-by-mail ballots. For regularly scheduled statewide elections, the bill reduces the timeline for elections officials to notify voters about signature issues from 8 days before election certification to 14 calendar days after the election, and extends the deadline for voters to verify their signatures from 2 days before certification to 22 calendar days after the election. For other elections, the existing shorter timelines remain in place. The bill allows elections officials to use ballot drop boxes to receive signature verification forms and requires officials to compare signatures on untimely submitted forms, updating the voter's signature record if the signatures match. Additionally, the bill permits elections officials to conduct the official election canvass for fewer than six hours per day if they are only processing ballots with pending signature verifications and can still meet certification deadlines. The bill also enhances the existing vote-by-mail ballot tracking system to provide more detailed notifications to voters about their ballot's status, including reasons why a ballot might not be counted and links to signature verification forms. The legislation aims to make the vote-by-mail ballot verification process more voter-friendly and flexible while maintaining election integrity.

Budget and Finance, Government Affairs

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB827