Bill > SB0964

This bill, effective January 1, 2028, aims to enhance voter access and assistance by introducing new notification requirements for local governments and the Secretary of State regarding election procedures and by clarifying provisions for voter assistance. Specifically, local governments must notify the Secretary of State about changes to election methods, governmental reorganizations, and programs to remove voters from registration records, with the Secretary of State posting this information online and making it accessible. Local governments also must report requests to inspect voting equipment or ballots, and the approval or denial of challengers, with similar public posting by the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State will also be responsible for publicly announcing changes to polling place locations, voting hours, early voting plans, election audit results, voting system selections, absent voter counting board agreements, and district changes within local governments. The bill also updates procedures for providing voting assistance to electors unable to enter polling places or early voting sites, allowing for assistance outside the building by election inspectors, and clarifies that voters receiving such assistance are subject to the same rights and requirements as those voting inside. Additionally, it permits individuals to provide food, warmth, or other necessities to voters in line, provided they do not interfere with the voting process, and allows for language assistance from a chosen individual. The bill also amends existing language to update terminology and ensure consistency with federal law, such as the Voting Rights Act of 1965.