Vote by mail ballots: processing.

Assembly Member Alanis proposes modifying California's vote-by-mail ballot processing timeline to allow elections officials to begin processing ballots on the same day they are mailed to voters, rather than waiting until 29 days before an election. The change applies to both processing ballot return envelopes and the ballots themselves, while maintaining the requirement that ballots must be mailed no later than 29 days before election day.

The legislation outlines specific parameters for ballot processing transparency and observation. Elections officials must provide 48-hour advance notice of processing activities to observers and the public. Representatives from county grand juries, political party central committees, and other interested organizations may observe the verification of voter signatures, duplication of damaged ballots, and security measures. While observers must have sufficient access to monitor these procedures, they are prohibited from handling ballots or interfering with processing operations. Vote counts remain embargoed until polls close at 8 p.m. on election day.