Elections: voting by mail.

Senator Strickland's proposed overhaul of California's vote-by-mail system would end automatic ballot mailing to all registered voters, instead requiring voters to specifically request mail ballots for each election or apply for permanent vote-by-mail status.

The legislation eliminates the current requirement that county election officials mail ballots to every registered voter and removes authorization for counties to conduct all-mail elections. Under the new system, voters would need to submit written applications between 29 and 7 days before an election to receive a mail ballot. The bill establishes a permanent vote-by-mail option allowing voters to automatically receive mail ballots for all future elections until they fail to return ballots in four consecutive statewide general elections.

County election officials would begin mailing requested ballots no later than 29 days before an election, with a five-day processing window for both advance requests and those received during the application period. The bill maintains existing security measures, including signature verification requirements and prohibitions on compensating individuals based on the number of ballots they return. Military and overseas voters retain the ability to return ballots via facsimile transmission when necessary to meet election deadlines.

The measure requires state reimbursement to local agencies for costs associated with implementing the new vote-by-mail procedures, as determined by the Commission on State Mandates. It preserves conditional voter registration during the 14 days before an election, allowing eligible voters to register and cast provisional ballots that are counted once eligibility is verified.