Elections: Voter Bill of Rights.

Assembly Member Ransom's proposal to expand California's Voter Bill of Rights addresses ballot replacement procedures by adding explicit provisions for voters who have lost, destroyed, or never received their vote-by-mail ballots. The measure modifies the state's Elections Code to outline specific circumstances under which voters can obtain replacement ballots.

The bill requires polling places and county elections officials to provide replacement ballots to voters who cannot surrender their original vote-by-mail ballots. Voters may request replacements either at their polling location, at county elections offices, or through procedures outlined in Elections Code Section 3014. The amended Voter Bill of Rights must appear in state voter information guides and on precinct posters, with detailed instructions about these ballot replacement options.

Under the measure's provisions, the Secretary of State maintains authority to develop implementing regulations and modify the Voter Bill of Rights language to ensure clarity. The bill preserves existing requirements for a toll-free number where voters can report rights violations or election misconduct, while adding new specifications about ballot replacement procedures that elections officials and poll workers must follow.