Bill Text: CA AB1817 | 2013-2014 | Regular Session | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Voter registration: high school pupils.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)
Status: (Passed) 2014-07-16 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 131, Statutes of 2014. [AB1817 Detail]
Download: California-2013-AB1817-Introduced.html
Bill Title: Voter registration: high school pupils.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)
Status: (Passed) 2014-07-16 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 131, Statutes of 2014. [AB1817 Detail]
Download: California-2013-AB1817-Introduced.html
BILL NUMBER: AB 1817 INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Gomez FEBRUARY 18, 2014 An act to add Section 49041 to the Education Code, and to amend Sections 2103 and 2109 of the Elections Code, relating to voter registration. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1817, as introduced, Gomez. Voter registration: deputy registrars of voters: high school pupils. Under existing law, a person who is a registered voter qualifies for appointment as a deputy registrar of voters. Existing law states that it is the intent of the Legislature that county elections officials, in order to promote and encourage voter registration, shall enlist the support and cooperation of interested citizens and organizations, and shall deputize as registrars qualified citizens. Existing law permits a person deputized as a registrar by the county elections official to register voters. Existing law permits the governing board of a county, city, city and county, district, or other public agency to authorize and assign an officer or employee to become a deputy registrar of voters and register qualified citizens on any premise or facility owned or controlled by the agency. This bill would permit the governing board of a school district to authorize a high school pupil 16 years of age or older to become a deputy registrar of voters and to registrar to vote qualified pupils on his or her high school campus. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 49041 is added to the Education Code, to read: 49041. The governing board of a school district may authorize a high school pupil 16 years of age or older to become a deputy registrar of voters, and to register to vote qualified pupils on his or her high school campus, pursuant to Section 2103 of the Elections Code. SEC. 2. Section 2103 of the Elections Code is amended to read: 2103. (a) It is the intent of the Legislature that the election board of each county, in order to promote and encourage voter registrations, shall establish a sufficient number of registration places throughout the county, and outside the county courthouse, for the convenience of persons desiring to register, to the end that registration may be maintained at a high level. (b) It is also the intent of the Legislature that county elections officials, in order to promote and encourage voter registrations, shall enlist the support and cooperation of interested citizens and organizations, and shall deputize as registrars qualified citizens in such a way as to reach most effectively every resident of the county. The persons so deputized shall be permitted to register voters anywhere within the county, including at the places of residence of the persons to be registered, and the county elections official shall not deny deputy registrars the right to register voters anywhere in the county. (c) It is also the intent of the Legislature that non-English-speaking citizens, like all other citizens, should be encouraged to vote. Therefore, appropriate efforts should be made to minimize obstacles to registration by citizens who lack sufficient skill in English to register without assistance. (d)WhereIf the county elections official finds that citizens described in subdivision (c) approximate3three percent or more of the voting age residents of a precinct, orin the event thatif interested citizens or organizations provide informationwhichthat the county elections official believes indicates a need for registration assistance for qualified citizens described in subdivision (c), the county elections official shall make reasonable efforts to recruit deputy registrars who are fluent in a language used by citizens described in subdivision (c) and in English. That recruitment shall be conducted through the cooperation of interested citizens and organizations and through voluntarily donated public service notices in the media, including newspapers, radio, and television, particularly those media that serve the non-English-speaking citizens described in subdivision (c). Deputy registrars so appointed shall facilitate registration in the particular precincts concerned and shall have the right to register voters anywhere in the county. (e) In furtherance of the purposes of this section, the governing board ofanya county, city, city and county, district, or other public agency may authorize and assign any of its officers or employees to become deputy registrars of voters and to register qualified citizens on any premises and facilities owned or controlled by those public agencies during the regular working hours of the officers or employees. With the exception of firefighters, any compensation to which the officer or employee may be entitled in payment for the services of the officer or employee as a deputy registrar may be paid by the authority that appointed the officer or employee as a deputy registrar to the public agency that regularly employs the officer or employee. (f) In furtherance of the purposes of this section, the governing board of a school district may authorize a high school pupil 16 years of age or older to become a deputy registrar of voters and to registrar to vote qualified pupils on his or her high school campus.(f)(g) It is the intent of the Legislature that no limitation be imposed on the number of persons appointed to act as deputy registrars of voters.(g)(h) It is the intent of the Legislature that county elections officials be permitted to distribute affidavits of registration and voter registration cards, in all languages required by Section 203 (42 U.S.C. Sec. 1973aa-1a) or Section 4(f)(4) (42 U.S.C. Sec. 1973b(f)(4)) of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, by using the county's Internet Web site. SEC. 3. Section 2109 of the Elections Code is amended to read: 2109.AnyA personwho is a registered voterqualifies for appointment as a deputy registrar of voters if he or she is a registered voter or is a person described in subdivision (f) of Section 2103 .