Bill Text: CA SJR6 | 2013-2014 | Regular Session | Chaptered

California Senate Joint Resolution 6 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: The Lines Interfere with National Elections Act of 2013.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Passed) 2013-08-29 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Res. Chapter 94, Statutes of 2013. [SJR6 Detail]

Download: California-2013-SJR6-Chaptered.html

BILL NUMBER: SJR 6	CHAPTERED
	BILL TEXT

	RESOLUTION CHAPTER  94
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE  AUGUST 29, 2013
	ADOPTED IN SENATE  APRIL 15, 2013
	ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY  AUGUST 26, 2013

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Yee

                        FEBRUARY 25, 2013

   Relative to the Lines Interfere with National Elections Act of
2013.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SJR 6, Yee. The Lines Interfere with National Elections Act of
2013.
   This measure would proclaim the Legislature's support for the
federal Lines Interfere with National Elections Act of 2013, and
would memorialize the Congress of the United States to promptly pass
the act and President Barack Obama to sign the act.




   WHEREAS, The right to vote is a fundamental right of citizens of
the United States; and
   WHEREAS, It is a fundamental principle of our representative
democracy that citizens shall not be required to overcome
unreasonable obstacles in order to exercise their right to vote; and
   WHEREAS, At the presidential election on November 6, 2012, voters
in Florida, Virginia, Ohio, and other states waited in line for up to
seven hours to cast ballots, and some voters were required to wait
in line well after the polls were closed; and
   WHEREAS, More than 200,000 voters in Florida likely decided not to
vote in the election held on November 6, 2012, because of their
frustration with long lines; and
   WHEREAS, United States Senator Barbara Boxer has introduced in
Congress the Lines Interfere with National Elections Act of 2013,
which would amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. Sec.
15301 et seq.) to ensure that voters in elections for federal office
do not wait in long lines in order to vote; and
   WHEREAS, The Lines Interfere with National Elections Act of 2013
would require the United States Attorney General, in consultation
with the Election Assistance Commission, to issue standards by
January 1, 2014, regarding the minimum number of voting systems, poll
workers, and other election resources needed on election day and
during early voting periods to prevent a waiting time of more than
one hour at any polling place; and
   WHEREAS, The Lines Interfere with National Elections Act of 2013
would require states where a substantial number of voters waited
longer than 90 minutes to cast a vote in the presidential election
held on November 6, 2012, or any election for federal office held
after that date, to comply with a remedial plan to minimize the
waiting times of voters and to ensure voters do not face similar
delays in the future; and
   WHEREAS, An election system with fair access provides the greatest
guard to our rights and liberties; now, therefore, be it
   Resolved by the Senate and the Assembly of the State of
California, jointly, That the Legislature of the State of California
supports the Lines Interfere with National Elections Act of 2013 and
respectfully memorializes the Congress of the United States to
promptly pass the act and President Barack Obama to sign the act; and
be it further
   Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this
resolution to the President and Vice President of the United States,
to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to the Majority
Leader of the United States Senate, to each Senator and
Representative from California in the Congress of the United States,
and to the author for appropriate distribution.