Bill Text: CA AB2627 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Voter registration and outreach programs.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-05-16 - In committee: Held under submission. [AB2627 Detail]
Download: California-2023-AB2627-Introduced.html
The Secretary of State shall adopt regulations requiring each county to design and implement programs intended to identify qualified electors who are not registered voters, and to register those persons to vote. The Secretary of State shall adopt regulations prescribing minimum requirements for those programs. If Controller
Secretary of State shall prescribe the forms for filing claims pursuant to this section. These claims shall be submitted to the Controller by February 15 in the year following the fiscal year in which the costs were incurred.
Bill Title: Voter registration and outreach programs.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-05-16 - In committee: Held under submission. [AB2627 Detail]
Download: California-2023-AB2627-Introduced.html
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 2627
| Introduced by Assembly Member Pellerin |
February 14, 2024 |
An act to amend Sections 2105 and 2130 of, and to add Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 2750) to Division 2 of, the Elections Code, relating to elections.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 2627, as introduced, Pellerin.
Voter registration and outreach programs.
Existing law requires the Controller to provide reimbursement to counties for the costs of complying with certain voter registration requirements. Existing law requires the Controller to prescribe the forms for filing these claims.
This bill would instead make the Secretary of State responsible prescribing the forms for filing claims.
Existing law requires the Secretary of State to adopt regulations requiring each county to design and implement programs intended to identify qualified electors who are not registered to vote and to register those persons to vote.
This bill would also require the Secretary of State to adopt guidance for participating counties to design and implement civic engagement programs intended to support high school students, including those
intended to support the State Seal of Civic Engagement. The bill would authorize the Secretary of State to design voter registration and civic engagement programs for a county that does not implement or apply for funding for its own programs.
The bill would require the Secretary of State to adopt regulations for making grants to county registrars of voters for programs that integrate voter registration and preregistration with civic education in coordination with local education agencies, including programs to allow students to work as election workers, as provided. The bill would require a student election worker to be assigned election worker responsibilities on election day or otherwise only after school hours or on weekends and would require a student election worker to receive a stipend for their work as well as credit toward the State Seal of Civic Engagement. The bill would require the Secretary of State, on or before April 1, 2025, to make grant applications
available to county registrars, as specified, contingent upon the Legislature appropriating funds for purposes of this grant program.
The bill would establish the Civic Learning, Outreach, and Engagement Fund in the General Fund and would make the moneys in the fund available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for the grants and contracts provided for in the bill.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NOBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:(a) In a democracy, political power is inherent in the people and is exercised through the right to vote.
(b) The right to vote is a fundamental right through which the people exercise political power capable of protecting all other rights.
(c) Every citizen of the United States residing in California who is 18 years of age or older is guaranteed the right to vote and to have their vote counted, with limited exceptions.
(d) Nonparticipation in elections means that only some people exercise
their political power, creating a distortion in representation that can result in some people being denied the protection, security, and benefits to which they are entitled under the United States Constitution.
(e) Aside from the historic turnout in the 2020 presidential general election, fewer than 60 percent of eligible voters have exercised their fundamental right to vote in each statewide election in California since 1972.
(f) California has made significant strides in increasing the percentage of eligible voters who are registered to vote. However, the Secretary of State estimates that there are more than 4,500,000 million eligible California voters who were not registered to vote as of October 2023.
(g) In 23 counties, fewer than 80 percent of eligible voters were registered to vote as of October 2023.
(h) The Secretary of State is the chief elections officer in California and administers elections in partnership with county elections officials.
(i) California statutes and regulations direct the Secretary of State and counties to implement programs aimed at increasing voter participation and outreach to nonvoters and to remove administrative obstacles to voting that deter fuller participation.
(j) Under existing law, the Secretary of State has the responsibility to promote civic learning and engagement.
(k) Fully implementing existing laws and regulations to increase participation in elections, especially among young people, will empower voters to better understand their access to voting and the voting process.
(l) Empowering young voters at the county level to become a part of the voting process through partnerships between educators and elections officials can reduce barriers between all levels of government and historically marginalized or underrepresented communities.
(m) California has adopted a program of civic education aimed at empowering youth by awarding a State Seal of Civic Engagement as a diploma enhancement at graduation for completion of specified civic education programs and activities. Civic education includes media literacy, fostering understanding of state and local government, and mapping opportunities for participation in public life.
(n) Joining voter participation outreach programs as contemplated by current law with civic education programs leading to the State Seal of Civic Engagement through
partnerships among educators and elections officials offers the opportunity for improving participation in elections by young people and strengthening the fundamental right to vote for all Californians.
(o) As detailed above, existing voter participation outreach programs and civic education programs related to the State Seal of Civic Engagement have been successful in California. Expanding upon these programs through partnerships between educators and elections officials offers the opportunity to further increase participation in the electoral process by young people.
(p) It is the intent of the Legislature to increase participation in elections to the greatest extent possible by fully implementing existing laws and codifying existing regulations to facilitate outreach to underrepresented groups, with a particular focus on counties with low levels of voter registration and
participation and on youth across the state.
SEC. 2.
Section 2105 of the Elections Code is amended to read:2105.
(a) It is the intent of the Legislature that voter registration be maintained at the highest possible level.(b) In furtherance of the goal set forth in subdivision (a), the Secretary of State shall do all of the following:
(1) Adopt guidance for each county to design and implement programs intended to identify qualified electors who are not registered to vote, and to register or preregister those persons to vote, including making available on the county’s internet website the voter registration programs implemented pursuant to this section.
(2) Adopt guidance for a participating county to design and implement a program of civic engagement for high school students, including those intended to support the State Seal of Civic Engagement established pursuant to Article 7 (commencing with Section 51470) of Chapter 3 of Part 28 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Education Code.
(3) Adopt regulations prescribing minimum requirements for the programs described in paragraphs (1) and (2) and requiring each county to periodically update its programs.
(4) Adopt regulations that establish a process for counties to apply for grants from the Civic Learning, Outreach, and Engagement Fund established in Section 2752, and a process for the Secretary of State to award those funds.
(5) Periodically update the regulations the Secretary of State promulgates pursuant to this section.
(c) If the Secretary of State finds that a county has not designed and
implemented a program
programs meeting the prescribed minimum requirements,
updated its programs as required by regulation, or applied for a grant from the Civic Learning, Outreach, and Engagement Fund, the Secretary of State shall
may design a program programs for the county and report the violation to the Attorney General. county.
SEC. 3.
Section 2130 of the Elections Code is amended to read:2130.
From moneys appropriated by the Legislature, the Controller shall allocate and disburse to the counties the amounts necessary to reimburse them for net costs incurred by them in complying with the voter registration provisions, including the provisions authorizing voter registration by mail and voter outreach programs, as set forth in Chapter 704 of the Statutes of 1975, as amended. The Secretary of State, in consultation with the Controller, shall develop a formula for the reimbursement of these costs. TheSEC. 4.
Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 2750) is added to Division 2 of the Elections Code, to read:CHAPTER 10. Civic Education and Voter Outreach Programs
2750.
(a) For purposes of this chapter, the following terms have the following meanings:(1) “Fund” means the Civic Learning, Outreach, and Engagement Fund established in Section 2752.
(2) “Program” means the integrated voter registration and preregistration programs and civic education programs based on the State Seal authorized by Section 2751.
(3) “Registrar of voters” means the county registrar of voters or other county elections official responsible for administering elections in a county.
(4) “State Seal” means the State Seal of Civic Engagement
established pursuant to Article 7 (commencing with Section 51470) of Chapter 3 of Part 28 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Education Code.
(5) “Eligible county” means a county where voter registration, as recorded in the Secretary of State’s Statement of Vote for the General Election prepared during the most recent election year, is less than 80 percent of eligible voters.
(6) “Local educational agency” means school districts, county offices of education, and direct-funded charter schools.
(b) The Secretary of State is the chief elections officer of the state with the responsibility to promote voter registration and voter preregistration. The Secretary of State is responsible for promoting civic learning and engagement to prepare students to register to vote and to vote. It is the intent of the Legislature that
programs of civic education and engagement, including, but not limited to, exposure to state and local government and media literacy, linked to voter registration and participation in elections, be implemented by the Secretary of State in their role as the chief elections officer of the state.
(c) It is the intent of the Legislature that the Secretary of State work with local election officials to develop plans for civic education and engagement and that those local plans include collaboration with local educational agencies.
(d) The Secretary of State shall provide opportunities for cooperation and coordination with the State Board of Education and the Superintendent of Public Instruction in order to support the collaboration between local elections officials and local educational agencies.
2751.
(a) The Secretary of State shall adopt regulations in accordance with paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) of Section 2105 for making grants from the fund to participating local elections officials for the purpose of implementing programs that integrate voter registration and preregistration with civic education in coordination with local educational agencies.(b) The regulations shall provide all of the following:
(1) Support for integrated programs of civic education and voter registration and preregistration to be designed and implemented by participating local elections officials in partnership with participating local educational agencies.
(2) Support for participating local elections officials to coordinate with local educational agencies to develop hands-on curriculum and engagement opportunities, including incentives for participation, consistent with the State Seal and Section 51470 of the Education Code. Coordination may include, but is not limited to, offering civic education classroom curriculum, professional development for teachers in the use of curriculum, and hands-on experience in the administration of elections.
(3) Support for mock elections and student government elections offering students the opportunity to use voting equipment and processes used in the county.
(4) (A) Support for participating local elections officials to offer students opportunities to work as election workers and to otherwise participate in
election administration in the county.
(B) For purposes of this paragraph, the regulations may include the following:
(i) To limit impact on classroom instruction time before election day, a student who volunteers to serve as an election worker who is approved by the local educational agency and local elections officials of voters shall be assigned election worker duties after school hours or on weekends for any day prior to election day.
(ii) A student who serves as an election worker shall do so on election day. In counties that permit voting on days preceding election day, a student election worker may also work on weekends.
(iii) A student who volunteers to be an election worker shall attend a weekend or evening training session before serving as an
election worker.
(iv) A student election worker shall receive a stipend for attending the training and for time served as an election worker.
(v) A school that coordinates with the local elections officials in the county to confirm that a student successfully served as an election worker during school hours on election day shall receive attendance credit for that student on election day.
(vi) A student who serves as an election worker shall receive credit toward the State Seal for all election hours that the registrar of voters confirms that the student worked.
(5) Guidance for participating registrars of voters and local education officials to apply for grants from the fund.
(6) Metrics
for evaluating the effectiveness of grant recipients in increasing voter registration and voting in their respective counties. The metrics shall include measuring whether programs under this chapter increase the number of students who earn the State Seal, if applicable.
2752.
(a) The Civic Learning, Outreach, and Engagement Fund is hereby established in the General Fund. For purposes of this chapter, all references to the “fund” are to the Civic Learning, Outreach, and Engagement Fund.(b) Moneys in the fund are available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for expenditure by the Secretary of State for the purposes described in Sections 2751 and 2754, including for grants to participating registrars of voters and programs that implement Section 2105 and regulations adopted pursuant to that section.
(c) (1) The Secretary of State may adopt regulations governing the administration of the fund.
(2) The Secretary of State may set aside 5 percent of moneys appropriated from the fund to employ persons to administer the fund, including, but not limited to, making grants and evaluating programs implemented by grant recipients.
2753.
(a) Notwithstanding any other law, in order to increase civic engagement in geographically and racially diverse counties and to develop concrete experience and data with differing program approaches and structures, the Secretary of State shall make grant applications available to county registrars on or before April 1, 2025, contingent upon the Legislature appropriating funds for purposes of this chapter.(b) The application shall provide for programs that achieve the objectives and meet the criteria set out in Section 2751, including the following, as applicable:
(1) A plan for the registrar of voters to work with local educational agencies to identify high school campuses in the
county to participate in the program, including activities that result in awarding the State Seal, and to select dates on which to administer the mock election component of the program on each participating school campus.
(2) A plan for promoting media literacy in connection with elections.
(3) A plan for conducting mock elections at participating school sites using the same standards, processes, and voting equipment used in a regular election in the county.
(4) A plan for providing voter registration and preregistration opportunities for eligible students.
(5) A plan for offering students opportunities to participate in the conduct of elections in the county, including training, compensation, and time off.
(6) A plan for expenditure of grant funds over a period of at least three years.
(c) Awards of grants pursuant to the initial application process shall reflect a diversity of counties by size, demography, and geography and shall reflect a diverse set of approaches to promoting civic engagement and increasing voter participation.
(d) For each year that the program is conducted, the registrar of voters receiving a grant pursuant to this chapter shall evaluate the program and report the results of the evaluation to the Legislature and the Secretary of State. The report shall include statistics relating to the cost of conducting the mock elections, student participation on each campus disaggregated by grade level, the number of students who registered or preregistered to vote as a result of the program, and any other benefits
or problems that arose. A participating registrar of voters may partner with a California public postsecondary educational institution to compile the report required by this subdivision.
(e) Expenses associated with the contracts entered into pursuant to this section shall be paid with moneys appropriated from the fund.
(f) Grants pursuant to the initial application shall be for a minimum of three years’ duration.
2754.
The Secretary of State may provide grants from the fund to local elections officials, nonprofit corporations, and unincorporated associations in eligible counties for the following purposes:(1) To conduct voter outreach and voter education programs, in accordance with the requirements of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (Public Law 107–252), using funds provided to the state pursuant to Sections 101 and 251 of that act.
(2) To increase accessibility for eligible voters with disabilities, in accordance with the requirements of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (Public Law 107–252), using funds provided to the state pursuant to Section 261 of that act.
(3) To effectuate the Voter Bill of Rights (Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 2300)), with a particular emphasis on educational programs in secondary schools in eligible counties.
(4) To implement the provisions of Chapter 704 of the Statutes of 1975.
(5) To implement Section 2105.
