AB 884

Bill Subjects

Abstract

Existing state and federal law, including the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, require the Secretary of State and county elections officials to provide language assistance to voters in order to access voting information, register to vote, and cast their votes at the polling place. Existing law requires a county elections official to provide a facsimile copy of the ballot with the ballot measures and ballot instructions printed in Spanish and other languages if the Secretary of State has determined that doing so is appropriate, as specified. This bill would, by March 1, 2025, and by March 1 of every subsequent year following a presidential election, require the Secretary of State to determine the number of residents of voting age in each county and precinct who are members of a single language minority group and who lack sufficient skills in English to vote without assistance, as specified. The bill would require that, by that same date, the Secretary of State make publicly available on the Secretary of State's internet website a list of languages used by single language minority groups, as specified. The bill would require, for each statewide election, the Secretary of State to provide, in identified languages, registration forms, voting notices, instructions, assistance, other materials, and information relating to the electoral process that the Secretary of State prepares in English, as specified. The bill would require the Secretary of State to provide a toll-free voter assistance hotline from 29 days before the day of the election until 5 p.m. on the day after the election that provides assistance in identified languages, as specified. The bill would require a county elections official in a county where a language is identified by the Secretary of State to provide, in identified languages, ballots, registration forms, voting notices, instructions, assistance, and other materials and information relating to the electoral process that the county elections official prepares in English, as specified. The bill would require a county elections official to establish a language accessibility advisory committee that includes representatives of language minority communities, as specified. The bill would require a county elections official to educate voters who have indicated a language preference and to make reasonable efforts to recruit elections officials who are fluent in an identified language. The bill would make conforming changes. By increasing the duties of county elections officials, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.