Military or overseas voters.

Existing law regulates the voting procedures for special absentee voters, defined as members of the Armed Forces, citizens of the United States temporarily living outside of the territorial limits of the United States or District of Columbia, persons serving on a merchant vessel, and a spouse or dependent of a member of the Armed Forces. Existing law also regulates the voting procedures in federal elections with respect to a citizen of the United States residing outside of the territorial limits of the United States who was domiciled in California immediately prior to leaving the territorial limits of the United States. This bill would revise and recast those provisions, replacing the term "special absentee voter" with the term "military or overseas voter." Under the bill, the term "military or overseas voter" would apply to electors absent from the county in which he or she is otherwise eligible to vote. The term would include a citizen of the United States living outside of the territorial limits of the United States, whether temporarily or permanently, if the citizen was a resident of this state when he or she was last living within the territorial limits of the United States. The bill would also specify that a citizen of the United States born outside of the territorial limits of the United States whose parent or legal guardian was a resident of California when last living within the territorial limits of the United States, provided that the voter has never been registered to vote in another state, is an elector and therefore a resident for purposes of the constitution and other provisions of the Elections Code. This bill would apply the voting procedures for citizens of the United States living outside of the territorial limits of the United States in federal elections to military or overseas voters in all elections, including state and local elections. This bill would also state that it is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this bill to implement the policies of the Uniform Military and Overseas Voters Act, as adopted by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. This bill would provide new procedures for military or overseas voters to register to vote, to apply for voting ballots, and to vote. Specifically, this bill would, among other things, require unvoted voting materials to be electronically transmitted to a military or overseas voter, and would expand the use of the federal post card application and federal write-in absentee ballot in the state. Because this bill would impose additional duties on local elections officials, it 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 these statutory provisions.