Elections.

(1) Existing law authorizes a county to conduct any election as an all-mailed ballot election if specified conditions apply. Those conditions include providing, on the day of the election and the 3 days preceding the election, at least one vote center for every 10,000 registered voters and providing, beginning 10 days before the election and continuing up to the 4th day before the election, at least one vote center for every 50,000 registered voters. Existing law authorizes counties to start to process vote by mail ballots on the 15th business day before an election. Under existing law, a vote by mail ballot is timely cast if it is postmarked or date stamped on or before election day and is received by the voter's elections official no later than 3 days after election day. This bill would authorize a county that has previously conducted an all-mailed ballot election to conduct an all-mailed ballot election prior to January 1, 2022, if it provides, on the day of the election and the 3 days preceding the election, at least one vote center for every 30,000 registered voters and, beginning 10 days before the election and continuing up to the 4th day before the election, at least one vote center for every 60,000 registered voters. The bill would authorize a county that has not previously conducted an all-mailed ballot election to conduct an all-mailed ballot election using alternative procedures substantially similar to those in effect for the November 3, 2020, statewide general election, as specified. This bill would require counties to conduct a voter education and outreach campaign, as provided. The bill would require the Secretary of State to establish a process for granting counties partial waivers from requirements relating to the number, location, or operational duration of consolidated polling places or ballot drop-off locations and from requirements relating to the maximum number of voters in a precinct. The bill would authorize counties to start to process vote by mail ballots on the 29th day before an election. The bill would deem a vote by mail ballot timely cast if it is postmarked or date stamped on or before election day and is received by the voter's elections official no later than 7 days after election day. This bill would authorize a local government entity that previously called a special local election to consolidate that election with a gubernatorial recall election if certain conditions are met. This bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2022. To the extent these provisions impose new duties on county elections officials, the bill would create a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law requires the Department of Finance to estimate the costs of a recall election upon notification from the Secretary of State that voters have signed a recall petition in sufficient numbers to initiate a recall election. Existing law requires the Department of Finance to submit the cost estimate to the Governor, the Secretary of State, and the Chairperson of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee within 30 days of receiving that notice. Existing law prohibits the Secretary of State from certifying the sufficiency of the signatures until the Joint Legislative Budget Committee has had 30 days to review and comment on the Department of Finance's cost estimate. This bill would allow the Secretary of State to certify the sufficiency of the signatures before the Joint Legislative Budget Committee has had 30 days to review and comment on the estimate if the Legislature has appropriated funds it determines are reasonably necessary to conduct the recall election and has designated funds for that purpose in the Budget Act or another statute. The bill would make conforming changes. The bill would appropriate $35,000,000 from the General Fund to the Secretary of State to support statewide and county costs of the 2021 gubernatorial recall election, thereby making an appropriation. The bill would declare the intent of the Legislature to reevaluate the amount of that appropriation and other appropriations made to support the costs of the 2021 gubernatorial recall election. (3) Existing law requires recall elections to be conducted and canvassed, and the results to be declared, in substantially the manner provided by law for a regular election for the office subject to recall. Existing law authorizes any county to conduct a special election as an all-mailed ballot election if specified conditions apply. Existing law authorizes an elections official conducting a local, special, or consolidated election, or a statewide election other than the direct primary, presidential primary, or general election, to divide the territory into special election or consolidated election precincts by consolidating existing precincts, or otherwise, as specified, and authorizes the elections official to alter the precincts for those elections as often as occasion requires. This bill would require that the 2021 gubernatorial recall election be held as a regular election, and that the provisions described above relating to all-mailed ballot special elections and changing or altering election precincts do not apply. (4) 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. (5) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as a bill providing for appropriations related to the Budget Bill.