Voting by mail: identification envelopes.

Existing law requires an elections official to mail to each registered voter all supplies necessary for the use and return of a ballot, including an identification envelope, by specified deadlines before each election. This bill would require any perforation, hole, window, or other opening in an identification envelope to be located not less than one-half inch from any fillable field on the ballot, as measured when the ballot is fully inserted into the envelope according to instructions provided to the voter. The bill would require the Secretary of State to adopt regulations implementing the section. The bill would apply to all elections conducted on or after January 1, 2028. By imposing new duties on local elections officials, the bill would create 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.