Technology (Elections)

AB 499 requires county clerks to create online voter services portals where registered voters can check registration details, print update forms, view sample ballots, and find polling locations or drop boxes. It mandates the Department of Motor Vehicles to electronically share driver’s license and ID information with counties to update voter databases, with this data protected as confidential. The bill also requires mail ballot return envelopes to include a QR code linking to the portal and changes signature verification rules for mail ballots, allowing voters to include ID details to simplify signature matching. These provisions directly affect voters, county clerks, and the DMV by modernizing voter registration data management and mail ballot processing.

AB 271 prohibits the use of artificial intelligence in voting equipment, ballot processing, and counting systems. It requires disclosures for any AI-generated election-related content (e.g., ads advocating for candidates or ballot measures) and bans the distribution of deceptive deepfakes of candidates within 90 days of an election, with limited exceptions for news coverage, satire, and verified disclaimers. The bill directly affects election technology vendors, political advertisers, and content creators, mandating transparency and restricting AI-generated misinformation during elections. Key provisions define "synthetic media" and "deceptive deepfakes" to clarify enforcement.