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California Code, Elections Code - ELEC § 2196

Current as of January 01, 2025 | Updated by Findlaw Staff

(a)(1) Notwithstanding any other law, a person who is qualified to register to vote and who has a valid California driver's license or state identification card may submit an affidavit of voter registration electronically on the Secretary of State's internet website.

(2) An affidavit submitted pursuant to this section is effective upon receipt of the affidavit by the Secretary of State if the affidavit is received on or before the last day to register for an election to be held in the precinct of the person submitting the affidavit.

(3) The affiant shall affirmatively attest to the truth of the information provided in the affidavit.

(4) The affidavit shall contain, before or at the time that the applicant affirmatively assents to the use of the applicant's signature pursuant to paragraph (5), a statement that the county elections official shall compare the affiant's signature appearing on an identification envelope for the return of a vote by mail ballot cast in a future election with the signatures appearing in the voter's registration record, including the signature appearing on the applicant's driver's license or state identification card.

(5) For voter registration purposes, the applicant shall affirmatively assent to the use of the applicant's signature from the applicant's driver's license or state identification card.

(6) For each electronic affidavit, the Secretary of State shall obtain an electronic copy of the applicant's signature from the applicant's driver's license or state identification card directly from the Department of Motor Vehicles.

(7) The Secretary of State shall require a person who submits an affidavit pursuant to this section to submit all of the following:

(A) The number from the person's California driver's license or state identification card.

(B) The person's date of birth.

(C) The last four digits of the person's social security number.

(D) Any other information the Secretary of State deems necessary to establish the identity of the affiant.

(8) Upon submission of an affidavit pursuant to this section, the electronic voter registration system shall provide for immediate verification of both of the following:

(A) That the applicant has a California driver's license or state identification card and that the number for that driver's license or identification card provided by the applicant matches the number for that person's driver's license or identification card that is on file with the Department of Motor Vehicles.

(B) That the date of birth provided by the applicant matches the date of birth for that person that is on file with the Department of Motor Vehicles.

(9) The Secretary of State shall employ security measures to ensure the accuracy and integrity of affidavits of voter registration submitted electronically pursuant to this section.

(b) The Department of Motor Vehicles shall use the electronic voter registration system required by this section to comply with its duties and responsibilities as a voter registration agency pursuant to the federal National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. Sec. 20501 et seq.).

(c) The Department of Motor Vehicles and the Secretary of State shall maintain a process and the infrastructure to allow the electronic copy of the applicant's signature and other information required under this section that is in the possession of the department to be transferred to the Secretary of State and to the county election management systems to allow a person who is qualified to register to vote in California to register to vote under this section.

(d) If an applicant cannot electronically submit the information required pursuant to paragraph (7) of subdivision (a), the applicant shall nevertheless be able to complete the affidavit of voter registration electronically on the Secretary of State's internet website, print a hard copy of the completed affidavit, and mail or deliver the hard copy of the completed affidavit to the Secretary of State or the appropriate county elections official.

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Cite this article: FindLaw.com - California Code, Elections Code - ELEC § 2196 - last updated January 01, 2025 | https://codes.findlaw.com/ca/elections-code/elec-sect-2196/

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