SB 408: Voter registration: residency confirmation.
This bill would amend the Elections Code to require the secretary of state or county elections official to contract with the United States Postal Service or its licensees to obtain use of postal service change-of-address data in addition to mailing a postcard to each registered voter. This change aims to confirm voters' residency more efficiently. The bill would impose a state-mandated local program by requiring county elections officials to provide a higher level of service. If the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, the state would reimburse local agencies for those costs.
| Aug. 29, 2025 | August 29 hearing: Held in committee and under submission. |
| Jul. 16, 2025 | July 16 set for first hearing. Placed on APPR. suspense file. |
| Jul. 16, 2025 | July 16 set for first hearing. Placed on suspense file. |
| Jul. 02, 2025 | From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (July 2). Re-referred to Com. on APPR. |
| Jun. 05, 2025 | Referred to Com. on ELECTIONS. |
| Amended IN Senate April 03, 2025 |
| Introduced by Senator Choi |
February 14, 2025 |
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 2222 of the Elections Code is amended to read:2222.
In addition to mailing a residency confirmation postcard, as prescribed in subdivision (a) of Section 2220, the Secretary of State or a county elections official shall contract with the United States Postal Service or its licensees to obtain use of postal service change-of-address data, such as the National Change of Address System (NCOA) and Operation Mail. The data received by the Secretary of State pursuant to this section shall be shared with county elections officials through the statewide voter registration database.(a)In addition to mailing a residency confirmation postcard to each registered voter in the county, the county elections official shall include the return address of the county elections official’s office on the outside portion of the county voter information guide or county voter information guide envelope mailed to the voter for an election conducted within the last six months preceding the start of the confirmation process, along with the statements “Address Correction Requested” and “Notice: If the person named on the county voter information guide is not at the address, please help keep the voter rolls current and save taxpayer dollars by returning this county voter information guide to your mail carrier.”
(b)A voter not eligible for an election during the last six months preceding the start of the confirmation process, or a voter not mailed a county voter information guide with an address correction requested, shall have their address confirmed by either a residency confirmation postcard or an address verification mailing conducted pursuant to this article using NCOA/Operation Mail data pursuant to Section 2222 or consumer credit reporting agency data pursuant to Section 2227.
(a)If a voter has not voted in an election within the preceding four years, and the voter’s residence address, name, or party preference has not been updated during that time, the county elections official shall send an alternate residency confirmation postcard. The use of this postcard may be sent subsequent to NCOA or county voter information guide returns, but shall not be used in the residency confirmation process conducted under Section 2220. The postcard shall be forwardable, including a postage-paid and preaddressed return form to enable the voter to verify or correct the address information, and shall be in substantially the following form:
“If the person named on the postcard is not at this address, PLEASE help keep the voter rolls current and save taxpayer dollars by returning this postcard to your mail carrier.”
“IMPORTANT NOTICE”
“According to our records you have not voted in any election during the past four years, which may indicate that you no longer reside in ____ County. If you continue to reside in California you must confirm your residency address in order to remain on the active voter list and receive election materials in the mail.”
“If confirmation has not been received within 15 days, you may be required to provide proof of your residence address in order to vote at future elections.”
(b)The use of a toll-free number to confirm the old residence address is optional. A change to a voter’s address shall be received in writing.
(c)A county using the alternate residency confirmation procedure shall notify all voters of the procedure in the county voter information guide or in a separate mailing.
(d)This section shall become inoperative on January 1, 2020, and, as of January 1, 2029, is repealed.
SEC. 4.SEC. 2.