AB1249 - Early voting: satellite locations.

Assembly Bill No. 1249 CHAPTER 296 An act to amend Section 319.5, 3016.5, 18370, 18502, 18540, and 18541 of, to add Section 3016.3 to, and to repeal Section 3018 of, the Elections Code, and to amend Section 66852 of the Education Code, relating to elections. [ Approved by Governor October 03, 2025. Filed with Secretary of State October 03, 2025. ] LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1249, Wilson. Early voting: satellite locations. Existing law requires an elections official, no later than 29 days before the day of an election, to begin mailing vote by mail ballots to registered voters. Existing law permits a voter using a vote by mail ballot to vote the ballot at the office of the elections official, including satellite locations, before the close of polls on election day. Existing law requires the elections official to provide notice of a satellite location by issuing a general news release no later than 14 days before voting at the satellite location may occur. Existing law requires a vote by mail ballot voted at a satellite location pursuant to the above provisions to be placed in a vote by mail voter identification envelope for processing, except as specified. This bill would permit a voter using a vote by mail ballot, no later than 29 days before the day of an election, to vote the ballot at the office of the elections official or a satellite location. For a statewide election, if the county does not conduct an all-mailed ballot election, as specified, the bill would require the county to provide at least one early voting location on the Saturday before the day of the election that is open for at least 6 hours. The bill would require the early voting location to permit the voter to return their vote by mail ballot, register to vote, receive and vote a provisional ballot, and receive a replacement ballot, among other requirements. The bill would repeal the above requirement that the voter use a voter identification envelope when voting their vote by mail ballot at the satellite location. The bill would repeal the above requirement that the elections official issue a news release regarding satellite locations, and instead require the elections official to provide notice of a satellite location not later than two weeks before voting may occur at the satellite location. 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. Digest Key Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: YES Bill Text The people of the State of California do enact as follows: SECTION 1. Section 319.5 of the Elections Code is amended to read: 319.5. (a) “Electioneering” means the visible display or audible dissemination of information that advocates for or against any candidate or measure on the ballot within the 100 foot limit specified in subdivision (b). Prohibited electioneering information or activity includes, but is not limited to, any of the following: (1) A display of a candidate’s name, likeness, or logo. (2) A display of a ballot measure’s number, title, subject, or logo. (3) Buttons, hats, pencils, pens, shirts, signs, or stickers containing electioneering information. (4) Dissemination of audible electioneering information. (5) Obstructing access to, loitering near, or disseminating visible or audible electioneering information at vote by mail ballot drop boxes. (b) The activities described in subdivision (a) are prohibited within 100 feet of either of the following: (1) The entrance to a building that contains a polling place as defined by Section 338.5, an elections official’s office, or a satellite location. (2) An outdoor site, including a curbside voting area, at which a voter may cast or drop off a ballot. SEC. 2. Section 3016.3 is added to the Elections Code, to read: 3016.3. (a) No later than 29 days before the day of the election, any voter using a vote by mail ballot may, prior to the close of the polls on election day, vote the ballot at the office of the elections official or a satellite location. The voter shall vote the ballot in the presence of an officer of the elections official or in a voting booth, at the discretion of the elections official, but in no case may their vote be observed. (b) For a statewide election, a county that does not conduct an election pursuant to Section 4005 shall provide at least one early voting location on the Saturday before the day of the election that is open for a minimum of six hours. (c) (1) For purposes of subdivisions (a) and (b), the elections official shall do all of the following: (A) Provide at least one voting unit that is certified or conditionally approved by the Secretary of State to allow voters with disabilities the access required under the federal Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. Sec. 20901 et seq.). (B) Permit a voter to vote their vote by mail ballot as provided in Section 3016.5. (C) Provide notice of any satellite location not later than two weeks before voting may occur at the satellite location. (2) For purposes of the early voting location described in subdivision (b), the elections official shall also permit a voter to do all of the following: (A) Return the voter’s vote by mail ballot. (B) Register to vote, update the voter’s voter registration, and vote pursuant to Section 2170. (C) Receive and vote a provisional ballot pursuant to Section 3016 or Article 5 (commencing with Section 14310) of Chapter 3 of Division 14. (D) Receive a replacement ballot upon verification that a ballot for the same election has not been received from the voter by the county elections official. If the county elections official is unable to determine if a ballot for the same election has been received from the voter, the county elections official may issue a provisional ballot. (E) Vote a regular, provisional, or replacement ballot using accessible voting equipment that provides for a private and independent voting experience. SEC. 3. Section 3016.5 of the Elections Code is amended to read: 3016.5. (a) A voter may vote their vote by mail ballot, without the identification envelope, in person at the office of the county elections official, a satellite location, the polling place designated for the voter’s home precinct, or a vote center established pursuant to Section 4005, if all of the following conditions are met: (1) The county elections official or their staff, including any staff managing a satellite location, a precinct board, or a vote center election board, as applicable, has real-time access to the county elections official’s election management system, and does both of the following: (A) Verifies that the voter has not returned a vote by mail ballot for that election. (B) Changes the status of the voter in the election management system from a vote by mail voter to an in person voter. (2) After the voter’s status has been changed pursuant to subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1), the voter provides their name, address, and signature pursuant to Section 14216. (3) The county elections official has established procedures to ensure that a voter who casts a ballot pursuant to this subdivision does not submit more than one vote by mail ballot without the identification envelope, and the precinct board or vote center election board complies with those procedures. (b) A ballot cast pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be processed and counted in the same manner as a nonprovisional ballot cast in person at the polling place or vote center. (c) The elections official shall provide notice of any satellite location not later than two weeks before voting may occur at the satellite location. SEC. 4. Section 3018 of the Elections Code is repealed. SEC. 5. Section 18370 of the Elections Code is amended to read: 18370. (a) A person shall not, on election day, or at any time that a voter may be casting a ballot, within the 100 foot limit specified in subdivision (b), do any of the following: (1) Circulate an initiative, referendum, recall, or nomination petition or any other petition. (2) Solicit a vote or speak to a voter on the subject of marking the voter’s ballot. (3) Place a sign relating to voters’ qualifications or speak to a voter on the subject of the voter’s qualifications except as provided in Section 14240. (4) Do any electioneering as defined by Section 319.5. (b) The activities described in subdivision (a) are prohibited within 100 feet of either of the following: (1) The entrance to a building that contains a polling place as defined by Section 338.5, an elections official’s office, or a satellite location. (2) An outdoor site, including a curbside voting area, at which a voter may cast or drop off a ballot. (c) A person shall not, on election day, or at any time that a voter may be casting a ballot, do any of the following within the immediate vicinity of a voter in line to cast a ballot or drop off a ballot: (1) Solicit a vote. (2) Speak to a voter about marking the voter’s ballot. (3) Disseminate visible or audible electioneering information. (d) Any person who violates any of the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor. SEC. 6. Section 18502 of the Elections Code is amended to read: 18502. (a) Any person who in any manner interferes with the officers holding an election or conducting a canvass, as to prevent the election or canvass from being fairly held and lawfully conducted, or with the voters lawfully exercising their rights of voting at an election, is punishable by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 of the Penal Code for 16 months or two or three years. (b) For purposes of this section, “officers holding an election or conducting a canvass” include, but are not limited to, the Secretary of State as the chief elections officer, and their staff, as it relates to performance of any of their duties related to administering the provisions of the Elections Code, and elections officials and their staff, including temporary workers and poll workers, and members of a precinct board, in their performance of any duty related to assisting with holding an election or conducting a canvass. (c) For purposes of this section, “holding an election or conducting a canvass” includes, but is not limited to, the election observation process governed by the Elections Code and applicable regulations adopted by the Secretary of State. (d) For purposes of this section, “voting at an election” includes, but is not limited to, voting in person at a polling place, the office of the elections official, and satellite locations, and voting by mail and returning a voted ballot pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 3017. SEC. 7. Section 18540 of the Elections Code is amended to read: 18540. (a) Every person who makes use of or threatens to make use of any force, violence, or tactic of coercion or intimidation, to induce or compel any other person to vote or refrain from voting at any election or to vote or refrain from voting for any particular person or measure at any election, or because any person voted or refrained from voting at any election or voted or refrained from voting for any particular person or measure at any election is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 of the Penal Code for 16 months or two or three years. (b) Every person who hires or arranges for any other person to make use of or threaten to make use of any force, violence, or tactic of coercion or intimidation, to induce or compel any other person to vote or refrain from voting at any election or to vote or refrain from voting for any particular person or measure at any election, or because any person voted or refrained from voting at any election or voted or refrained from voting for any particular person or measure at any election is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 of the Penal Code for 16 months or two or three years. (c) For purposes of this section, “voting at any election” includes, but is not limited to, voting in person at a polling place, the office of the elections official, and satellite locations, and voting by mail and returning a voted ballot pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 3017. SEC. 8. Section 18541 of the Elections Code is amended to read: 18541. (a) A person shall not, with the intent of dissuading another person from voting, within the 100 foot limit specified in subdivision (b), do any of the following: (1) Solicit a vote or speak to a voter on the subject of marking the voter’s ballot. (2) Place a sign relating to voters’ qualifications or speak to a voter on the subject of the voter’s qualifications except as provided in Section 14240. (3) Photograph, video record, or otherwise record a voter entering or exiting a polling place. (4) Obstruct ingress, egress, or parking. (b) The activities described in subdivision (a) are prohibited within 100 feet of either of the following: (1) The entrance to a building that contains a polling place as defined by Section 338.5, an elections official’s office, or a satellite location. (2) An outdoor site, including a curbside voting area, at which a voter may cast or drop off a ballot. (c) A person shall not, with the intent of dissuading another person from voting, do any of the following within the immediate vicinity of a voter in line to cast a ballot or drop off a ballot: (1) Solicit a vote. (2) Speak to a voter about marking the voter’s ballot. (3) Disseminate visible or audible electioneering information. (d) A violation of this section is punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for not more than 12 months, or in state prison. Any person who conspires to violate this section is guilty of a felony. SEC. 9. Section 66852 of the Education Code is amended to read: 66852. Each campus of the California Community Colleges and the California State University shall, and each campus of the University of California is requested to, do all of the following: (a) (1) In consultation with the Secretary of State, during the first month of each academic semester or quarter, distribute campuswide emails to all students providing the following civic and election dates and information: (A) National Voter Registration Day, held annually on the fourth Tuesday in September. (B) The last day to register to vote online or to register to vote by mail or in person. (C) The date when a county may begin to offer early voting at the office of the elections official or at a satellite location, pursuant to Section 3016.3 of the Elect [Text truncated for display. Full text available on Congress.gov.]