Dear Governor Brown:

The League of Women Voters of California is pleased to support AB 293 (Hill) and respectfully requests your signature on this bill.

AB 293 would require each county elections office to establish a free access system by which a vote by mail (VBM) voter can find out whether his or her ballot was counted and, if not, the reason why it was not.

Current state law requires that counties provide online or toll-free telephone access procedures so that vote-by-mail voters can find out whether their ballot has been received. AB 293 will make it possible for them also to find out whether their ballot was counted and if not, why not. This simple addition to our election procedures will increase voters’ confidence in our voting process. It will also address the problem that some voters may have repeatedly submitted their ballots too late or with signatures that, because of advancing age, do not match their registration records. These voters will finally realize the need to correct the problem in order for their votes to count in future elections.

The system required by AB 293 is already in place for Californians who vote a provisional ballot. Thus, we believe that the expense of implementing AB 293 will not be a burden to the counties. We note that both Secretary of State Debra Bowen and the California Association of Clerks and Elected Officials support this bill.

The League of Women Voters has long worked to protect the right of all citizens to vote and to encourage all citizens to exercise that right. We believe in the power of the vote, and further believe that government has the responsibility to protect the right to vote through regulations and procedures that safeguard the voting process and encourage an informed and active electorate. We urge you to sign AB 293.

Sincerely,

Jennifer A. Waggoner
President

cc: Assembly Member Jerry Hill

Subject

AB 293 Support Vote-by-Mail Verification