ELECTION LAW

SB 503-Voting: ballots and signature verification.– Existing law requires an elections official, upon receiving a vote by mail ballot, to verify the signature on the identification envelope by comparing it with the signature on specified records within the voter's registration record, and outlines various methods of verification. This bill would:

1. Apply a presumption, for purposes of the comparison of signatures in the voter's registration record, that the signature on an identification envelope, signature verification statement, unsigned ballot statement, or provisional ballot envelope, is the voter's signature;
2. Specify that an exact signature is not required for an elections official to determine that the signature is valid and the fact that signatures share similar characteristics is sufficient to determine the signature is valid; 
3. Permit an elections official to reject a ballot only if the official determines beyond a reasonable doubt that a voter's signature does not compare to a signature in the voter's registration record.

This bill would delete verifying addresses on the vote by mail ballot return envelopes from the procedures that the observers may observe and challenge. In essence, this bill reduces the requirements to verify signatures on ballots.

Status:  Passed the Senate, in the Assembly & set for a hearing on June 30th. 

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL BILL

 CRIME

SB 299- Victim compensation: use of force by a law enforcement officer. 

Among other things, this bill would revise the definition of "crime" to include any public offense regardless of whether any person is arrested for, charged with, or convicted of the commission of the crime, in which an individual sustains serious bodily injury, as specified, or death because of a law enforcement officer's use of force, regardless of whether the law enforcement officer is arrested for, charged with, or convicted of committing a crime. The bill would include in the definition of "crime" an incident occurring on or after January 1, 2022, in which an individual sustains serious bodily injury, as specified, or death because of a law enforcement officer's use of force, regardless of whether the law enforcement officer is arrested for, charged with, or convicted of committing a crime. This bill would prohibit a determination made by the board as to the eligibility of a victim or applicant for compensation from being used as evidence that, among other things, any person committed a crime. In the case of a claim based on a victim's serious bodily injury or death that resulted from a law enforcement officer's use of force, as described above, the bill would further prohibit the eligibility determination from being used as evidence in any action, disciplinary investigation, or proceeding relating to the employment or duties of the law enforcement officer, as provided.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL BILL