BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 1249
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   May 23, 2001

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                              Carole Migden, Chairwoman

                    AB 1249 (Daucher) - As Amended:  May 1, 2001 

          Policy Committee:                               
          ElectionsVote:15-0 (Consent)

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          Yes    Reimbursable:              Yes

           SUMMARY  

          This bill: 

          1)Requires counties to include a postage-paid return envelope  
            with all absentee ballots until January 1, 2007 and requires  
            county elections officials to report to the Secretary of State  
            by January 2005 on the impact of the envelope on absentee  
            voting.  

          2)Requires the Secretary of State to report the above findings  
            to the Legislature by January 2006.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          1)Reimbursable General Fund costs exceeding $1 million per year  
            for absentee ballot postage on state elections.  (According to  
            the Secretary of State, there were over 2.7 million returned  
            absentee ballots for the November 2000 election, which at the  
            current postal rates would cost over $918,000.  However, more  
            people typically request an absentee ballot than actually  
            return them, so costs would be even higher.  There would be  
            additional postage costs for local and special elections.)

          2)Minor reimbursable costs (less than $100,000) for county  
            reports to the Secretary of State.

           COMMENTS  

           Background and Purpose  .  The absentee ballot program required by  
          the state and implemented by county election officials is a  
          fully reimbursable local mandate.  The only portion of the  








                                                                 AB 1249
                                                                  Page  2

          program not paid for by the state is the postage paid by voters  
          to return their absentee application and ballot. Minnesota and  
          Maine currently pay the cost for absentee ballots to be  
          returned. 

          According to the author, "[r]ecent substantial increases in  
          requests for absentee applications and the use of absentee  
          ballots shows that this form of voting helps voters to fit  
          voting into their busy lifestyles.  Simplifying the process for  
          voters to cast their votes should help to encourage  
          participation and increase voter turnout."
           
          Analysis Prepared by  :    Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916)319-2081