Existing law requires elections officials to begin mailing ballots to every registered voter no later than 29 days before an election. Existing law authorizes a jurisdiction to begin processing vote by mail ballot return envelopes and, if the jurisdiction has the necessary computer capability, vote by mail ballots 29 days before an election.
This bill would authorize elections officials to begin processing vote by mail ballot return envelopes and vote by mail ballots on the date on which the ballots are mailed, thereby allowing elections officials to begin processing vote by mail return envelopes and ballots earlier than 29 days before an election.
This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 15104 of the Elections Code proposed by SB 3 to be operative only if this bill and SB 3 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.

Statutes affected:
AB16: 15101 ELEC, 15104 ELEC
12/02/24 - Introduced: 15101 ELEC, 15104 ELEC
04/21/25 - Amended Assembly: 15101 ELEC, 15104 ELEC
09/04/25 - Amended Senate: 15101 ELEC, 15104 ELEC, 15104 ELEC, 15104 ELEC
09/16/25 - Enrolled: 15101 ELEC, 15104 ELEC, 15104 ELEC
10/01/25 - Chaptered: 15101 ELEC, 15104 ELEC, 15104 ELEC