DEMYSTIFYING THE MYSTERIOUS: California’s Election Laws

Part 9: Same Day Registration

 

Another example of the over-the-top permissiveness of California’s electoral process is the Conditional Voter Registration, or “Same Day Registration” opportunity.

 

Done securely, with safeguards in place, Same Day Registration can increase voter turnout and give people who have recently moved or become eligible the opportunity to exercise their legal franchise.

 

But, again, California has taken a positive idea and turned it into another potential avenue for election corruption by eliminating reasonable safeguards.

 

  • In 2012, Same Day Registration at County Elections Offices was made mandatory.
    • This allowed only properly-trained elections officials to facilitate the process and to have immediate access to any resources needed.
  • In 2015, AB 1436 (Feuer) and SB 439 (Allen) expanded permission for same day registration and voting to satellite voting locations.
    • This distanced the process from direct oversight of the Elections Office.
  • In 2019, SB 72 (Umberg) made same day registration opportunities mandatory at all offices, satellites and polling locations.
    • This added yet another layer of complexity to the already demanding task of poll working.
    • This put same day registration in the hands of often inadequately-trained volunteers.

Just as with regular voter registration, same day registration in California, known as Conditional Voter Registration (CVR), requires NO physical identification requirement.

 

REPEAT

Same Day Registration in California

requires NO physical identification requirement.

 

Conditional Voter Registration (CVR) voters:

  1. fill out a ballot envelope that mirrors the traditional voter registration affidavit.
  2. seal and submit their voted ballot in the envelope.
    • This becomes their official voter registration affidavit.

Note: By law, the envelope must remain sealed and the ballot uncounted until the processing is completed.

 

The county elections office:

  1. processes the application through the State verification program.
  2. officially adds the new voter to the voter rolls, when the county receives the OK from the State.
  3. opens the envelope and counts the votes marked on the ballot inside.

The CVR procedure varies little from any other registration in that California does not require proof of identity or citizenship.

 

Would-be voters are asked to provide either the last 4 digits of their Social Security number or their driver’s license or California ID card number…

 

…but the registration is complete and viable

even if none of the above is provided.

 

Added to the CVR law in 2019 (AB 693, Berman) was the specification that:

  • if a voting location can establish a real-time connection with the statewide voter database (VoteCal), and
  • if the registrant cannot be found otherwise on that database

the applicant’s registration can be immediately confirmed and the ballot is not required to be submitted in an envelope for further review.

 

EIPCa’s data research team has proven that VoteCal is unreliable.

 

EIPCa mailed a research findings report with encrypted drive to the Department of Justice in January 2020.

 

But even if it were perfect, a check against VoteCal would only reveal that the would-be voter in question is not registered anywhere else in the state.

 

It would NOT

  • verify identity (comparing CDL/CA ID/SS#).
  • verify citizenship.
  • verify the residence address given aligns with the registrant’s name.
  • verify the address given is a legitimate residence address.

 

The logical conclusion is:

  • Either CVR voters are not held to the same scrutiny as other registrants, or
  • NO registrants are verified for that information.

Either way,

California has a considerable lack of safeguards

against several types of registration fraud.

 

California legislators are perfectly comfortable, in the name of “access” and “ease of voting,” to leave a wide-open door to illegal and fraudulent registration and voting!

pdf of article 

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Demystifying the Mysterious - Part 9: Same Day Registration     ©Election Integrity Project®California, Inc. copyrighted 2023