California Code of Regulations
Title 2 - Administration
Division 7 - Secretary of State
Chapter 8.3 - Petition Processing, Signature Verification, Ballot Processing, and Ballot Counting
Article 3 - Petition Signatures and Residence Addresses
Section 20931 - Residence Address
Universal Citation: 2 CA Code of Regs 20931
Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 38, September 20, 2024
(a) A petition signature shall be included in a raw count and the signature shall be subject to signature verification if:
(1) The
signer provides the correct house number and street name, but the apartment
field is either blank or contains a different letter or number than what is
reflected in the voter's registration record.
(2) The signer provides the correct house
number but abbreviates the street name or uses another name for the street, and
the elections official can determine the address.
(A) Example - 132 Hollywood B1. is written on
the petition, but the full name of the street is Hollywood Boulevard.
(B) Example - 1234 Hwy 49 (old street name)
is written on the petition, but the signer's residence address in the voter's
registration record is 1234 Coloma Road (new/current street
name).
(3) The signer
provides the correct street name and house number but omits or provides a
different fraction than what the signer's residence address in the voter's
registration record.
(4) The signer
provides a P.O. Box and a street address in the same box, if the street address
matches the residence address in the voter's registration record.
(5) The signer provides their previous
address and the current address and moved during the time the petition section
was circulated, and the voter was properly registered at one of the addresses
during the time the petition section was circulated.
(6) The signer provides their residence
address (street name, house number, and zip code), but fails to provide the
city.
(7) The signer provides their
residence address (street name and house number) but abbreviates or uses
another name for the city.
(A) Example of an
acceptable abbreviation for a city - 456 Main Street, CV, 12345 (on petition)
and 456 Main Street, Chula Vista, CA 12345 (in the signer's registration
record).
(B) Example of an
acceptable city name change - 123 Broadway Street, Hollywood, CA 12345 (on the
petition) and 123 Broadway Street, Los Angeles, CA 12345 (in the signer's
registration record).
(8)
The signer uses cursive writing in the space designated for the signer's
printed name, if the signer can be identified. However, if the signer cannot be
identified, the signature shall be included in the raw count, but the signature
shall not be subject to the signature verification.
(9) The signer either adds or omits a suffix
such as Jr. or II from either the petition or the voter's registration record,
as long as the signer provides the correct residence address.
(10) If the signer provides one of the
following non-traditional residence addresses, or provides a residence address
that differs from the residence address on the voter's registration record, but
is within the same nontraditional precinct:
(A) Native American Indian Reservation - If
the provided residence address is assigned by the tribe or a non-public agency
and the move is within the reservation. However, if the provided residence
address is assigned by a public agency and is listed in the official street
file or in the county elections management system, any change would invalidate
the provided residence address, and therefore the signature would not be
subject to signature verification.
(B) Marina or boat slip - If the provided
residence address is within the same marina.
(C) University - If the provided residence
address is in the same building or residence hall and has the same street
number.
(D) Military base - If the
provided residence address is a non-traditional address or equivalent. However,
if the provided residence address is a traditional address and is listed in the
official street file or in the county elections management system, any change
would invalidate the provided residence address and therefore the signature
would not be subject to signature verification.
(E) Mobile home park - If the provided
residence address is within the same mobile home park and contains the same
street number.
(11) If an
address change due to an address update label affixed by the United States
Postal Service (USPS) is made to a voter record after the petition is
circulated, and:
(A) The voter's address on
the petition is the same as the address provided via an address update label
affixed by the USPS and the registration effective date (or the transaction
date if the registration date was not updated by the transaction) is on or
before the date the voter signed the petition. However, if the voter's address
on the petition is the same as the address provided via an address update label
affixed by the USPS and the registration effective date (or the transaction
date if the registration date was not updated by the transaction) is after the
date the voter signed the petition, the elections official shall include the
signature in the raw count, but the signature shall not be subject signature
verification.
(B) The voter's
address on the petition is the different from the address provided via an
address update label affixed by the USPS, and the registration effective date
(or the transaction date if the registration date was not updated by the
transaction) is after the date the voter signed the petition. However, if the
voter's address on the petition is different from the address provided via an
address update label affixed by the USPS and the registration effective date
(or the transaction date if the registration date was not updated by the
transaction) is on or before the date the voter signed the petition, the
elections official shall include the signature in the raw count, but the
signature shall not be subject to signature verification.
(C) If the effective registration date change
in (A) or (B) occurred during the dates between which all the signatures to the
petition or paper were obtained as reported in the declaration signed by the
circulator of the petition, it shall be presumed that the voter signed the
petition with their previous address prior to the effective date of the address
change or signed with their new address after the effective date of the address
change.
(b) A petition signature shall be included in a raw count, but the signature shall not be subject to signature verification if:
(1) The signer provides a house number that
is different from their registered address. However, if the voter reregistered
with the new address by the day the petition is signed, then the signature
shall be subject to signature verification.
(2) The signer transposes the house number of
the residence address. However, if the signer signed the same petition twice,
but transposed the house number on one of the two signatures, the signature
with the correct information will be subject to signature verification, while
the other will be invalidated as unregistered (if the house number exists) or
as a duplicate (if the house number does not exist).
(3) The signer does not use their own
handwriting to write their name, residence address or signature, or that
information is preprinted prior to circulation. However, if the signer is
disabled and cannot print or sign their name or write their residence address,
or if the voter has a signature stamp that is the same as on the voter's
registration record, the signature is subject to signature verification. In
either case, a witness must also sign for the signature to be valid.
(4) The signer provides a P.O. Box only or
provides no address whatsoever. However, if the signer has no residence address
(for example, a homeless voter) and the signer provides the original
identifying information that placed them in a precinct, the signature shall be
subject to signature verification.
(5) The signer fails to provide the name of
the city and the zip code.
(6) The
signer has no residence address and provides cross streets on the petition that
do not match the cross streets on the voter's registration record.
(7) The signer is a pre-registered voter and
is not yet 18 years of age at the time of signing.
(A) If the pre-registered voter turned 18
during the dates between which all the signatures to the petition or paper were
obtained as reported in the declaration signed by the circulator of the
petition, it shall be presumed that the voter was 18 at the time of
signing.
1. New section filed 3-15-2022; operative 3-15-2022 (Register 2022, No. 11).
Note: Authority cited: Section 12172.5, Government Code. Reference: Sections 100, 100.5, 105, 354.5, 2102, 2150 and 9020, Elections Code; and Section 12172.5, Government Code.
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