California Online Voter Registration

Elections Code Division 2, Chapter 2.5 provides online voter registration standards. Section 2196 provides that a person who is qualified to register to vote and who has a valid California driver’s license or state identification card may submit an affidavit of voter registration electronically on the Internet Web site of the Secretary of State.

An affidavit submitted is effective upon receipt of the affidavit by the Secretary of State if the affidavit is received on or before the last day to register for an election to be held in the precinct of the person submitting the affidavit.

For voter registration purposes, the applicant is required to affirmatively assent to the use of his or her signature from his or her driver’s license or state identification card. The Secretary of State is required to have a person who submits an affidavit to submit all of the following:

• The number from his or her California driver’s license or state identification card.

• His or her date of birth.

• The last four digits of his or her social security number.

• Any other information the Secretary of State deems necessary to establish the identity of the affiant.

The electronic voter registration system must provide for immediate verification of that the applicant has a California driver’s license or state identification card and that the number for that driver’s license or identification card provided by the applicant matches the number for that person’s driver’s license or identification card that is on file with the Department of Motor Vehicles, as well as that the date of birth provided by the applicant matches the date of birth for that person that is on file with the Department of Motor Vehicles.

The Secretary of State is required to employ security measures to ensure the accuracy and integrity of affidavits of voter registration submitted electronically pursuant to this section. The DMV and the Secretary of State must maintain a process and the infrastructure to allow the electronic copy of the applicant’s signature and other information required under this section that is in the possession of the DMV to be transferred to the Secretary of State and to the county election management systems to allow a person who is qualified to register to vote in California to register to vote under this section.

Section 2197 requires the California Health Benefit Exchange to implement a process and the infrastructure to allow a person who applies online with the California Health Benefit Exchange for service or assistance, or who submits a recertification, renewal, or change of address form relating to the service or assistance online, to submit an affidavit of voter registration electronically on the Internet Web site of the Secretary of State in accordance with this chapter.

Section 2198 requires each Internet Web site be maintained by the state to include a hyperlink on the site’s homepage to the online voter registration page of the Internet Web site of the Secretary of State.