2023 California Code › Elections Code - ELEC › DIVISION 3 - VOTE BY MAIL VOTING, NEW RESIDENT, AND NEW CITIZEN VOTING › CHAPTER 2 - Military and Overseas Voters Application and Voting Procedures › Section 3106.

3106. (a) A military or overseas voter who is living outside of the territorial limits of the United States or the District of Columbia, or is called for military service within the United States on or after the seventh day prior to the date of the election, may return their ballot by facsimile transmission. To be counted, the ballot returned by facsimile transmission shall be received by the voter’s elections official no later than the closing of the polls on election day and shall be accompanied by an identification envelope containing all of the information required by Section 3011 and an oath of voter declaration in substantially the following form:
“OATH OF VOTER
I,, acknowledge that by returning my voted
ballot by facsimile transmission I have waived my right to have my ballot
kept secret. Nevertheless, I understand that, as with any vote by mail
voter, my signature, whether on this oath of voter form or my identification
envelope, will be permanently separated from my voted ballot to maintain
its secrecy at the outset of the tabulation process and thereafter.
My residence address (last U.S. residence for voter qualification purposes) is(Street Address) _____ _____ (City) _____ _____ (ZIP Code).
My current mailing address is(Street Address) _____ (City) _____ _____ (ZIP Code).
My email address is _________________. My facsimile transmission
number is _________________.
I am a resident of __________ County, State of California, or am qualified
as an elector pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of Section 321 of
the Elections Code and I have not voted, nor intend to vote, a ballot from any other jurisdiction for the same election.
I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California that the foregoing is true and correct.
Dated this __________ day of ______, 20_____.
(Signature)
(voter)(power of attorney cannot be accepted)
YOUR BALLOT CANNOT BE COUNTED UNLESS YOU SIGN THE
ABOVE OATH AND INCLUDE IT WITH YOUR BALLOT AND
IDENTIFICATION ENVELOPE, ALL OF WHICH ARE RETURNED
BY FACSIMILE TRANSMISSION.”
(b) Notwithstanding the voter’s waiver of the right to a secret ballot, each elections official shall adopt appropriate procedures to protect the secrecy of ballots returned by facsimile transmission.
(c) Upon receipt of a ballot returned by facsimile transmission, the elections official shall determine the voter’s eligibility to vote by comparing the signature on the return information with the signature on the voter’s affidavit of registration or any signature permitted for comparison under Section 3019. The ballot shall be duplicated and all materials preserved according to procedures set forth in this code.
(d) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), a military or overseas voter who is permitted to return their ballot by facsimile transmission is, nonetheless, encouraged to return their ballot by mail or in person if possible. A military or overseas voter should return a ballot by facsimile transmission only if doing so is necessary for the ballot to be received before the close of polls on election day.
(Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 161, Sec. 20. (AB 2608) Effective August 22, 2022.)