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

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 28, July 12, 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.