Bill Commons

CA SB 1420

enacted

Vote by mail ballots and early voting.

California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · upper

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Quick answers

Did CA SB 1420 pass?

Yes. CA SB 1420 has been enacted into law. Latest recorded action (2026-09-19): Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 342, Statutes of 2026.

What is CA SB 1420 about?

Existing law provides that no later than 29 days before the day of an election, a voter using a vote by mail ballot may, before the polls close, vote the ballot at the office of the elections official or a satellite location. Existing law provides that a voter may vote their vote by mail ballot, without the identification envelope, in person at the office of the county elections official, a satellite location, the polling place designated for the voter's home precinct, or a vote center, as specified. Existing law provides that for a statewide election, a county that does not conduct an all-mailed ballot election must provide at least one early voting location for at least 6 hours on the Saturday before election day. Existing law requires the Secretary of State to prepare and publish the state voter information guide containing specified information. This bill would require the Secretary of State to promulgate, and post on its internet website, regulations setting forth specified procedures that would allow a voter to vote their vote by mail ballot in person, including procedures to check in a voter, procedures to verify that the voter's vote by mail ballot is the correct ballot, procedures to ensure the secrecy of the voter's ballot, and procedures to ensure that a voter does not submit more than one vote by mail ballot without the identification envelope. The bill would require the Secretary of State, in promulgating these regulations, to take into consideration different voting technologies and systems used in other counties, and to consult with county registrars of voters and other election stakeholders. The bill would require the Secretary of State to include information about these vote by mail and early voting procedures in the state voter information guide. By imposing new duties on county elections officials, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Who sponsors CA SB 1420?

Richardson is the primary sponsor of CA SB 1420.

Description

Existing law provides that no later than 29 days before the day of an election, a voter using a vote by mail ballot may, before the polls close, vote the ballot at the office of the elections official or a satellite location. Existing law provides that a voter may vote their vote by mail ballot, without the identification envelope, in person at the office of the county elections official, a satellite location, the polling place designated for the voter's home precinct, or a vote center, as specified. Existing law provides that for a statewide election, a county that does not conduct an all-mailed ballot election must provide at least one early voting location for at least 6 hours on the Saturday before election day. Existing law requires the Secretary of State to prepare and publish the state voter information guide containing specified information. This bill would require the Secretary of State to promulgate, and post on its internet website, regulations setting forth specified procedures that would allow a voter to vote their vote by mail ballot in person, including procedures to check in a voter, procedures to verify that the voter's vote by mail ballot is the correct ballot, procedures to ensure the secrecy of the voter's ballot, and procedures to ensure that a voter does not submit more than one vote by mail ballot without the identification envelope. The bill would require the Secretary of State, in promulgating these regulations, to take into consideration different voting technologies and systems used in other counties, and to consult with county registrars of voters and other election stakeholders. The bill would require the Secretary of State to include information about these vote by mail and early voting procedures in the state voter information guide. By imposing new duties on county elections officials, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Introduced
2026-02-20
Latest action
2026-09-19 — Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 342, Statutes of 2026.
Bill type
bill
Last updated
—

Subjects

Sponsors

  • Richardsonauthor

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

Newest first

  1. 2026-09-19

    Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 342, Statutes of 2026.

    became-law

  2. 2026-09-19

    Approved by the Governor.

    executive-signature

  3. 2026-09-04

    Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.

    executive-receipt

  4. 2026-08-27

    Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 39. Noes 0.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.

    amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  5. 2026-08-25

    Ordered to special consent calendar.

  6. 2026-08-13

    In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.

  7. 2026-08-13

    Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. Ordered to the Senate.

    amendment-passage,passage,reading-1,reading-3

  8. 2026-08-13

    Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. (Ayes 72. Noes 0. Page 6159.) Ordered to the Senate.

    amendment-passage,passage,reading-1,reading-3

  9. 2026-08-06

    Read second time. Ordered to consent calendar.

    reading-1,reading-2

  10. 2026-08-05

    From committee: Do pass. Ordered to consent calendar. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (August 5).

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  11. 2026-06-18

    Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee

  12. 2026-06-17

    From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (June 17).

    amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee

  13. 2026-05-26

    Referred to Com. on ELECTIONS.

    referral-committee

  14. 2026-05-20

    In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

    reading-1

  15. 2026-05-19

    Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. (Ayes 39. Noes 0. Page 4365.) Ordered to the Assembly.

    amendment-passage,passage,reading-1,reading-3

  16. 2026-05-18

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  17. 2026-05-14

    Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

    amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2

  18. 2026-05-14

    From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 7. Noes 0. Page 4276.) (May 14).

    amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  19. 2026-05-08

    Set for hearing May 14.

  20. 2026-04-20

    April 20 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.

  21. 2026-04-10

    Set for hearing April 20.

  22. 2026-04-07

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 0. Page 3755.) (April 7). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee

  23. 2026-03-26

    From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on E. & C.A.

    amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee

  24. 2026-03-16

    Set for hearing April 7.

  25. 2026-03-04

    Referred to Com. on E. & C.A.

    referral-committee

  26. 2026-02-23

    Read first time.

    reading-1

  27. 2026-02-23

    From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 23.

  28. 2026-02-20

    Introduced. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

    introduction,referral-committee

Versions

  • 02/20/26 - Introduced — 2026-02-20Compare
  • 03/26/26 - Amended Senate — 2026-03-26Compare
  • 05/14/26 - Amended Senate — 2026-05-14Compare
  • 06/18/26 - Amended Assembly — 2026-06-18Compare
  • 08/31/26 - Enrolled — 2026-08-31Compare
  • SB1420Compare
  • (document, no version)Compare

Documents

Votes

  • Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

    2026-04-07 · pass · 5-0

    Member-level votes (5)
    • Allen: yes
    • Choi: yes
    • Wiener: yes
    • Umberg: yes
    • Cervantes: yes
  • Placed on suspense file

    2026-04-20 · pass · 7-0

    Member-level votes (7)
    • Cervantes: yes
    • Dahle: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Cabaldon: yes
    • Grayson: yes
    • Richardson: yes
    • Seyarto: yes
  • Do pass as amended

    2026-05-14 · pass · 7-0

    Member-level votes (7)
    • Cervantes: yes
    • Seyarto: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Cabaldon: yes
    • Dahle: yes
    • Richardson: yes
    • Grayson: yes
  • 3rd Reading (Urgency Clause)

    2026-05-19 · pass · 39-0

    Member-level votes (40)
    • Weber Pierson: yes
    • Allen: yes
    • Cortese: yes
    • Hurtado: yes
    • Ochoa Bogh: yes
    • Wiener: yes
    • Limón: yes
    • Grayson: yes
    • Becker: yes
    • Cervantes: yes
    • Rubio: yes
    • McGuire: yes
    • Stern: yes
    • Smallwood-Cuevas: yes
    • Gonzalez: yes
    • Padilla: yes
    • Choi: yes
    • Durazo: yes
    • Cabaldon: yes
    • Arreguín: yes
    • Strickland: yes
    • Umberg: yes
    • Alvarado-Gil: yes
    • Ashby: yes
    • Menjivar: yes
    • Jones: yes
    • Laird: yes
    • Valladares: yes
    • Blakespear: yes
    • Archuleta: yes
    • Richardson: yes
    • McNerney: yes
    • Pérez: yes
    • Caballero: yes
    • Dahle: yes
    • Reyes: yes
    • Grove: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Seyarto: yes
    • Niello: other
  • Do pass as amended, and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar

    2026-06-17 · pass · 7-0

    Member-level votes (7)
    • Stefani: yes
    • Bennett: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Lackey: yes
    • Berman: yes

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

Attribution

Data from openstates_api_sync, retrieved 2026-09-21T20:02:07.756944Z

Inspect retained evidence for changes recorded after evidence tracking began:

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