[EL] Quick answer appreciated: Mailing absentee ballot requests to all registered voters vs. Mailing vote-by-mail ballots to all registered voters

[David Becker]

"Active" and "inactive" voters are designation in the statewide voter registration database, in compliance with the NVRA. All voters start as active. I'm not exactly sure how CA does it, but if they're like most other states, if a mailing comes back as undeliverable, they may be moved to "inactive" where they will stay for at least two federal election cycles, after which time they can be removed from the lists. So an "active" voter is one that isn't "inactive" or otherwise suspended or cancelled.

David J. Becker | Executive Director and Founder
Center for Election Innovation & Research
1120 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 1040, Washington, DC  20036
(202) 550-3470 (mobile) | dbecker at electioninnovation.org<mailto:dbecker at electioninnovation.org>
www.electioninnovation.org<http://www.electioninnovation.org/> | @beckerdavidj

From: Mark Scarberry <mark.scarberry at pepperdine.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2020 2:26 PM
To: David Becker <dbecker at electioninnovation.org>; law-election at uci.edu
Subject: Re: [EL] Quick answer appreciated: Mailing absentee ballot requests to all registered voters vs. Mailing vote-by-mail ballots to all registered voters

My thanks to all of you who have responded. David, do you know how "active voter" will be defined?

Mark

Mark S. Scarberry
Professor of Law
Pepperdine University
Rick J. Caruso School of Law
________________________________
From: David Becker <dbecker at electioninnovation.org<mailto:dbecker at electioninnovation.org>>
Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2020 10:31:30 AM
To: Mark Scarberry <mark.scarberry at pepperdine.edu<mailto:mark.scarberry at pepperdine.edu>>; law-election at uci.edu<mailto:law-election at uci.edu> <law-election at uci.edu<mailto:law-election at uci.edu>>
Subject: RE: [EL] Quick answer appreciated: Mailing absentee ballot requests to all registered voters vs. Mailing vote-by-mail ballots to all registered voters


As I've confirmed with the Secretary of State's office, in California "registered voters" in this context means only active registered voters. Any voter in inactive status, or any other eligible voter, will have to go to a polling location to either activate their registration or register to vote in the first place, and they will receive a ballot to vote there.



David J. Becker | Executive Director and Founder

Center for Election Innovation & Research

1120 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 1040, Washington, DC  20036

(202) 550-3470 (mobile) | dbecker at electioninnovation.org<mailto:dbecker at electioninnovation.org>

www.electioninnovation.org<http://www.electioninnovation.org/> | @beckerdavidj



From: Law-election <law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu<mailto:law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu>> On Behalf Of Mark Scarberry
Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2020 12:28 PM
To: law-election at uci.edu<mailto:law-election at uci.edu>
Subject: [EL] Quick answer appreciated: Mailing absentee ballot requests to all registered voters vs. Mailing vote-by-mail ballots to all registered voters



California Gov. Newsom has ordered that actual ballots be mailed to all registered voters. If I recall correctly, a lot of list members who often disagree on absentee ballot issues agree that it is not wise to mail actual ballots to every registered voter.



Am I right? I think I recall Rick (Hasen) agreeing on that point, but I can't find the email or source. Didn't an earlier election integrity commission recommend against mailing actual ballots?



Sorry for the senior moment here.



I have a media request and don't want to get this wrong. I won't use anyone's name unless you give me permission or unless I"m pointed to something you've written about publicly (not just on this list -- I don't refer to anything anyone has said on an Internet list using their name)..



Mark





[Image removed by sender. Pepperdine wordmark]

Caruso School of Law

Mark S. Scarberry

Professor of Law
mark.scarberry at pepperdine.edu<mailto:mark.scarberry at pepperdine.edu>




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