A bill by Assemblywoman Bonnie Lowenthal that would extend the time American troops stationed overseas can cast ballots cleared a key committee Tuesday in Sacramento.
Assembly Bill 1340, the so-called "Help Our Troops Vote" bill, won a 7-0 vote in the Assembly Committee on Elections and Redistricting.
State law requires ballots sent by Armed Forces members stationed overseas to arrive by the close of voting on Election Day.
The Long Beach Democrat's bill would allow those ballots to be counted up to 10 days after polls close.
"They are fighting for our freedoms and our rights to have secret ballots, which doesn't happen everywhere in the world, and this would give them some extra time to cast their ballots," Lowenthal said in a phone interview from the state Capitol.
The bill would also apply to those serving in the Peace Corps, she said.
Though the extra 10 days could alter outcomes in a cliffhanger, the period falls within the 28-day window officials have to certify the outcome of a contest.
Lowenthal said Secretary of State Debra Bowen, who is a sponsor of the bill, suggested the 10-day period because it provides plenty of time to certify election results.
In a prepared statement, Bowen said, "This bill recognizes the real challenges faced by military and overseas voters, making it easier for these thousands of Californians to exercise their constitutional right to vote."
The law would also apply to California residents voting for president and in other federal elections, Lowenthal said.
Eighteen states have provisions similar or identical to those contained in AB 1340, Will Shuck, Lowenthal's chief of staff, wrote in an e-mail.
In 2004, the California Legislature approved a law that allows overseas voters to fax their ballots. That option would remain, however, mail is widely considered more private and secure than faxing.
