The Assembly on Thursday OK'd a bill by Assemblywoman Bonnie Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, that would make it easier for overseas American troops to mail in their election ballots.
"I'm very happy this bill passed so close to Memorial Day," Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, said of Assembly Bill 1340. "These are people who are absolutely in harm's way on our behalf. Counting their votes is the very least we can do."
AB 1340 would require election officials to count the ballots of active-duty military and other Americans overseas, as long as absentee ballots are postmarked on or before election days. Ballots must arrive within 10 days of an election.
"Our service people can't control the pace of the mail," said Lowenthal. "But there are things we can do, and passing this bill is one of them."
Eighteen states have provisions similar to those in AB 1340, which was sponsored by California Secretary of State Debra Bowen.
In 2004, the Legislature approved a law that allows overseas voters to fax in their ballot. That option would remain in effect, but mailed ballots can offer a greater sense of privacy to the voters.
In a cliffhanger election the law could postpone the preliminary outcome of an election. However, election officials generally spend up to a month certifying an election after it takes place and the 10-day window falls into that period.
The bill requires approval in the Senate.
