Article 3.5. Student Voter Registration of California Elections Code >> Division 2. >> Chapter 2. >> Article 3.5.
This article shall be known and may be cited as the Student
Voter Registration Act of 2003.
(a) The Secretary of State shall annually provide every high
school, community college, and California State University and
University of California campus with voter registration forms. The
Secretary of State shall provide additional forms to a school, free
of charge, if so requested by a school.
(b) The Secretary of State shall provide a written notice with
each registration form describing eligibility requirements and
informing each student that he or she may return the completed form
in person or by mail to the elections official of the county in which
the student resides or to the Secretary of State.
(c) (1) (A) Every community college and California State
University campus that operates an automated class registration
system on or before January 1, 2008, shall, through an automated
program, in coordination with the Secretary of State, permit
students, during the class registration process, to apply to register
to vote online by submitting an affidavit of voter registration
electronically on the Internet Web site of the Secretary of State.
(B) A community college or California State University campus that
does not operate an automated class registration system on or before
January 1, 2008, shall, within two years of implementing an
automated class registration system, through an automated program in
coordination with the Secretary of State, permit students, during the
class registration process, to apply to register to vote online by
submitting an affidavit of voter registration electronically on the
Internet Web site of the Secretary of State.
(2) As soon as a community college or California State University
or University of California campus complies with paragraph (1), the
Secretary of State may continue, at his or her discretion, to provide
the campus with voter registration forms unless the campus requests
not to receive the voter registration forms.
(3) The University of California is encouraged to comply with this
subdivision.
(d) The Secretary of State shall submit to the Legislature, on or
before January 1 of each year, a report on its student voter
registration efforts pursuant to this article. This report shall
include estimates as to how many voter registration forms were sent
to high schools, community colleges, and California State University
and University of California campuses; how many voter registration
forms were submitted; and how many electronic affidavits of voter
registration were submitted by students pursuant to subdivision (c).
(e) It is the intent of the Legislature that every eligible high
school and college student receive a meaningful opportunity to apply
to register to vote. It is also the intent of the Legislature that
every school do all in its power to ensure that students are provided
the opportunity and means to apply to register to vote. This may
include providing voter registration forms at the start of the school
year, including voter registration forms with orientation materials;
placing voter registration forms at central locations, including
voter registration forms with graduation materials; or providing
hyperlinks to, and the Internet Web site address of, the Secretary of
State's electronic voter registration system in notices sent by
electronic mail to students and placed on the Internet Web site of
the high school, college, or university.
(a) Every high school, community college, and California
State University campus shall designate a contact person and provide
his or her address, telephone number, and e-mail address, when
possible, to the Secretary of State for the Secretary of State to
contact in order to facilitate the distribution of voter registration
cards, as provided under this article.
(b) The University of California is encouraged to comply with this
subdivision.