Section 2151 Of Article 4. Forms From California Elections Code >> Division 2. >> Chapter 2. >> Article 4.
2151
. (a) At the time of registering and of transferring
registration, an elector may disclose the name of the political party
that he or she prefers. The name of that political party shall be
stated in the affidavit of registration and the index.
(b) (1) The voter registration card shall inform the affiant that
an elector may decline to disclose a political party preference, but
a person shall not be entitled to vote the ballot of a political
party at a primary election for President of the United States or for
a party committee unless he or she has disclosed the name of the
party that he or she prefers or unless he or she has declined to
disclose a party preference and the political party, by party rule
duly noticed to the Secretary of State, authorizes a person who has
declined to disclose a party preference to vote the ballot of that
political party. The voter registration card shall further inform the
affiant that a registered voter may vote for any candidate at a
primary election for state elective office or congressional office,
regardless of the disclosed party preference of the registrant or the
candidate seeking that office or the refusal of the registrant or
candidate to disclose a party preference.
(2) The voter registration card shall include a listing of all
qualified political parties. As part of that listing, the voter
registration card shall also contain an option that permits the
affiant to decline to disclose a party preference. This option shall
be placed at the end of the listing of qualified political parties.
(c) A person shall not be permitted to vote the ballot of a party
or for delegates to the convention of a party other than the party
disclosed as preferred in his or her registration, except as provided
by Section 2152 or unless he or she has declined to disclose a party
preference and the party, by party rule duly noticed to the
Secretary of State, authorizes a person who has declined to disclose
a party preference to vote the party ballot or for delegates to the
party convention.
(d) As of the effective date of the statute that added this
subdivision, any voter who previously stated a political party
affiliation when registering to vote shall be deemed to have
disclosed that same party as his or her political party preference
unless the voter files a new affidavit of registration disclosing a
different political party preference or no political party
preference. Any voter who previously declined to state a party
affiliation shall be deemed to have declined to disclose a party
preference unless the voter files a new affidavit of registration
disclosing a different political party preference.
(e) The Secretary of State may continue to supply existing
affidavits of registration prior to printing new or revised forms
that reflect the changes required pursuant to any amendment made to
this section.