Section 2208 Of Article 1. General Provisions From California Elections Code >> Division 2. >> Chapter 3. >> Article 1.
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. (a) A person is presumed competent to vote regardless of his
or her conservatorship status. A person shall be deemed mentally
incompetent, and therefore disqualified from voting, if, during the
course of any of the proceedings set forth below, the court finds by
clear and convincing evidence that the person cannot communicate,
with or without reasonable accommodations, a desire to participate in
the voting process, and any of the following apply:
(1) A conservator for the person or the person and estate is
appointed pursuant to Division 4 (commencing with Section 1400) of
the Probate Code.
(2) A conservator for the person or the person and estate is
appointed pursuant to Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 5350) of
Part 1 of Division 5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(3) A conservator is appointed for the person pursuant to
proceedings initiated under Section 5352.5 of the Welfare and
Institutions Code, the person has been found not competent to stand
trial, and the person's trial or judgment has been suspended pursuant
to Section 1370 of the Penal Code.
(4) A person has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, has
been found to be not guilty pursuant to Section 1026 of the Penal
Code, and is deemed to be gravely disabled at the time of judgment as
defined in paragraph (2) of subdivision (h) of Section 5008 of the
Welfare and Institutions Code.
(b) If the proceeding under the Welfare and Institutions Code is
heard by a jury, the jury shall unanimously find by clear and
convincing evidence that the person cannot communicate, with or
without reasonable accommodations, a desire to participate in the
voting process before the person shall be disqualified from voting.
(c) If an order establishing a conservatorship is made and in
connection with the order it is found by clear and convincing
evidence that the person cannot communicate, with or without
reasonable accommodations, a desire to participate in the voting
process, the court shall forward the order and determination to the
Secretary of State and the county elections official of the person's
county of residence in the format prescribed by the Secretary of
State.
(d) A person shall not be disqualified from voting pursuant to
this section on the basis that he or she does, or would need to do,
any of the following to complete an affidavit of voter registration:
(1) Signs the affidavit of voter registration with a mark or a
cross pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 2150.
(2) Signs the affidavit of voter registration by means of a
signature stamp pursuant to Section 354.5.
(3) Completes the affidavit of voter registration with the
assistance of another person pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section
2150.
(4) Completes the affidavit of voter registration with reasonable
accommodations.