Chapter 3. Permanent Vote By Mail Application And Procedures of California Elections Code >> Division 3. >> Chapter 3.

A voter who qualifies under this chapter shall be entitled to become a permanent vote by mail voter.

Any voter may apply for permanent vote by mail status. Application for permanent vote by mail status shall be made in accordance with Section 3001 or 3102. The voter shall complete an application, which shall be available from the county elections official, and which shall contain all of the following:
  (a) The applicant's name at length.
  (b) The applicant's residence address.
  (c) The address where the ballot is to be mailed, if different from the place of residence.
  (d) The signature of the applicant.

In lieu of executing the application set forth in Section 3201, any voter may execute a request for permanent vote by mail status by making a written request to the county elections official requesting the status. If a written request is received by the county elections official and it contains the information set forth in Section 3201, the elections official shall process that application in the manner provided in Section 3203.

(a) Upon receipt of an application for permanent vote by mail status, the county elections official shall process the application in the same manner as an application for a vote by mail ballot, or, in the case of an application made pursuant to Section 3102, in the same manner as an application for a special absent voter ballot or overseas ballot.
  (b) In addition to processing applications in accordance with Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 3000), if it is determined that the applicant is a registered voter, the county elections official shall do the following:
  (1) Place the voter's name upon a list of those to whom a vote by mail ballot is sent each time there is an election within their precinct.
  (2) Include in all vote by mail mailings to the voter an explanation of the vote by mail procedure and an explanation of Section 3206.
  (3) Maintain a copy of the vote by mail ballot list on file open to public inspection for election and governmental purposes.

The county elections official shall send a copy of the list of all voters who qualify as permanent vote by mail voters to each city elections official or district elections official charged with the duty of conducting an election within the county. The list shall be sent by the sixth day before an election.

(a) Vote by mail ballots mailed to, and received from, voters on the permanent vote by mail voter list are subject to the same deadlines and shall be processed and counted in the same manner as all other vote by mail ballots.
  (b) Prior to each partisan primary election, county elections officials shall mail to every voter who has declined to disclose a preference for a political party whose name appears on the permanent vote by mail voter list a notice and application regarding voting in the primary election. The notice shall inform the voter that he or she may request a vote by mail ballot for a particular political party for the primary election, if that political party adopted a party rule, duly noticed to the Secretary of State, authorizing these voters to vote in their primary. The notice shall also contain a toll-free telephone number, established by the Secretary of State, that the voter may call to access information regarding which political parties have adopted such a rule. The application shall contain a checkoff box with a conspicuously printed statement that reads substantially similar to the following: "I have declined to disclose a preference for a qualified political party. However, for this primary election only, I request a vote by mail ballot for the ____ Party." The name of the political party shall be personally affixed by the voter.

A voter whose name appears on the permanent vote by mail voter list shall remain on the list and shall be mailed a vote by mail ballot for each election conducted within the precinct in which he or she is eligible to vote. If the voter fails to return an executed vote by mail ballot in four consecutive statewide general elections in accordance with Section 3017, the voter's name shall be deleted from the list.