Senate elections committee advances several election bills but rejects vote-by-mail opt‑in measure SB335

At a session of the California State Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee, members advanced multiple election-related bills to the Senate Appropriations Committee and the Senate Education Committee and rejected SB335, a proposal to make vote-by-mail an opt-in system.

SB335, which would have required voters to request a vote‑by‑mail ballot rather than receive one automatically, failed on a 1‑4 committee vote. Senator Tom (Strickland) (presenting the bill) said, “SB335 is a simple bill. It requires that voters must request a vote by mail ballot or apply to become a permanent vote by mail voter,” and described finding “6 to 7 live ballots” in a Huntington Beach PO box as motivating the measure. He argued the bill would improve voter confidence by reducing opportunities for improper collection of ballots.

Opponents, led by Dora Rose, deputy director of the League of Women Voters of California, argued the change would roll back recent expansions in ballot access. Rose told the committee that “the right to vote is foundational,” and said voting by mail and the Voter’s Choice Act have increased participation and accessibility, citing that roughly 80% of California voters cast ballots by mail in recent elections.

Other bills on the committee’s agenda moved forward. The panel approved, by recorded votes, measures requiring clearer processes for signature collecting and curing, expanded language access for ballots, faster disclosure of post‑election signature‑curing expenditures, limits on some local campaign contributions, a clarification to behest‑payment reporting for officials encouraging charitable giving, and a high‑school preregistration measure. Key…