CA AB16

Elections officials may begin processing vote by mail ballot return envelopes and ballots on the date ballots are mailed, rather than waiting until 29 days before the election

Processing includes verifying voter signatures, updating voter history records, opening envelopes, removing and duplicating damaged ballots, and preparing ballots for machine reading

Vote counts cannot be accessed or released until 8 p.m. on election day, regardless of when processing begins

All vote by mail ballot processing must remain open to public observation, with 48 hours advance notice of processing dates, times, and locations

Observers from county grand juries, political party central committees, and other interested organizations may watch and challenge ballot handling procedures