§ 14300 Emergency Paper Ballot Requirements

This law says election officials must keep a certain number of paper ballots ready as a backup when they use electronic voting machines.

Key Takeaways

•Election officials must keep paper ballots as a backup for electronic voting.
•The amount of paper ballots depends on the type of election: 10% for statewide general elections, 5% for most other elections, and special 5% rules for primaries.
•The voter count used for the calculation is the registration list from 88 days before the election.
•Voters can ask for a paper ballot anytime, as long as there are still ballots left.
•Provisional paper ballots count the same as regular ballots.

Example

A precinct has 2,000 registered voters and is holding a statewide general election.

The law requires the precinct to have at least 10% of those voters' paper ballots on hand, so they must keep at least 200 paper ballots ready in case the electronic machines fail.

How to Calculate

Paper ballots required = Percentage × Number of registered voters (as of 88 days before the election)

Find the number of registered voters in the precinct (based on the list from 88 days before the election).
Choose the correct percentage: 10% for a statewide general election, 5% for other elections, or the special 5% rule for primaries.
Multiply the percentage (as a decimal) by the number of registered voters.
Round up to the next whole ballot if the result isn’t a whole number.

Statewide general election with 2,000 registered voters.

Result: Paper ballots required = 0.10 × 2000 = 200 ballots

(a) In the case of an election for a state or federal office, each polling place using a direct recording electronic voting system, as defined by Section 19271, the elections official shall provide paper ballots equivalent to the following percentages: (1) For a statewide general election, no less than 10 percent of the registered voters in the polling place. (2) For a statewide direct primary election, for each partisan ballot form for which at least 10 percent of the registered voters in the polling place are eligible to request, no less than 5 percent of the registered voters in the precinct eligible to request that ballot form at the polling place. For nonpartisan voters, the total number of paper ballots among all ballot forms that they are eligible to request shall be no less than 5 percent of registered nonpartisan voters at the polling place. (3) For any other state or federal election contest, no less than 5 percent of registered voters at the polling place. (4) For purposes of this section, the number of registered voters shall be based on the registration on the 88th day prior to the day of the election. (b) The elections official shall establish procedures for the use of the paper ballots described in this section in the event the direct recording electronic voting system becomes nonfunctional. (c) Upon request, the precinct board shall provide a paper ballot to a voter, regardless of the availability of the direct recording electronic voting system, as long as supplies remain available. (d) The paper ballots described in this section may consist of provisional ballots. (e) Any vote cast on a provisional ballot subject to this section by an otherwise qualified voter shall be counted as a regular ballot and shall not be subject to the requirements of Section 14310. (f) In elections conducted using voter centers, the elections official shall provide a sufficient amount of ballot stock to be used for printing ballots in each vote center. (Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 806, Sec. 63. (SB 286) Effective January 1, 2018.)

This law says election officials must keep a certain number of paper ballots ready as a backup when they use electronic voting machines.

Key Takeaways

•Election officials must keep paper ballots as a backup for electronic voting.
•The amount of paper ballots depends on the type of election: 10% for statewide general elections, 5% for most other elections, and special 5% rules for primaries.
•The voter count used for the calculation is the registration list from 88 days before the election.
•Voters can ask for a paper ballot anytime, as long as there are still ballots left.
•Provisional paper ballots count the same as regular ballots.

Example

A precinct has 2,000 registered voters and is holding a statewide general election.

The law requires the precinct to have at least 10% of those voters' paper ballots on hand, so they must keep at least 200 paper ballots ready in case the electronic machines fail.

How to Calculate

Paper ballots required = Percentage × Number of registered voters (as of 88 days before the election)

Find the number of registered voters in the precinct (based on the list from 88 days before the election).
Choose the correct percentage: 10% for a statewide general election, 5% for other elections, or the special 5% rule for primaries.
Multiply the percentage (as a decimal) by the number of registered voters.
Round up to the next whole ballot if the result isn’t a whole number.

Statewide general election with 2,000 registered voters.

Result: Paper ballots required = 0.10 × 2000 = 200 ballots

Key Takeaways

Example

How to Calculate

Key Terms

References

§ 14300 Emergency Paper Ballot Requirements

Key Takeaways

Example

How to Calculate

Key Terms

References

Key Takeaways

Example

How to Calculate

Key Terms

Related Statutes

References

Key Takeaways

Example

How to Calculate

Key Terms

Related Statutes

References