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HomeElections CodeDiv. 15Ch. 4Art. 6§ 15377 Vote By Mail Rejection Reporting

§ 15377 Vote By Mail Rejection Reporting

Elections Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 15377 Vote By Mail Rejection Reporting

This law makes the local elections official tell the Secretary of State how many mail‑in ballots were thrown out and why, within 31 days after the election, and then the Secretary puts that information online for all big state elections and certain special elections.

Key Takeaways

  • •Local elections officials must report rejected mail ballots and the reasons for rejection within 31 days of the election.
  • •The Secretary of State provides standard codes for the reasons and posts a report online.
  • •The online report covers every statewide election, recall elections for top state officials, and special elections for U.S. Senate, House, and state legislative seats.

Example

After a county election, the county clerk finds 75 mail‑in ballots were rejected because they were missing a signature. The clerk sends those numbers and the reason to the Secretary of State within 31 days.

The Secretary of State then adds those numbers to a public report on the state website that anyone can look at, showing why mail ballots were rejected in that election.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 15377 Vote By Mail Rejection Reporting

(a) The elections official shall identify and provide to the Secretary of State within 31 days of the election the number of vote by mail ballots rejected, categorized according to the reason for the rejection. The Secretary of State shall provide uniform vote by mail ballot rejection reason codes for each category of rejection to be used by elections officials for reporting under this section. (b) Upon receipt of the information described in subdivision (a), the Secretary of State shall publish a report containing the information for every statewide election, including a recall election for a state constitutional officer, Member of the State Senate, or Member of the State Assembly, and every special election to fill a vacancy for the office of Member of the United States Senate, Member of the United States House of Representatives, Member of the State Senate, and Member of the State Assembly on the Secretary of State’s internet website. (Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 437, Sec. 3. (AB 3184) Effective September 22, 2024.)

Last verified: January 10, 2026

Key Terms

vote by mail ballotsrejection reason codesSecretary of Statestatewide electionspecial election

Related Statutes

  • § 15321 Mail Ballot Precinct Tabulation
  • § 15375 Election Results Reporting Requirements
  • § 6822 Write-In Presidential Candidate Filing
  • § 7206 Party Committee Ex Officio Members
  • § 11301 Petition Signature Examination Rules

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Elections Code. Section 15377.
View Official Source