Cal. Education Code - EDC 10.5. — CHAPTER 10.5. Student Civic and Voter Empowerment Act [66850. - 66852.] | Education Code - EDC — California

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 66850. Section 66850.

This chapter shall be known, and may be cited, as the Student Civic and Voter Empowerment Act.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 66851. Section 66851.

(a) Beginning January 1, 2020, the Secretary of State, in partnership with the California Community Colleges, the California State University, and the University of California, shall conduct a program to be known as the Student Civic and Voter Empowerment Program. (b) The Secretary of State shall evaluate and report to the Legislature, on or before January 1, 2021, and annually thereafter, the results of the program, including the number of students who registered as a result of the program, statistics relating to the outcome of the program, and any other benefits or problems that arose for the program.

Cal. Education Code - EDC § 66852. Section 66852.

Each campus of the California Community Colleges and the California State University shall, and each campus of the University of California is requested to, do all of the following: (a) (1) In consultation with the Secretary of State, during the first month of each academic semester or quarter, distribute campuswide emails to all students providing the following civic and election dates and information: (A) National Voter Registration Day, held annually on the fourth Tuesday in September. (B) The last day to register to vote online or to register to vote by mail or in person. (C) The date when a county may begin to offer early voting at the office of the elections official or at a satellite location, pursuant to Section 3016.3 of the Elections Code, and a statement that the date, times, and locations for early voting and conditional voter registration may be confirmed on the internet website of the Secretary of State or at the county elections office. (D) The primary and general election dates as provided in Chapter 4 of Division 0.5 of the Elections Code and Division 1 of the Elections Code. (E) A statement that, pursuant to Chapter 1 of Division 3 of the Elections Code, a voter may apply to vote by mail at any time until after the seventh day prior to an election, and that a vote by mail voter may vote in person at the office of the county elections official or at a satellite location established by the county elections official on or before the day of the election. (F) A link to the internet web page for the Secretary of State’s Students Vote Project, established pursuant to Section 2148.5 of the Elections Code. (2) In consultation with the Secretary of State, one month before each statewide election, distribute by campuswide emails to all students the dates and information specified in subparagraphs (A) through (F) of paragraph (1) and an internet website address link or unique Uniform Resource Locator (URL) link furnished by the Secretary of State’s office providing all of the following election information: (A) The Secretary of State’s internet web page for online voter registration. That website shall include a statement providing the information specified in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1). (B) The Secretary of State’s internet website address for election information. (C) The Secretary of State’s internet website address for the most current voter information guide, required to be prepared pursuant to Section 9082.7 of the Elections Code. (D) The Secretary of State’s internet website address for the voter registration status tool, or a similar web page that directs the recipient to voter or election information for the county of the recipient. (E) A disclaimer stating all of the following: (i) That the civic and election information provided applies to the county where the campus is located. (ii) That election information varies by county. (iii) That recipients of the email are encouraged to check the internet website containing the Secretary of State’s voter registration status tool, or a similar web page, to find election information for the county where the recipient’s voter registration is active. (3) Include in both printed and electronic academic calendars the dates specified in subparagraphs (A), (B), (C), and (D) of paragraph (1). (b) (1) Post on social media reminders to students, at least one day before each event occurs unless specified otherwise, of all of the following: (A) The early voting and conditional voter registration information specified in subparagraph (C) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a). (B) Election day, including a reminder the day before and the day of the election. The reminders shall state that a qualified voter may register to vote on the day of the election, if necessary, at a conditional voter registration site established by the voter’s county elections official. (C) After the emails required by paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) are sent, the voter information guide and county sample ballot information provided in that email. (2) For the purposes of this subdivision, the social media content can be furnished, or requested, by the Secretary of State. (c) (1) Designate one person per campus to act as a Civic and Voter Empowerment Coordinator, who shall do all of the following: (A) Implement the requirements of this section. (B) Ensure that, in every academic year, each campus holds a minimum of three election outreach events to increase civic learning, democratic participation, civic engagement, and voter turnout consistent with all of the following: (i) During an academic term in each even-numbered year, an outreach event shall occur within the final 30 days preceding each statewide primary and general election. (ii) All students shall be invited to participate in the coordination of and to attend these events. (iii) All events may be sponsored by a campus-based student organization. (C) Develop a Civic and Voter Empowerment Action Plan consistent with all of the following: (i) The coordinator shall invite leadership from faculty and students, and administrators from each of student affairs, academic affairs, and government relations or a similar office to participate in a meeting or meetings to develop the action plan. (ii) The action plan shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, a campus-specific effort to increase civic learning and democratic participation, with an emphasis on civic engagement, voter turnout, and community building. (iii) Students shall be invited to develop the action plan and to coordinate the meeting or meetings to develop the action plan. (D) The coordinator shall share the action plan developed pursuant to subparagraph (C) with the Secretary of State no later than December 1, 2020, for inclusion in the report to the Legislature submitted pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 66851. The action plan shall be periodically updated and resubmitted to the Secretary of State, as determined necessary by the coordinator. (2) The Civic and Voter Empowerment Coordinator shall be nonpartisan.