Story by Highland Community News
Sacramento, CA – The Assembly Elections Committee passed AB 363, authored by Assemblyman Marc Steinorth (R-Rancho Cucamonga) with unanimous bipartisan support. The measure, sponsored by San Bernardino County, allows counties to begin retrieving ballots from polling places before the polls have closed. Under current law, counties need to wait until polls have closed before ballots can be transported to election offices for counting.
In large counties like San Bernardino, the several hours required to transport ballots from the polling place to the central counting location, severely delays the ballot counting process. AB 363 provides flexibility for election officials to allot additional pick-up and transportation during Election Day.
“Allowing election officials to securely transport sealed ballot containers from the polling place at mid-day makes a big difference in terms of efficiency and cost savings,” said Steinorth. “This efficiency allows for cost savings because there will be less overtime and the citizenry will see election results posted sooner.”
AB 363 is supported by the California Association of Clerks and Election Officials, the California State Association of Counties, and the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Office. The measure will be considered in the Assembly Appropriations Committee in the next couple weeks.
Assemblyman Steinorth represents the 40th Assembly District which includes Rancho Cucamonga, San Bernardino, Highland, Loma Linda, and Redlands.
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