(a) If authorized by his or her county board of supervisors, a county elections official shall, upon application of a public safety officer, make confidential that officer’s residence address, telephone number, and email address appearing on the affidavit of registration, in accordance with the terms and conditions of this section.
(b) The application by the public safety officer shall contain a statement, signed under penalty of perjury, that the person is a public safety officer as defined in subdivision (f) and that a life-threatening circumstance exists to the officer or a member of the officer’s family. The application shall be a public record.
(c) The confidentiality granted pursuant to subdivision (a) shall terminate no more than two years after commencement, as determined by the county elections official. The officer may submit a new application for confidentiality pursuant to subdivision (a), and the new request may be granted for an additional period of not more than two years.
(d) Any person granted confidential voter status under subdivision (a) shall:
(1) Provide a valid mailing address and be considered a vote by mail voter for all subsequent elections or until the county elections official is notified otherwise by the Secretary of State or in writing by the voter. A voter requesting termination of vote by mail status thereby consents to placement of his or her residence address, telephone number, and email address in the roster of voters.
(2) The elections official, in producing any list, roster, or index, shall exclude voters with a confidential voter status.
(3) Within 60 days of moving to a new county, if available in the new county, apply for confidential voter status pursuant to subdivision (a). The elections official of the new county, upon notice of the confidential voter moving into the county, shall do all of the following:
(A) Contact the confidential voter and provide information regarding the application for confidential voter status in the new county.
(B) Honor the confidential voter status from the former county for 60-days from the date of notice.
(C) Pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (b), exclude the confidential voter in any list, roster, or index during the 60-day period.
(D) Remove the confidential voter status if the new voter has not obtained or cannot obtain confidential voter status pursuant to this section in the new county during the 60-day period.
(e) No action in negligence may be maintained against any government entity or officer or employee thereof as a result of the disclosure of the information that is the subject of this section unless by a showing of gross negligence or willfulness.
(f) “A public safety officer” has the same meaning as defined in subdivision (a), (d), (e), (f), or (j) of Section 6254.24 of the Government Code.
(Amended by Stats. 2015, Ch. 728, Sec. 37. (AB 1020) Effective January 1, 2016. Operative September 26, 2016, when the Secretary of State issued the certification prescribed by Stats. 2015, Ch. 728, Sec. 88.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018