Senator Fran Pavley has introduced legislation that would require counties to designate certain state higher education campuses as their own elections precincts.
While current law gives local elections officials discretion in establishing voting precincts and locating polling places, Senate Bill 267 would require counties to designate University of California, California State University and state junior college campuses that have more than 1,000 students or more living on campus and meet certain accessibility guidelines as their own precincts. As well, the bill would allow students who vote by mail and live in the same county as the campus to drop off their ballots at the campus polling place.
Some campuses have already been successful in getting their own polling places while others have not.
Currently, students are able to vote via absentee ballot at their non-school residence if that's where they are registered. As well, they can change their official residence to their school residence and vote in local elections at their local precinct.
