The Assembly Military and Veteran Affairs Committee advanced SB 970 on June 30, moving the overseas- and military-voting measure to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
According to a committee summary of the hearing, the bill would direct the Secretary of State to create regulations allowing military and overseas voters to return ballots through a secure method after the federal Department of Defense fax service ended. The summary says supporters framed the measure as a response to ballot-return problems for Californians serving or living abroad.
The Secretary of State’s office took a neutral position but raised security and process concerns about the bill during the hearing, while election-security advocates also urged a more deliberate approach. County election officials and local government representatives testified in support, the summary says.
The committee’s action was part of a broader June 30 hearing that also advanced other veteran-related bills. The retrieved materials did not include the full transcript, so this draft is limited to the committee summary and the hearing’s entity extract.
