Assembly Member Pellerin's election administration bill establishes new requirements for voter information access in California jails while clarifying the non-discretionary nature of key election official duties. The legislation requires both the Secretary of State and county election officials to prepare and distribute voter guides to jail facilities in compatible formats, with distribution levels set at either 30% of eligible voters for common areas or individual copies for direct delivery.

The bill designates several election administration responsibilities as explicitly ministerial and non-discretionary, including vote counting, results certification, and winner declarations. Counties that fail to certify election results within 30 days must transfer all election materials to the Secretary of State for completion at county expense. Election officials must also maintain certified results online in downloadable spreadsheet format for 10 years, provided their systems can do so without modification.

To enhance election security, the legislation expands existing fraud provisions to prohibit using deceptive containers or envelopes for ballot collection. Violations carry penalties of up to $1,000 in fines, 16 months to three years imprisonment, or both. While the bill creates new state-mandated local programs, reimbursement requirements apply only to costs beyond those associated with modified criminal provisions, as determined by the Commission on State Mandates.