California Voters Warned of Rules on Third-Party Ballot Collection

Individuals who return another voter’s ballot must sign the envelope, and they cannot be paid, according to a bulletin issued by the state attorney general.

People arrive to cast their ballots at the Shasta County Clerk Registrar of Voters offices in Redding, Calif., on Feb. 23, 2024. Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

California law places obligations on third parties who return another person’s ballot, the attorney general reminded voters in a bulletin issued Oct. 28.

All registered voters are mailed a ballot, which they can return by mail, place in a drop box, or bring to a polling place, but state law also allows them to entrust their ballot to a third party.