(a) Any person filing with the county elections official a new affidavit of registration or reregistration may have the information relating to his or her residence address, telephone number, and email address appearing on the affidavit, or any list or roster or index prepared therefrom, declared confidential upon order of a superior court issued upon a showing of good cause that a life-threatening circumstance exists to the voter or a member of the voter’s household, and naming the county elections official as a party.

(b) 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 court 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, obtain an order from the superior court of the new county 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 provided a court order to the new county during the 60-day period.

(c) 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 which is the subject of this section unless by a showing of gross negligence or willfulness.

(Amended by Stats. 2015, Ch. 728, Sec. 35. (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.)