(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 presentation of certification that the person is a participant in the Address Confidentiality for Victims of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking program pursuant to Chapter 3.1 (commencing with Section 6205) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code or a participant in the Address Confidentiality for Reproductive Health Care Service Providers, Employees, Volunteers, and Patients program pursuant to Chapter 3.2 (commencing with Section 6215) of that division.

(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 and all subsequent reregistrations inside or outside the county until the county elections official is notified otherwise by the Secretary of State 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.

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

(d) Subdivisions (a) and (b) shall not apply to any person granted confidentiality upon receipt by the county elections official of a written notice by the address confidentiality program manager of the withdrawal, invalidation, expiration, or termination of the program participant’s certification.

(Amended by Stats. 2015, Ch. 728, Sec. 36. (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.)