San Joaquin Registrar of Voters Austin G. Erdman says just before the February election—sample ballots were returned in large numbers.  So he says they checked out those addresses.

“We found that most all of those homes were either empty homes, or they were recently empty or being emptied by foreclosure, the people were moving out.”

Such problems at the county level prompted California Secretary of State Debra Bowen to get the word out— she says state law is clear. 

 “So someone who’s moved because of a foreclosure can continue to vote where they were registered if they have not yet gotten a new permanent residence.”

Counties say voters who have moved but have not re-registered can cast provisional ballots near their new home. But those must be verified by local registrars.