News Releases

Grant to Establish a U.S. Election Officials’ Support Network

July 27, 2021

The California Voter Foundation (CVF) announced today it is beginning a new project to develop a nonpartisan, nationwide collaborative initiative of election community leaders to work together to support and defend U.S. election officials and election administration. The project is supported by a $157,000 grant awarded to CVF from Craig Newmark Philanthropies.

Funding, education and legal safeguards are needed to protect democracy’s frontline workers

June 8, 2021

CVF harassment reportSacramento, CA -- A new California Voter Foundation report sheds light on the threats and attacks U.S. election officials have endured in the wake of the 2020 election.

“Documenting and Addressing Harassment of Election Officials” features findings gathered through interviews with eleven election officials from six states along with eight of the nation’s leading election experts.

The report finds that ten of the eleven officials interviewed endured death threats, other threats or abusive language. The report is available online at www.calvoter.org/harassment.

December 23, 2020

Sacramento, CA -- Yesterday California Governor Gavin Newsom announced his choiceto replace Vice President-elect Kamala Harris to represent Californians in the U.S. Senate is Alex Padilla, California’s current Secretary of State.

Gov. Newsom’s pick for California’s next Secretary of State is Dr. Shirley Weber, a California Assemblymember representing the San Diego area.

October 1, 2020

Today the California Voter Foundation (CVF) released “The Voting Way”, a nonpartisan song and music video aimed at helping voters successfully cast 2020 ballots during the Covid-19 pandemic. The new song is available at:

calvoter.org/songs or https://youtu.be/laq-gb8qiu4

 

Young and newly registered voters had significantly higher rejection rates in three-county study

September 14, 2020

Sacramento, CA -- A new report finds on average 1.7 percent of vote-by-mail ballots cast in California have been rejected over the past decade. In three counties studied, young and newly registered voters were more likely than older voters to have their ballots rejected. 

July 10, 2020

The California Voter Foundation is pleased to announce a gift of $25,000 received from Craig Newmark Philanthropies to support nonpartisan voter education and outreach activities to help Californians participate in the 2020 Presidential Election.

February 29, 2020 By Kim Alexander

1. Of California’s 25.3 million eligible voters, 20.7 million, or 82 percent are registered as of February 18. This is this highest rate of registration heading into a California presidential primary in the past 68 years, according to California’s Secretary of State Alex Padilla. California’s Presidential Primary, which was held in June in 2012 and 2016, is taking place this year on March 3, Super Tuesday, in an effort to give California voters a greater say in deciding who the presidential candidates will be. 

2. For the first time, Californians can register at any voting site and vote on Election Day. Under SB 72, enacted in 2019, Californians can conditionally register and cast a conditional ballot at polling places if they have never been registered. Another law enacted just last month, SB 207, allows Californians who are registered but have moved within their county or wish to update their party preference to complete and sign a short form and cast a regular ballot. These reforms help voters who need to change their party preference so they can vote for the Presidential candidate of their choice, but may result in long lines at some voting sites on Election Day.

February 20, 2020 CVF News Release -

Sacramento, CA -- A growing percentage of California voters will cast vote-by-mail ballots in the state’s March 3 Presidential Primary, but not all of those ballots will get counted.

“While casting a vote-by-mail ballot is a popular option, it’s not without its challenges,” said California Voter Foundation (CVF) President Kim Alexander, whose organization works to improve the vote-by-mail process through research and legislative reforms. 

In 2018, one out of every 100 vote-by-mail ballots cast got rejected according to data published by the Secretary of State. Mail ballots are rejected primarily for three reasons - arriving too late, or the voter forgetting to sign their ballot envelope, or the signature not sufficiently matching the voter’s signature on file.

September 26, 2019

In the final days of this year's legislative session, the California Legislature passed three important bills supported by the California Voter Foundation and many other voter advocacy groups.

If signed into law, SB 72, SB 523 and AB 681 will enact important reforms that will improve the voting process and experience for potentially hundreds of thousands of California voters. CVF is urging Gov. Newsom to sign these bills into law to ensure all Californians can exercise their voting rights in 2020 and beyond:

SB 72, SB 523 and AB 681 will improve process for voters in 2020

August 28, 2019

The California Legislature is winding down the first year of its 2019-20 session and the California Voter Foundation is supporting three important bills that, if enacted, will improve California's voting process in advance of the 2020 Presidential election:

  • Senate Bill 72, by Senator Tom Umberg (D-Santa Ana) will allow voters to register to vote at all polling places on Election Day starting in 2020.

Under current law, Californians may register on Election Day only at county election or satellite offices, or, if their county has implemented the Voter's Choice Act (VCA) voting model, at vote centers.

SB 72 will ensure voters have equal access to Election Day registration regardless of whether their county has implemented the VCA. Voters who register on Election Day do so "conditionally" and their eligibility is verified before their ballots are counted. If enacted, California will join nine other states and DC in providing Election Day registration at polling places. This bill is currently in Assembly Appropriations. CVF's support letter is online.

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