No need to head to polls: Vote by mail permanent

Newsom signs bill sending a ballot to voters a month before elections

In a move that cements California’s future as a voteby-mail state, Gov. Gavin Newsom last week signed a bill that makes permanent what Golden State voters experienced during the pandemic elections of 2020 and last month’s recall: Every active registered voter will receive a ballot in the mail for every election.

Advocates hailed the new law — Assembly Bill 37 from Menlo Park Assembly member Marc Berman — as a way to make it more convenient for people to vote, which could increase participation in elections. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, at least five other states — Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah and Washington — already conduct elections by mail.

California’s more permissive voting system stands in stark contrast to efforts in other states to tighten voting requirements. Earlier this year, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill passed by the state’s Republicandominated legislature that included new ID mandates and banned around-theclock early voting. Georgia recently passed a law requiring voters to provide their driver’s license number or other form of ID to get or return an absentee ballot.

“As states across our country continue to enact undemocratic voter suppression laws, California is increasing voter access, expanding voting options and bolstering elections integrity and transparency,” Newsom said in a statement.

In the 2020 presidential election, more than 70% of eligible California voters cast ballots — the highest percentage since 1952. And while turnout in the recall election has not yet been finalized, more than 12.5 million ballots have been counted, approaching the total turnout in the 2018 midterm elections.

The new law does not require voters mail in their ballots, but it assures that each voter is mailed one about a month before what’s traditionally been considered election day. The state will continue to offer a variety of options to vote in person.

“Voters like having options for returning their ballot whether by mail, at a secure drop box, a voting center or at a traditional polling station,” Secretary of State Shirley Weber said in a statement. “And the more people who participate in elections, the stronger our democracy and the more we have assurance that elections reflect the will of the people of California.”

Not everyone has embraced voting by mail. Republicans, who once traditionally favored the practice, have soured on the idea in recent years, with former President Donald Trump and other high-profile Republicans claiming without evidence that mail voting is rife with fraud.

“It’s no secret that Democrats have and will continue to try to manipulate election regulations for their political advantage,” said state GOP Chairwoman Jessica

Millan Patterson. “Republicans will hold them accountable through our election integrity operations — including litigation, where appropriate — and by recruiting and supporting candidates who will provide solutions to California’s numerous challenges.”

The law takes effect in January. Veteran political strategists, including Dan Schnur, say the new law is a game-changer for candidates of all political stripes and will guarantee one thing in California elections going forward.

“It’s very clear that this step will significantly increase voter turnout in California,” Schnur said.