California sending ballots to all voters
SACRAMENTO » The Nov. 3 election will test Californians’ commitment to voting by mail as the nation’s most populous state offers far fewer in-person polling places, hoping that during a pandemic voters will choose to cast ballots from the safety of their mailboxes.
If it doesn’t work, the state could see long lines and frustrated voters on Election Day compounded by coronavirus protocols that will make voting inperson slower in a year expected to draw a big turnout. Californians have been voting by mail for years, each election showing a steady increase of participation. In March, more than 72% of votes cast in the state’s primary came through the U.S. Postal Service.
But voting by mail has not been embraced everywhere, most notably in Los Angeles, where more than 5.6 million people are registered to vote. And this year public confidence in voting by mail has been shaken, with Republican President Donald Trump publicly criticizing the process while some Democratic leaders have worried financial troubles at the U.S. Postal Service could delay delivery of ballots and disenfranchise voters.
Still, California has gone all-in on voting by mail in 2020. For the first time, county election offices are sending a ballot to every active registered voter. Plus, the state Legislature changed the law to say that, as long as ballots are postmarked by Nov. 3, they can arrive at county election offices up to 17 days after the election and still be counted.
“Nov. 3 is technically Election Day, but we have to start thinking about this as simply the last day to vote,” Secretary of State Alex Padilla said. “We need to vote
California has more than 21 million people registered to vote, the most ever. Polls show voters from both major parties are energized about the election, featuring the pivotal presidential contest and, in California, a dozen statewide ballot initiatives on hot-button issues including affirmative action, property taxes, workers’ rights, rent control and harsher penalties for criminals.