Voters may vote by mail in November

Some in-person voting sites will remain open election, Gov. Newsom said

All registered voters in California will be able to vote by mail in the November election, state officials said Friday, in an effort to maintain voter participation in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s new executive order makes California the first state to authorize sending vote-bymail ballots to all voters in advance of the Nov. 3 general election, said Secretary of State Alex Padilla during an afternoon briefing.

Californians who need to vote in person — including those with disabilities or experiencing homelessness — will still have access to an “appropriate” number of sites.

“There’s no safer physically distancing and healthier way to exercise your right to vote than from within the safety of your own home,” Padilla said, adding, “This is a huge first step.”

In the coming months, counties will be required to send voters actual ballots in the mail — not just applications. Ballots will contain postage to send them back.

Officials emphasized that the option does not replace or preclude voting in person. For those who are unfamiliar with voting by mail or require assistance may still vote at designated sites; the details of that process are still being hammered out, Padilla said.

If counties do not firm up plans for in-person voting by the end of May, the governor may sign a second executive order to streamline those details, his office added in a news release.