All California Voters To Receive Vote-By-Mail Ballot
Whether they ask for it or not, every California voter will get a vote-by-mail ballot in a new law that makes the pandemic measure permanent.
All California voters will now receive a ballot mailed to them whether they request it or not, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced Monday, in a move long sought by state Democrats who have argued that it will make it easier for residents to take part in future elections.
“BREAKING: California is now PERMANENTLY a vote-by-mail state,” Newsom said in a tweet after signing the measure, Assembly Bill 37. “Because we believe in making voting EASIER and for every voice to be heard.”
The legislation permanently extends vote-by-mail provisions enacted in California during the coronavirus pandemic. Those provisions were in place during the 2020 election as well as during this month’s unsuccessful campaign to recall Newsom.
Even though ballots will be mailed for each election, California voters can still opt to go to the polls in person if they prefer.
California joins several other states — such as Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah and Washington — that have been mailing ballots to all voters even before the coronavirus pandemic. Republicans in California’s state legislature opposed the legislation and were unsuccessful in pushing for changes to the measure.
California Secretary of State Shirley Weber (D), who oversees the state’s elections, said the new law is likely to boost voter participation.
“Vote-by-mail has significantly increased participation of eligible voters,” Weber said in a statement, according to the Sacramento Bee. “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. 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.”
According to Weber’s office, nearly 87 percent of Californians who voted in the 2020 general election cast their ballot by mail. That compares with about 65 percent in 2018 and 58 percent in 2016.
About 17.8 million Californians voted in 2020. That figure represents more than 70 percent of eligible voters — a level of turnout unseen in the state for more than 60 years.
GoodReport
Elections have consequences.
Thoughts and prayers to our conservative interlocutors.Report
This will make ballot initiatives even more fun! Let the games begin!Report
In addition, as I mentioned in the other thread, the Los Angeles DA, elected with the help of BLM is overturning 60,000 past marijuana convictions;
Governor Newsom signed into law:
A bill eliminating single family zoning and allowing greater density across the state;
And the previously mentioned program to convert motels into permanent housing for the homeless;
A bill authorizing counties to establish sheriff oversight programs;
A bill to require a state prosecutor to investigate officer involved shootings;
Among others.
Now compare this agenda to that of Governor Abbot of Texas, which was entirely centered on culture war stuff- Guns, abortion, voter suppression, mask mandates.
This is why I react so strongly whenever we get the BSDI stuff, because it is a baldfaced lie. One party is actively legislating and improving the lives of its constituents, while the other does nothing but endless grievance displays and performative wankery.Report
Ah, good. Now I can accurately point out to certain friends on/from the East Coast, who believe that vote by mail is inherently inaccurate and full of fraud if only the child-like trusting Westerners were smart enough to look, that on a regional basis the 13-state West is now at least 90% vote by mail*.
Their politics are otherwise sane, but they have this one blind spot.
*Percentage of registered voters who receive mail ballots:
CA, CO, HI, NV, OR, UT, WA — all registered voters.
AZ — >80%
MT — >75%
NM — >65% (astounding in its own way since there’s no permanent list)
WY — >30%Report
Well obviously if CA WA OR and HI didn’t have all that fraudy voting they would solid be R.Report
It’s the only way we can keep Michael Savage out of the governor’s mansionReport
Do whatcha gotta do there, Golden State.Report
100% vote by mail works just fine in Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. Republicans are still competitive (if somewhat behind the 8-ball these days but that’s their own damn fault) in Colorado, and clearly dominant in Utah. Vote by mail is not a partisan thing.Report
Here’s what I’ve learned about VBM – it’s just as easy to lose your ballot in a pile of mail and forget to vote as it is to forgot to schedule the time to get your butt to the polls to vote on election day.
Ergo, if you don’t care a lot about voting in a given election, VBM won’t magically change that. So it will only significantly increase voter turnout if one or more demographics were being actively discouraged from voting. And if that is the case in a given state and some political party is worried about it, then I got a teeny, tiny violin…Report
I admit that I have gone into the voting booth once or twice without knowing about the various initiatives that are at the bottom of the ballot. The only thing I know about them are the various signs that say “VOTE YES ON 2B!” or “VOTE NO ON 2B!” (usually right next to each other).
So I get in the booth and it’s about transfer of parkland or something and I have to figure out whether it’s a good or bad idea on the fly before I vote no on it.
But it never felt like “homework” when I was doing that.
When I get my ballot in the mail, open it up, and start reading stuff? Ugh. That feels like homework.Report
Statistically, vote by mail pretty consistently increases turnout by a small amount. The increase is largely uniform across the spectrum — young people don’t suddenly start voting in droves. Colorado has surveyed non-voters and the most common reason given is “I forgot.”
Non-scientific, but my gut feeling is that a ballot initiative that people feel strongly about drives turnout more than anything else. People seem to like voting on a single policy more than they like voting on politicians.Report
Detailed statistics suggest vote by mail helped Cory Gardner (R) win the Colorado Senate seat in 2014. Not as much as Udall’s absolutely hapless campaign in the Front Range suburbs, but still.
Nevada has also made the vote by mail system they used in 2020 permanent. They had no problems of any significance then.Report