California Voter Foundation

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.

Dear Friends,

2019 is drawing to a close, and the 2020 election is rapidly approaching! The California Voter Foundation is already gearing up, helping voters prepare to vote with confidence. And we are helping to shape California's implementation of risk-limiting audits while working with local election officials to reduce vote-by-mail ballot rejection rates. See below for updates on our recent activities.

If you have not done so already, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to support our programs and help CVF keep working for the voters. To those who have already contributed, a big thank you for your support and an incredible 25 years of CVF!

Hi Folks,

I'm very excited about CVF's upcoming 25th anniversary party on October 29th in Sacramento and hope you can join us! Tickets are $50 and going fast so please reserve your spot today! More details as well as a legislative update and link to Capitol Weekly's recent podcast highlighting CVFs accomplishments are below.

- Kim Alexander, President & Founder
California Voter Foundation

Celebrate CVF's 25 year anniversary on October 29th!

CVF board members, staff, supporters, colleagues and friends will be joining together in Sacramento on Tuesday evening, Oct. 29th at Paesano's Portofino Room in midtown Sacramento to celebrate the organization's 25 year anniversary working to improve the voting process!

Please join us for delicious pizza, snacks and drinks, and to recognize the people who are the heroes behind the California Voter Foundation. The program will include an awards ceremony, photo slideshow and a video presentation highlighting CVF's projects and achievements over the years. Register online via Eventbrite.

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.