News Releases

New California Online Voter Guide Helps Voters Prepare for 2021 Recall Election

August 19, 2021

Voters looking for reliable information about the upcoming statewide recall election will find it online at www.calvoter.org/covg.

The California Online Voter Guide is a nonpartisan resource designed to help voters make informed choices and produced by the California Voter Foundation for every statewide election since 1994.

Earlier this year, proponents of a ballot question to recall Governor Gavin Newsom were successful in collecting enough signatures to qualify this question for the ballot, with the election date set for September 14th, 2021.

“It is a short but counterintuitive ballot question,” said CVF President and Founder Kim Alexander. “Voters who are for keeping Gov. Newsom in office should cast a 'no' vote on the recall question. Voters who are against keeping him in office should vote 'yes' on the recall question.”

California Voter Foundation Receives $157,000 Grant from Craig Newmark Philanthropies

Grant to Establish a U.S. Election Officials’ Support Network

July 27, 2021

The California Voter Foundation (CVF) announced today it is beginning a new project to develop a nonpartisan, nationwide collaborative initiative of election community leaders to work together to support and defend U.S. election officials and election administration. The project is supported by a $157,000 grant awarded to CVF from Craig Newmark Philanthropies.

New CVF Report Sheds Light on Harassment of U.S. Election Officials

Funding, education and legal safeguards are needed to protect democracy’s frontline workers

June 8, 2021

CVF harassment reportSacramento, CA -- A new California Voter Foundation report sheds light on the threats and attacks U.S. election officials have endured in the wake of the 2020 election.

“Documenting and Addressing Harassment of Election Officials” features findings gathered through interviews with eleven election officials from six states along with eight of the nation’s leading election experts.

The report finds that ten of the eleven officials interviewed endured death threats, other threats or abusive language. The report is available online at www.calvoter.org/harassment.

California Voter Foundation applauds Gov. Newsom’s picks for U.S. Senate, California Secretary of State

December 23, 2020

Sacramento, CA -- Yesterday California Governor Gavin Newsom announced his choiceto replace Vice President-elect Kamala Harris to represent Californians in the U.S. Senate is Alex Padilla, California’s current Secretary of State.

Gov. Newsom’s pick for California’s next Secretary of State is Dr. Shirley Weber, a California Assemblymember representing the San Diego area.

New 2020 Election Song and Music Video Helps Voters Prepare to Vote in a Pandemic

October 1, 2020

Today the California Voter Foundation (CVF) released “The Voting Way”, a nonpartisan song and music video aimed at helping voters successfully cast 2020 ballots during the Covid-19 pandemic. The new song is available at:

calvoter.org/songs or https://youtu.be/laq-gb8qiu4

 

Report finds 1.7 percent of California vote-by-mail ballots rejected on average

Young and newly registered voters had significantly higher rejection rates in three-county study

September 14, 2020

Sacramento, CA -- A new report finds on average 1.7 percent of vote-by-mail ballots cast in California have been rejected over the past decade. In three counties studied, young and newly registered voters were more likely than older voters to have their ballots rejected. 

CVF receives $25,000 gift from Craig Newmark Philanthropies

July 10, 2020

The California Voter Foundation is pleased to announce a gift of $25,000 received from Craig Newmark Philanthropies to support nonpartisan voter education and outreach activities to help Californians participate in the 2020 Presidential Election.

Ten Things to Know about the California Presidential Primary

February 29, 2020 By Kim Alexander

1. Of California’s 25.3 million eligible voters, 20.7 million, or 82 percent are registered as of February 18. This is this highest rate of registration heading into a California presidential primary in the past 68 years, according to California’s Secretary of State Alex Padilla. California’s Presidential Primary, which was held in June in 2012 and 2016, is taking place this year on March 3, Super Tuesday, in an effort to give California voters a greater say in deciding who the presidential candidates will be. 

2. For the first time, Californians can register at any voting site and vote on Election Day. Under SB 72, enacted in 2019, Californians can conditionally register and cast a conditional ballot at polling places if they have never been registered. Another law enacted just last month, SB 207, allows Californians who are registered but have moved within their county or wish to update their party preference to complete and sign a short form and cast a regular ballot. These reforms help voters who need to change their party preference so they can vote for the Presidential candidate of their choice, but may result in long lines at some voting sites on Election Day.

Casting a Vote-by-Mail Ballot? Follow These Tips to Make Sure it’s Counted

February 20, 2020 CVF News Release -

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.

CVF urges Gov. Newsom to help voters by signing SB 523, SB 72 and AB 681 into law

September 26, 2019

In the final days of this year's legislative session, the California Legislature passed three important bills supported by the California Voter Foundation and many other voter advocacy groups.

If signed into law, SB 72, SB 523 and AB 681 will enact important reforms that will improve the voting process and experience for potentially hundreds of thousands of California voters. CVF is urging Gov. Newsom to sign these bills into law to ensure all Californians can exercise their voting rights in 2020 and beyond:

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