Newsom Signs Bill To Make Universal Voting By Mail Permanent

CALIFORNIA — Gov. Gavin Newsom signed new legislation on Monday that will make voting by mail a permanent fixture in the Golden State's future elections.

California began its vote by mail process during the pandemic, sending ballots to every registered and active voter statewide. The move was meant to circumvent pandemic-related disruptions, but proponents of the bill believe it ultimately brought more flexibility to the voting process.

The newly signed law made California the eighth state in the country to require that every voter be mailed a ballot.

"The bill will permanently expand access and increase participation in our elections by making voting more convenient and meeting people where they are," Secretary of State Shirley Weber said in a statement.

Weber added that the vote by mail initiative, spurred by the pandemic, increased voter turnout since Californians had the option of returning their ballot by mail, in a drop box, at 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," she said.

The new law will take effect in January and will begin with elections in June and November. The law also applies to local elections. Under the new law, ballots in California must go out at least 29 days before the election. Voters still have the option to drop off their ballot or vote in person. Prior to the pandemic, many Californians were already voting by mail.

Newsom signed 10 other election-related bills on Monday, as part of an effort to expand voting rights and access. Voting rights have become a major political point of contention in the state and nationally following both the 2020 Presidential Election and the California Gubernatorial Recall Election.

Democrat-led states are pushing legislation aimed at expanding voting access while many Republican-led states are trying to tighten it amid accusations of widespread voter fraud by former President Donald Trump and other GOP leaders. No evidence of fraud was identified in either the presidential or gubernatorial election.

"As states across our country continue to enact undemocratic voter suppression laws, California is increasing voter access, expanding voting options and bolstering elections integrity and transparency," Newsom said in a statement.

In the recent gubernatorial election, in which Newsom handily triumphed, many Republicans didn't trust the vote by mail process amid baseless claims of fraud.

California Republican Party Chairwoman Jessica Millan Patterson didn't state a clear position on the bill.
“The California Republican Party is committed to ensuring elections are safe, fair and secure, giving voters the confidence they need to cast a ballot," she said in a statement.

Another proposal Newsom signed relaxes the rules around ballot signatures, giving officials more leeway to accept ballots if the signature doesn't exactly match what's on file. The legislation by Democratic Sen. Josh Becker bars election officials from taking a voter's party preference into account when evaluating their signature. Republicans in the state Legislature also opposed the bill.

In order to reject a signature, two other election officials must also determine if the signature differs in obvious ways from the signature in the person's registration record.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.