News Clips

A joint effort between California Secretary of State Alex Padilla and the Department of Motor Vehicles managed to get 250,000 new registered voters on the rolls between April and June, according to the government watchdog group Common Cause.

A 2016 report by California Common Cause, a democracy advocacy organization, found that 59 of California's 482 cities hold district elections. Twenty-eight of those cities made the switch between 2011 and 2016.

Starting this April, the more than 1 million Californians who renew their driver’s licenses by mail each year will be able to register to vote using one form under the terms of a new settlement agreement.

“Senate Bill 45 closes a loophole in California law that local elected officials had exploited to boost their name ID ahead of an election,” Heidorn said. “We applaud Sen. Mendoza for introducing this important bill and Gov. Brown for signing it into law.”

Elected officials, representatives and voting rights advocates have partnered in the past to make voting convenient and without risking voters’ security, according to Board Chair at California Common Cause Chair Jonathan Stein.

California voting rights groups announced Tuesday they had filed a lawsuit against the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles, Secretary of State, and Secretary of Transportation for failing for comply with a federal law that makes it easier for people to register to vote.