SACRAMENTO, CA — Over the weekend, Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed SB 299, legislation that would have upgraded the state’s existing automatic voter registration (AVR) system to be more secure, effective, and efficient. The bill was introduced by Senator Monique Limón and passed both the California Assembly and Senate in August.

“The Institute for Responsive Government is deeply disappointed in Gov. Newsom’s decision to veto SB 299. Instead of taking a critical step towards a more inclusive, representative democracy, California continues to lag behind 10 other states and Washington, D.C. by refusing to make commonsense, critical upgrades to their voter registration process,” said Sam Oliker-Friedland, executive director of the Institute for Responsive Government. “At a time when voter participation and registration are under partisan attack across the country, SB 299 would be a counterbalance, beneficial for both voters and election officials alike – saving funds, streamlining the transactions Californians have with government agencies, and expanding participation in our democracy for the 4.7 million unregistered, but eligible voters. It’s a shame that Gov. Newsom decided not to invest in democracy at this crucial moment.”

There were a number of reasons for Gov. Newsom to sign the bill, including:

• Closing the glaring eligible but unregistered gap:4.7 million Californians who are eligible to vote but remain unregistered, a group disproportionately made up of Asian American, Black, and Latino citizens. This is the largest population of eligible unregistered voters in the country, and 1 in 6 eligible Californians is not registered to vote. For context, if this group had their own state, it would be the 25th largest state in the country – with a population larger than the populations of Kentucky, Louisiana, or Oregon.
• SB 299 was part of a years-long effort from over 140 organizations across the state: The bill was supported by a large coalition of 140 diverse organizations across the state for the past four years, and it is disappointing the governor chose to ignore the voices of the millions of voters who want their voice heard.
• SB 299 was built carefully and with implementation and cost savings in mind: Working diligently with members in both chambers, the legislation was carefully crafted with a minimum six-year implementation timeline. Additionally, according to a recent report from the Responsive Gov team, California had the potential to save over $9 million each election cycle for implementing a secure AVR system over the partial AVR system the state currently has.

To speak with an expert at Responsive Gov about how AVR upgrades would have impacted voters in California, please contact dan@responsivegov.org.