Responsive Gov’s Grade TL;DR

For yet another session, California made several small pro-voter improvements to its elections. And while the Legislature finally passed legislation to improve its automatic voter registration system, unfortunately Governor Newsom vetoed the bill. This will continue to leave more than 4 million eligible voters unregistered to vote in the state. California also failed to join the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), which would have helped keep the state’s voter rolls accurate and up-to-date. Therefore, California received a C+ on this year’s progress report.

Looking Back

Where California Started at the Beginning of 2024

• Automatic Voter Registration: Hard Stop
• Online Voter Registration: DMV ID
• Same-Day Registration: Yes
• Restoration of Rights: Prison Disenfranchisement
• Vote by Mail: No-excuse
• Electronic Registration Information Center Member: No
• Early Voting Opportunities: Regular Ballot Early Voting
• ID Requirements: No Document Required

Relying on the Cost of Voting Index for California as of 2024, we considered the state a top tier state for pre-existing voting policy and compared its 2024 activity against other top tier states.

How Our Tier Compares

• COVI (2024): 4th
• EPI Score (2022): 45th
• CLC State Scorecard: 9/10
• MAP Democracy Rating (2024): HIGH

2024: This Past Year

Legislative Action

Once again, the California Legislature passed several pieces of pro-voter legislation that make changes to a wide range of election-related processes. Yet again, the Legislature failed to take action to join ERIC, a multistate list maintenance organization that would help ensure the state’s voter rolls are up-to-date.

• AB 2951 changes the process for notifying voters that may be removed from the voter rolls due to mental incompetency, death, or imprisonment due to a felony conviction.
• AB 2839 prohibits individuals and organizations from distributing materials that contain disinformation or deepfakes about elections from 120 days before a state election to 60 days after.
• AB 2642 makes it a crime to intimidate, threaten, or coerce someone for engaging in certain election-related activities, such as voting or assisting someone voting. Individuals that currently administer elections, or did so in the past, are also protected against harassment.
• AB 2582 repeals the existing law that created separate registration procedures for new voters registering after the existing 14 day deadline. Instead, these voters may continue to use the same-day registration process that is available to all voters during early voting and on Election Day.
• AB 2127 extends the Motor Voter Task Force, which consults with the DMV and outside experts on the effective implementation of California’s automatic voter registration system until 2030.
• AB 3184 requires election officials to combine the mail ballot signature verification statement with the ballot ID envelope statement and to accept a signature on the combined statement as meeting the requirement for either. It would also allow a list of missing signatures to be made public to candidates and initiative/referendum committees to allow them to follow up with voters and ensure their ballots are able to be counted. The bill also extends the deadline for certifying election results, among other things.
• SB 1450 requires the secretary of state to reestablish the taskforce that reviews all-mail or vote center elections that was disbanded as of January 2022.
• SB 1328 increases the secretary of state’s oversight over e-pollbooks and other electronic voting equipment, requires voting equipment vendors and manufacturers to notify the secretary of potential flaws with the equipment within 24 hours of discovery, and expands upon the existing felony interference with voting equipment to include additional illegal actions.
• SB 1174 prohibits local governments from passing laws that would require voters to show photo ID to vote in municipal elections.
• Yet again, the Assembly failed to take action on legislation that would help the state improve the accuracy of the voter rolls.
  • AB 1206 would have required the secretary of state to join the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC).

  Executive Action

• Unfortunately, Governor Newsom vetoed several pro-voter bills during this past year.
• SB 299 would have established a process to allow eligible unregistered individuals to be pre-approved for voter registration through their transaction at the DMV and improved protections for non-citizens interacting with the state’s AVR system. Signing SB 299 into law had the potential to help pre-approve over 4 million eligible, but unregistered voters in the state.
• AB 884 would have improved language access for voters in various language minority groups.
• AB 544 would have established a pilot program to provide grants to 3 counties to help facilitate in-person voting at jails for qualified incarcerated individuals.
• AB 2724 would have required high schools to provide students with information on voter preregistration and an opportunity to register.