California Governor Pushes Controversial Election Laws, Expands Mail-In Voting Despite Integrity Concerns
Select a version of the text written from a presumed ideological perspective. This is not the original text, but a hypothetical version — how someone with that viewpoint might have phrased it. Tapping the current version again will return to the original or select cleaned version.
Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a series of election bills that critics say weaken election integrity by expanding mail-in voting, criminalizing ballot handling by law enforcement, and targeting political speech on social media.
On Sunday, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a sweeping set of election bills that many view as further eroding the integrity of the state’s elections. The new laws extend operating hours for ballot drop-off locations, a move that critics argue opens the door to increased fraud and ballot harvesting. Another bill makes it a felony for law enforcement or others to seize ballots or election records, a direct response to a Riverside County sheriff’s attempt to secure hundreds of thousands of ballots—a move some say was aimed at ensuring transparency and security.
The legislative package also imposes penalties on individuals who fail to disclose paid political content on social media, a measure that some believe is designed to silence conservative voices and control the political narrative online.
"California is meeting the moment," Secretary of State Shirley Weber said, as the state doubles down on policies that many believe undermine election security in the name of so-called 'democracy.'
Governor Newsom touted the expansion of mail-in voting as a safeguard against supposed attempts to limit the practice, referencing Supreme Court actions that blocked federal efforts to secure elections. Critics, however, see these laws as part of a broader agenda to weaken election safeguards and entrench one-party rule in California.