News from the Secretary of State

Secretary Padilla Discusses Election Cyber Security at the National Association of Secretaries of State Conference

Secretary of State Alex Padilla discussed election cyber security with his colleagues at the National Association of Secretaries of State conference in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Secretary asked representatives from the National Security Agency to be forthcoming with elections officials about any threats to election security of which they may be aware.

As the chair of the Elections Committee, Secretary Padilla highlighted automatic voter registration efforts nationwide, including California's Motor Voter law which will be implemented next year.

In response to the President's request for voter data, Secretaries unanimously approved a resolution reaffirming states' rights in overseeing elections.

Secretary Padilla Visits Washington D.C. to Push Back Against Request for Californians' Personal Voter Data

Secretary Padilla met with other Secretaries of State and voting rights advocates to discuss attacks and advances in voter registration and the integrity of our elections system. The conversation, hosted by the Center for American Progress occurred prior to the first meeting of the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity.

Click here to watch the full Center for American Progress' Attacks and Advances in Voter Registration Panel.

The Secretary also testified before a congressional panel on voting rights and privacy.

Following the President's commission meeting, Secretary Padilla issued the following statement:

“Today’s first meeting of Trump’s fraud election commission confirmed what we already knew—it was created to make it harder for eligible citizens to register and vote and to indulge the President’s outrageous lie that millions voted illegally in last year's election.”

“In a meeting that was closed to the public, Kris Kobach, and a commission made up of figures with long histories championing voter suppression policies, once again repeated debunked conspiracy theories about massive voter fraud. Noticeably absent was any meaningful discussion of Russian interference in last year's election. Rather than investigating Russia, the commission instead will investigate American voters. At a time when we need to protect our democracy from foreign interference, this commission is a proving to be a waste of taxpayer resources."

“The Commission already faces several lawsuits from national legal and voting rights organizations—alleging violations of federal transparency and privacy laws. Across the country, citizens and elections officials are speaking out against this commission and its overreach. As California’s chief elections officer, I will not send the personal information of California voters to this commission nor will I participate in its effort to roll back voting rights.”

“Our sacred right to vote as citizens is under attack. I will stand firm against this concerted effort to weaken our democracy.”

State Archives Launches ‘California Memoirs’ Exhibit

In partnership with the Google Cultural Institute, The California State Archives released its latest digital exhibit, California Memoirs: The William M. McCarthy Photograph Collection.

The exhibit includes a sampling of McCarthy’s photographs of California’s scenic landscape and iconic landmarks.

The McCarthy photo collection is one of the few private collections preserved by the State Archives. The full photo collection, comprised of almost 3,000 photographs, will be digitized and posted online by the end of the year.

William M. McCarthy (1876 – 1956) and Grace C. Kane (1878 – 1957) wed in the early 1900s and were married for over 50 years. They lived in San Francisco for most of their lives where William was stationed as an armament expert for the U.S. War Department.

Over 25,000 LLC Statements of Information Filed Online in First Month

Over 25,000 Limited Liability Company (LLC) Statements of Information have been filed online since last month's release of a new online filing tool.

Online filing is a major component of the Secretary of State’s new web portal developed by the agency’s IT department. The new LLC Statement of Information portal is part of Secretary of State Alex Padilla’s Digital Initiative to modernize and digitize the agency’s divisions, including the Business Programs Division.

“Rather than standing in line, businesses are now going online to file their LLC Statements of Information,” said Secretary of State Alex Padilla. “In just one month, over 25,000 businesses have used our new LLC Statement of Information e-file tool, streamlining an important business process and saving customers’ time. We are confident that these numbers will only grow as the public moves from paper based filing to the convenience and speed of online filing. This is a key step in changing how entrepreneurs interact with the Secretary of State’s office.”