Secretary of State's Office Launches
"Vote Safe California" Campaign
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With less than 100 days until Election Day, California voters are being encouraged to Vote Safe by voting-by-mail or voting early this fall. All registered California voters should begin to prepare by verifying their voter registration and signing up for ballot tracking now. The Secretary of State’s office is launching
Vote Safe California
to educate the public on the safety, security, and ease of voting in the November General Election amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Californians can:
Vote-by-Mail Ballots to be Sent to Every Active, Registered Voter
Every active, registered voter living domestically will be mailed a ballot no later than 29 days prior to Election Day. Military and Overseas voters will be mailed their ballots 45 days before Election Day.
California is well positioned to expand vote-by-mail. More than 75 percent of California voters received a vote-by-mail ballot for the March 3, 2020 Presidential Primary.
No stamps, no problem. In California, every vote-by-mail ballot comes with a prepaid postage return envelope.
Verify Voter Status and Update Voter Registration
Californians should begin to prepare for the General Election by confirming that their voter registration record is up to date. It is especially crucial that elections officials have a current registration, mailing address, and e-mail address on file. Voters can verify their registration at
VoterStatus.sos.ca.gov
and make any updates at
RegisterToVote.ca.gov
.
Expansion of Ballot Tracking Tool
The Secretary of State’s “Where’s My Ballot?” tracking tool is expanding statewide. Voters can sign up at
WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov
for automatic updates on the status of their vote-by-mail ballot by text (SMS), email, or voice call.
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Secretary of State's Office Issues Health & Safety Guidelines for
In-Person Voting Locations
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The Secretary of State has developed and issued guidelines to protect the health and safety of voters and poll workers at in-person voting locations for the November 3, 2020 General Election. These guidelines were developed in partnership with the California Department of Public Health and the California Department of Health and Human Services, and adhere to guidance from the Center for Disease Control for the COVID-19 pandemic.
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National Association of Secretaries of State Presents
California Secretary of State with 2020 IDEAS Award
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The National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) presented the 2020 IDEAS (Innovation, Dedication, Excellence and Achievement in Service) Award to the Office of the California Secretary of State for California's VoteSure program. This award recognizes significant state contributions to the mission of NASS.
The VoteSure program, launched in October 2018, is a statewide public education campaign to increase voter awareness about election misinformation online and provide official, trusted election resources. The campaign included the launch of
VoteSure.sos.ca.gov
, a web portal that consolidates important voter resources.
The award was voted on by members of NASS and announced by NASS Awards Committee co-chair and North Dakota Secretary of State Al Jaeger during the NASS 2020 Virtual Summer Conference Business Meeting on July 22, 2020.
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Secretary of State Alex Padilla Releases
Statewide Voter Information Guide for Public Review
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Secretary of State Alex Padilla made the November 3, 2020 General Election
Official Voter Information Guide available for public review
. The guide, which will be mailed to every voting household in California, includes arguments for and against Propositions 14 through 25, and other important election information such as the Voter Bill of Rights and how to find your polling place. California’s Official Voter Information Guide is available in 10 languages – English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Tagalog, Thai and Vietnamese.
The Secretary of State’s office will begin mailing the statewide Voter Information Guide to all households that have at least one registered voter beginning September 24, 2020. Audio versions and large print versions will be available as well. Additional hard copies of guides in each of the 10 languages can be requested from the Secretary of State’s Elections Division by calling (800) 345-VOTE (8683) or by email at
vigfeedback@sos.ca.gov
. An American Sign Language video of the ‘quick reference guide’ contained within the Voter Information Guide will be available online.
Registered California voters can opt-out of receiving a paper Voter Information Guide by mail and instead receive a link to the electronic version via email. Voters who are registering for the first time or updating their voter registration information can opt-out while registering online at:
https://registertovote.ca.gov/
. Voters who are already registered can opt-out at:
https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/
. Every registered voter in a household must opt-out of receiving the paper guide to ensure it is not mailed to their address.
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Secretary of State's Office and Sacramento County Elections Partner with Sacramento Kings to Transform Golden 1 Center into
Vote Center for the November 2020 General Election
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The Secretary of State's Office and Sacramento County Elections partnered with the Sacramento Kings to transform the Golden 1 Center into a Vote Center for the November 3, 2020 General Election. At this Vote Center, Californians will be able register to vote and cast their ballots while practicing social distancing. The Kings will also provide staff volunteers to serve as poll workers at the Vote Center during the eleven days it will be open to the public leading up to the General Election, October 24 to November 3. In addition to providing the arena at no cost to the County, the team will also provide free parking in the Downtown West Garage to individuals accessing the Vote Center.
In addition to making Golden 1 Center a Vote Center, the Kings are working with the California Secretary of State’s office to amplify poll worker recruitment and education efforts, increase awareness around voting timelines and requirements, and host a virtual voter registration workshop for employees.
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Secretary of State Alex Padilla Statement on
Trump's Memo on Congressional Apportionment
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Secretary of State Alex Padilla issued the following statement on
President Trump’s memo
attempting to exclude undocumented immigrants counted in the US Census from the constitutionally mandated congressional apportionment process.
“As hundreds of Americans die each day from the COVID-19 virus, and thousands more become infected, President Trump continues to play political games. Today’s directive is unconstitutional, untenable, and will be another waste of time and resources for the census. It’s another sloppy attempt by the President to demonize immigrants and undermine our democracy because he thinks it will further his personal political goals. Trump’s nativist dog whistle has turned into a bullhorn, and most Americans are tired of the act.”
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Secretary of State's Office Launches New
Uniform Commercial Code Web Portal
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The Secretary of State's Office launched a new Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) Online web portal this month. The new UCC Online allows you to conduct free searches, access free copies, file lien documents, and more. Watch the above video for more information.
The UCC Online web portal tool is the latest expansion of the Secretary of State’s
biz
file California portal.
Tools available through
biz
file California:
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Secretary Padilla Hosts Town Hall with Representative Gil Cisneros
on the U.S. Census and Voting in the 2020 General Election
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Secretary of State Alex Padilla and Representative Gil Cisneros (CA-39) hosted a town hall on July 23 on Facebook Live to discuss the U.S. Census and provide an update on how to vote in the November 3, 2020 General Election. They were joined by representatives from the U.S. Census Bureau's LA Regional Office.
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Secretary of State Assigns Numbers to November Ballot Measures
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Secretary of State Alex Padilla assigned 12 proposition numbers to the legislative, initiative, and referendum measures set to appear on the November 3, 2020 General Election ballot. The guide is mailed to every voting household in California and posted on the Secretary of State’s website.
In order to become eligible for the ballot, initiative statues needed 623,212 valid petition signatures, which is equal to five percent of the total votes cast for governor in the November 2018 General Election.
In order for constitutional amendments to become eligible for the ballot, they needed 997,139 valid petition signatures, which is equal to eight percent of the total votes cast for governor in the November 2018 General Election.
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State Archives Invites Californians to
Document Their COVID-19 Stories
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The California State Archives has
called on all Californians
to document how the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has affected their lives in a project titled: “California COVID-19 Chronicles.”
The State of California has taken proactive measures to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Government entities, hospitals, and countless others are working hard to keep their staff and the public safe while still providing critical services. During these challenging times, schools have closed and moved online, tens of thousands have lost their jobs, health care professionals are working around the clock, and statewide stay at home orders have been put in place to protect those who are most vulnerable.
The California State Archives has developed the California COVID-19 Chronicles project to document the stories and experiences of Californians during these challenging and uncertain times. The State Archives invites the public to share their story and experience
here
. Submissions will serve as an important contribution to this community memory project and will be a critical primary source so that future generations can better understand how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted Californians. Public submissions could become a part of the State Archives’ historical collections and may be featured in the online California COVID-19 Chronicle collection webpage.
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