Resources and Updates from the Governor of California and the Centers for Disease Control
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California is responding to the spread of a respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) being reported internationally and in the United States. California is actively working with the White House, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), local governments, health facilities, and health care providers across the state to prepare and protect Californians from COVID-19.
For the most up to date information on COVID-19 from the California Department of Public Health, visit:
cdph.ca.gov/covid19
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Secretary of State Sacramento Public Counters Closed during
COVID-19 Pandemic
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As the State of California fights the spread of COVID-19, the Secretary of State’s office in Sacramento will be closing public counters effective March 20, 2020. The Secretary of State’s offices in both Sacramento and Los Angeles will remain open with limited staff, and critical functions and services provided by the Secretary of State will continue. The public will still be able to drop-off documents at the Secretary of State’s offices. Members of the public are encouraged to use the Secretary of State’s online services or contact staff by email or phone for assistance.
Business Programs Division
While the public counters at the Sacramento office will be closed, there will be document drop-off boxes in the first floor rotunda. Anyone with questions about business filings can contact the Business Programs Division staff at (916) 657-5448. The Secretary of State’s online business filing tools are available at
bizfile.sos.ca.gov
.
The Secretary of State’s Los Angeles office will remain open with limited staff and services processing apostilles and domestic partnership agreements. Los Angeles will handle traffic by helping 2 customers at a time while other customers wait on the second floor until their number is called.
Archives Division
The Archives research room will be closed to the public. Anyone looking for assistance with research can submit their request to
archivesweb@sos.ca.gov
.
Political Reform Division
While the public counter is closed, there will be document drop-off boxes in the first floor rotunda. Anyone with questions about campaign finance or lobbying activities can contact the Political Reform staff at (916) 653-6224.
Elections Division
While the public counter is closed, there will be a document drop-off box in the first floor rotunda. It may take up to 2 business days to process certain requests, such as bulk orders of voter registration cards. Voters can find almost all tools they need to register to vote, check their voter registration status, and make a plan to vote by visiting vote.ca.gov.
Secretary of State Division Public Contact Information
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Governor Newsom Extends Canvass Period for March 3, 2020 Presidential Primary Election and Requires Counties to Mail Every Voter a Ballot for Special Elections
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California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed an executive order requiring county elections officials to mail a ballot to every registered voter in
Congressional District 25
(Los Angeles/Ventura) and
Senate District 28 (Riverside)
for the upcoming May 12, 2020 Special General Elections. The Executive Order also extends the canvass period for the March 3, 2020 Presidential Primary Election by 21 days to April 24, 2020.
March 3, 2020 Presidential Primary Canvass Period
County elections offices throughout the state continue to process and count ballots from the March 3, 2020 Presidential Primary Election. Counties must also conduct post-election audits to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the ballot tabulation. Elections offices that have faced staffing shortages during the COVID-19 Pandemic may have difficulties meeting the original deadline of April 3, 2020 to complete their vote counting and auditing. The new deadline for counties to certify their results is April 24, 2020. The Secretary of State will certify statewide results by May 1, 2020.
May 12, 2020 Special General Elections and April 7, 2020 Special Recall Election in Westminster
County elections officials will send a vote-by-mail ballot to every registered voter for these elections. All vote-by-mail ballots come with prepaid postage return envelopes. Additionally the executive order encourages county elections officials to provide in-person voting opportunities on and before Election Day to the extent feasible.
Election Results:
With voting in the 2020 California Primary concluded, you can find results for Presidential, Congressional, and Legislative elections at:
http://electionresults.sos.ca.gov/
Results will be updated on an ongoing basis as we receive reports from counties.
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California Secretary of State Alex Padilla Statement on Election Funding in Proposed Federal Stimulus Package
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“We cannot have a functioning economy if we do not have a functioning democracy. $400 million for election administration represents less than one half of one percent of the proposed $2 trillion stimulus package. This is, frankly, not enough. The stakes have never been higher for us to deliver elections that are safe for all voters, poll workers, and elections personnel. State and local elections officials on the frontlines of our democracy must be fully equipped to maintain free, fair, and accessible elections.”
Notable Coverage:
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Secretary Padilla Tells KQED California Will Be Ready for the November General Election
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Secretary Padilla spoke with Marisa Lagos from KQED to talk about California's preparation for the November General Election amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It's important to recognize that throughout our nation's history, voters have gone to the polls in times of peace, in times of war, in good economic times, during economic recessions, including the Great Depression and even during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic,” said Secretary Padilla. “We've had our share of challenges over the years, but our democracy has proven to be resilient. And I think it's with that spirit that we look at how to best prepare for this November's election.”
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Secretary Padilla Hosts Town Halls with Members of Congress on Election Security, the 2020 Primary, and the U.S. Census
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Secretary of State Alex Padilla hosted a series of town halls with members of Congress to emphasize the importance of achieving a complete count in the U.S. Census. A number of the town halls also discussed the importance of the security of our elections, and what measures state and local elections officials have in place to ensure the integrity of our elections.
In February, the Secretary traveled to Santa Clara, Fresno, Santa Barbara, and Orange counties to speak alongside Representatives TJ Cox, Mike Levin, Anna Eshoo, Zoe Lofgren, Gil Cisneros, and Salud Carabajal about preparations for the 2020 Presidential Primary and encourage their constituents to participate in the 2020 Census to ensure a complete count.
Achieving a complete count will require dedicated outreach to hard-to-count communities. In preparation for that effort, the Secretary of State’s office has created fact sheets for 25
Hard-to-Reach California Counties
.
Notable Coverage:
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Secretary Padilla Joins Showrunners of "One Day At A Time" to Discuss the Importance of the 2020 Census
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Secretary Alex Padilla joined the showrunners (executive producers) of "One Day At A Time" to discuss the importance of the 2020 Census. Secretary Padilla emphasized how census figures will determine California's congressional representation and federal funding for the next 10 years, highlighting how critical it is to ensure an accurate count.
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Secretary Padilla Announces That 500,000 Teens
Have Pre-Registered Since Launch
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Secretary Alex Padilla issued a new report showing more than 500,000 California
16- and 17-year-olds have now taken advantage of voter pre-registration since the program launched in fall 2016. Teens who pre-register to vote have their registration automatically activated when they turn 18. As of February 3, 2020, there were 156,022 pre-registered 16- and 17-year-olds.
“Whenever I talk to high students it is clear that they care about their communities and democracy,” Secretary of State Alex Padilla said. “Pre-registration provides a platform for young people to begin entering the electoral process before they reach 18. I am so proud that pre-registration has now helped over a half million California teens take their first steps into the democratic process. I am challenging California teens, school administrators, and parents to help us add another 100,000 pre-registrations by the November 2020 General Election.”
Eligible 16- and 17-year-olds can pre-register to vote online at
RegisterToVote.ca.gov
. Secretary Padilla has visited 82 high schools to promote pre-registration, taking his message across the state. The Secretary of State’s office has also created web portal,
HighSchool.sos.ca.gov
with resources for teens to organize their own pre-registration drives on their campus and in their community.
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Secretary Alex Padilla Awarded the Edward R. Roybal Award for Outstanding Public Service by NALEO
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On March 11,
Secretary Padilla
was presented by the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (
NALEO
) with the Edward R. Roybal Award for Outstanding Public Service. Named after NALEO’s founder and President Emeritus, this award annually recognizes public servants devoted to the nation and the Latino community. U.S. Senator Kamala Harris and U.S. Representative Lucille Roybal-Allard provided tribute remarks as Secretary Padilla was honored with the award.
“NALEO is honored to acknowledge Secretary Padilla’s contributions to our organization and his dedication to uplifting the Latino community throughout his career,” stated Ricardo Lara, NALEO President and California Insurance Commissioner. “As the first Latino and youngest person elected president of the Los Angeles City Council, Padilla set an example early in his career of what members of our community can accomplish. From his work in local government, to his tenure in the California State Senate, to his current role as California’s Secretary of State, Secretary Padilla has been an exemplary model of leadership and service.”
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Secretary of State Alex Padilla Releases Report on Women on Boards
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Secretary of State Alex Padilla issued the second report on corporations’ compliance with Women on Boards (Senate Bill 826). The March 2020 Report saw an increase in corporations reporting that they have at least one female director on their board, with 282 publicly held corporations reporting compliance compared to 173 in the July 2019 Report.
"Having corporate leadership that is representative of California is an important step in ensuring an equitable economy and inclusive California,” Secretary of State Alex Padilla said. “We are excited to see the increase in publicly held corporations adding women to their boards. We look forward to analyzing the data that we have collected to date.”
The March 2020 Report can be found on the Secretary of State’s webpage -
womenonboards.sos.ca.gov
– which includes reports on the corporations that have indicated compliance with SB 826 as well as the universe of identified companies that will have to comply with this law. Methodology and additional resources are available as well.
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