CVF in the News

Why younger voters are the most likely to have their absentee ballots rejected

By Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet, September 17, 2020

Excerpts:

As half or more of the 2020 presidential election’s votes will be cast on mailed-out ballots, a new study on why absentee ballots were rejected in three urban California counties in 2018 reveals why young voters’ ballots were rejected at triple the rate of all voters.

Nationally, it is well known that absentee ballots arriving after state deadlines, problems with a voter’s signature on the return envelope not matching their voter registration form, or a missing signature account for more than half of all rejected ballots, as the latest federal statistics affirm. But a new California Voter Foundation (CVF) study reveals the most likely causes behind those errors, especially for young voters.

Study Finds Young Voters More Likely to Have Mail Ballots Rejected

By Guy Marzorati, KQED, September 14, 2020

Excerpts:

Young voters are more likely to have their mail ballots rejected than older voters, according to a study out Monday examining voting in Sacramento, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties in the 2018 general election.

The research published by the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation highlights one of the greatest challenges for California's shift towards expanded vote-by-mail this election: the number of ballots that are returned, but not counted because they were mailed too late or lacked an accurate voter signature.

"One of the big changes of vote-by-mail is it shifts the responsibility for getting it right when we vote from the poll worker to the voter," said Kim Alexander, president of the California Voter Foundation.

Fixing America’s Aging Election Technology

By Josh Robin, Spectrum News 1, September 3, 2020

Excerpts:

Americans may turn out in record numbers this election.

But breaking the U.S. record would still leave us far from the top compared to the world’s other democracies.

As it stands now, we’re not even particularly close when it comes to turnout.

In the last presidential election, a bit more than 55 percent of the voting-age population cast a ballot, well below the global leaders Belgium, Sweden, and Denmark – all around 85 percent.

The participation rates have long caught the interest of public officials – with the middling turnout pinned on the often cumbersome nature of voting, a lack of civic classes in the school curriculum, and even apathy.

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That is the theory in Los Angeles, where voting officials have spent the last decade revamping the way elections are done.

Instagram Posts Make False Claim California Voters Will Be ‘Turned Away’ From Polls Due To Mail-In Voting

By Chris Nichols, Capitol Public Radio, September 1, 2020

Excerpts:

Widely-shared posts on Instagram on Monday claimed California voters would be “turned away” from in-person polling places on Election Day unless they change their voting preference to “No mail-in voting.”

Election experts quickly rejected that message.

We examined the details in this fact check.

Our research

The social media posts include an image of Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and allege he changed the voting preference for “EVERY single voter in CA” to “vote by mail.” It goes on to claim that this move will lead to people being turned away at polling places unless they make a change to their voter preference.

California voters who go to the polls to vote in person will be “TURNED AWAY & CANNOT VOTE” unless they change their voting preference to “NO to mail in voting.

By Chris Nichols, PolitiFact, August 31, 2020

Excerpts:

Widely-shared posts on Instagram on Monday claimed California voters would be "turned away" from in-person polling places on Election Day unless they change their voting preference to "No mail-in voting."

Election experts quickly rejected that message.

We examined the details in this fact check.

Our research

The social media posts include an image of Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and allege he changed the voting preference for "EVERY single voter in CA" to "vote by mail." It goes on to claim that this move will lead to people being turned away at polling places unless they make a change to their voter preference.

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How To Vote This November

Hosted by Mina KIm, KQED Forum, August 27, 2020

With the 2020 election just over two months away, it’s time to start thinking about the logistics of voting. To make voting easier and safer during the pandemic, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill back in May to mail every active registered voter a ballot. But many voters have concerns, such as questions about signature requirements and how to cast a ballot if you’re experiencing homelessness or displacement and don’t have a mailing address. These issues are compounded by the pressure put on the already-struggling U.S. Postal Service to handle an expected record number of mail-in ballots. We’ll answer your questions on how to vote this November.

Guest: Kim Alexander, president and founder, California Voter Foundation
(Full Audio)

Mail-voting fraud? That’s not what keeps election officials up at night

By John Wilkens, The San Diego Union-Tribune, August 23, 2020

Excerpts:

When it comes to mail ballots, it’s not fraud that vexes election officials. It’s human nature.

People procrastinate.

That’s a problem as California prepares amid the COVID-19 pandemic to mail a ballot to every registered voter in the state for November’s presidential election.

The ballots go out the week of Oct. 5 and have to be returned by Election Day, Nov. 3. Some people who wait until the last minute think that means they’re OK if they put it in a mailbox on that date. But that’s not the rule.

Ballots have to be postmarked by Election Day, and they have to arrive no later than 17 days after that date at the county Registrar of Voters office or they won’t get counted.

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Mail-in Ballots: 3 Things to Know

My58/KCRA News, August 6, 2020

Navigating 2020's Turbulent Election Season

By Keith Menconi KCBS Radio August 6, 2020

Description

With no end in sight for the Covid-19 pandemic, the November elections are shaping up to be an unprecedented test of the nation’s voting system. So, on this edition of KCBS In Depth, as election officials surge vote by mail systems and harden polling places, we take a closer look at the effort to create a socially distanced election. Then in the second half we speak with a longtime election reform advocate about what voters need to know to make sure their votes do indeed get counted this fall.

Guests:

Nate Persily, a Stanford law professor, who earlier this year helped launch the Stanford-MIT Healthy Elections Project

Kim Alexander, the president of the California Voter Foundation

Host: Keith Menconi

(Full Audio)

State: California voters can 'absolutely trust' mail-in voting system

By Stephanie Lin, KCRA, August 5, 2020

Excerpts:

California is moving forward with plans to distribute millions of mail-in ballots to registered voters for the November election, despite continued political assaults by President Donald Trump claiming the process is unsafe.

KCRA 3 brought the allegations to Secretary of State Alex Padilla, who oversees election administration in California.

"Voters can absolutely trust the vote-by-mail system we have in California," said Padilla. "It's sad, frankly, that Trump continues to attack vote-by-mail and confidence in our elections more broadly."

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