California becomes first state to switch November election to all-mail balloting

OAKLAND — California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday made California the first state to switch its November election to all-mail balloting due to concerns over physical participation during the coronavirus pandemic.

Most Californians already live in counties that have opted into a new universal vote-by-mail law. But state leaders and elections officials have increasingly sounded the alarm about what happened in Wisconsin’s primary, where polling places saw long lines and crowds and many voters were fearful of the health risks of having to vote in person.

Citing that “concern and anxiety around this November's election,” Newsom signed an executive order requiring counties to mail voters a ballot. He had already mandated all-mail voting for a series of special elections, including an upcoming 25th Congressional District special election Tuesday in Southern California.

Public health concerns have fueled a national push for more mail balloting in November, with California Secretary of State Alex Padilla championing the issue. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Friday that every governor should follow California.

"No voter should be forced to choose between their safety and exercising their civic duty this fall," Clinton wrote on Twitter.



https://www.politico.com/states/california/story/2020/05/08/california-becomes-first-state-to-switch-november-election-to-all-mail-balloting-1283238