SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park), Chair of the Assembly Committee on Elections and Redistricting, has announced he will introduce legislation to require that all registered California voters be mailed a ballot for the 2020 General Election.
“Californians should not have to risk their health – and possibly their lives – in order to exercise their constitutional right to vote in this November’s election,” said Assemblymember Berman. “The reality is that with the COVID-19 pandemic, we do not know what social distancing guidelines will be in place or whether or not the virus will make a resurgence in the fall. While we hope for the best, we must plan for the worst and avoid the debacle we witnessed in Wisconsin earlier this week. Guaranteeing that every California voter will have the opportunity to fill out their ballot in the safety of their own home is not only the smartest option, it should really be the primary option for how we conduct the General Election.”
Assemblymember Berman will amend his existing bill, AB 860, to require that every registered California voter receive a vote by mail ballot for this November’s presidential general election. Limited in-person voting opportunities would remain available for voters in a manner that is consistent with the need to protect the health and safety of voters and election workers.
For the March 2020 statewide primary election, approximately 78% of California’s registered voters received a ballot in the mail.
Contact: Kaitlin Curry, (916) 319-2024