SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park) and Senator Tom Umberg (D-Orange County) released the following statements in response to Sutter County Superior Court Judge Perry Parker’s issuance of a temporary restraining order blocking Governor Newsom’s recent executive order that requires California voters to be mailed vote-by-mail ballots for the November General election and requires counties to make available a minimum number of polling places for voters to vote in person:
"Today's lawsuit challenging the legality of Governor Newsom's Executive Order is exactly why, two days after the election debacle in Wisconsin in early April, I introduced legislation to require that every California voter receive a ballot in the mail for this November's General Election,” said Assemblymember Marc Berman. “Chaos reigned in Wisconsin, where Governor Evers' Executive Order was overturned by the Wisconsin Supreme Court just days before their primary election, creating confusion over what the voting rules were and leading to the disenfranchisement of thousands of voters. While I am confident that Governor Newsom's Executive Order would prevail in California, the passage of AB 860 will provide certainty for our voters and our elections officials. I am proud that AB 860 received strong bipartisan support in the Senate, and I look forward to debating the bill in the Assembly and sending it on to Governor Newsom for his signature next week."
“We should be confident that AB 860, and SB 423, will pass through the legislature and reaffirm the important goal of protecting the right to vote for all Californians,” said Senator Tom Umberg. “We should continue with preparations to provide every registered voter a ballot in a timely manner, and also provide safe and sanitary in-person voting locations. I commend Governor Newsom’s leadership for adopting these bills into an executive order."
Earlier this year, Assemblymember Marc Berman introduced AB 860, which would require every registered voter in California to be mailed a ballot for the 2020 General Election. Senator Tom Umberg (D-Orange County) introduced SB 423, which would ensure that county elections officials establish and maintain a minimum number of polling places and vote centers for the November 3rd election.
Contact: Kaitlin Curry, (916) 319-2024