CALIFORNIA—On Thursday, June 18 the Governor of California, Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill (AB) 860, which will ensure every registered California voter with a mailing address receives their ballot in the mail for the upcoming November election. The governor signed the bill in the interest of public safety and equal access to voting in the era of the Coronavirus.
The law does not prohibit voters from voting in-person if they choose, and it only applies to the 2020 general election. Additionally, AB 860 extends the time that county officials have to count received ballots by two weeks.
The governor previously attempted to implement the state wide vote by mail in May 2020, but Assemblymen James Gallagher (R-Nicolaus) and Kevin Kiley (R-Rocklin) legally challenged the attempt, claiming that it should be done by the legislature rather than an executive order.
On Thursday, AB 860 passed the California Assembly by a bipartisan vote of 68-5.
“No one should have to risk their health and possibly their life to exercise their constitutional right to vote,” said Assemblyman Marc Berman, to the SF Chronicle. The Palo Alto Democrat carried AB 860. “This will ensure that every California voter has the option to vote from the safety of their own home.”
Assemblymen Gallagher and Kiley, legislators who recently challenged the governor’s order, were among the 68 who supported the bill with an amendment to exclude non-voters from receiving ballots. The following Assembly members, Bill Brough, Vince Fong, Devon Mathis, Jim Patterson and Marie Waldron, all Republicans, voted against the bill.
