Secretary Of State

A bill would give county election offices more resources and guidance to speed up the notoriously slow vote count in California. State legislators take the oath office before the results are certified.

The California Voter Foundation launched a tool tracking daily vote counts in 18 close contests for Congress and the state Legislature. The tracker aims to show how counts change over time and dispel misinformation about election fraud, the group says.

Homeless Californians face many barriers to casting a ballot, even in elections that affect their lives. Some counties and nonprofits are trying to boost turnout.

Gov. Newsom vetoes a pared-back bill to expand voter registration that wasn't the automatic sign-up that supporters originally wanted. Instead, the proposal would create a “preapproved” list for registration.

Advocates say expanding voter registration will help more Black and Latino Californians have a say at the ballot box. But other voter groups say registering to vote should still be voluntary — and they don’t see the bill as an effective way to increase voter diversity.

California is hailed as a national leader for voting access. But visually impaired voters and their advocates say they still face unnecessary barriers, despite bills and lawsuits. Some election officials raise security concerns.

A group trying to force an election to kick the Fremont Democrat out of office didn’t submit the necessary signatures in time. It and the Secretary of State’s office dispute what went wrong.

The official state voter guide comes with printing, postage and other costs. The March primary guide cost $13.2 million, with only one ballot measure. What will be the price tag for November, with many more propositions?

Reporters and the public rely on Cal-Access to track campaign fundraising, as well as how much is being spent by lobbyists. But the antiquated web portal probably won’t be replaced until at least after the 2026 statewide election.

Fifteen days after the California primary, only 16 of 58 counties have finished counting votes. While election officials say they need time to verify ballots, two new laws could help speed up the count.