Gov. Newsom Signs Bill To Make Pandemic-Era Mail-In Voting Permanent In California

SACRAMENTO (BCN/CBS SF) -- Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Monday to make permanent the state's pandemic-era process of mailing an election ballot to every active registered voter in the state.

The law, Assembly Bill 37, will continue the state's mail voting practice that began during the November 2020 election and continued to this month's failed election to recall Newsom from office.

California joins Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Vermont and Hawaii as state's that send a ballot to all registered voters by default.

"Last year we took unprecedented steps to ensure all voters had the opportunity to cast a ballot during the pandemic and today we are making those measures permanent after record-breaking participation in the 2020 presidential election," Newsom said in a statement.

Voters will still have the option to forfeit their mail-in ballot if they want to vote in person.

State residents can register to vote at https://registertovote.ca.gov.

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