With a One-Two Punch, CA Secretary of State Destroys Election Transparency

SANTA CLARITA, Calif., Oct. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --This week, California Secretary of State Alex Padilla imposed "emergency" regulations that open the door to mail ballot fraud. The regulations threaten any sense of integrity by hindering legitimate signature verification, and allowing multiple votes, even if scrawled on notecards, to be stuffed into a single mail ballot, or even plain, envelope.  In addition, Election Observation Guidelines now encourage county election officials to restrict the rights of citizen observers. Election Integrity Project California® (EIPCa) is fighting back!

On September 28, Secretary Padilla released his 14 new regulations on mail-in ballots and signature verification, developed in consultation with progressive voting advocacy groups.

A vigorous signature matching process filters out fraudulent votes. The "curing" process, allowing voters to rescue their signatures from being disallowed, should free elections officials to challenge signatures without fear of wrongfully disenfranchising legitimate voters.

Nevertheless, Secretary Padilla's new Regulation 20940(j) makes it very unlikely that any signature will be rejected by imposing a standard until now occurring only in criminal procedures. Regulation 20960(j), 20991(b)(3). (Requires two additional election officials to agree beyond a reasonable doubt, that the signatures do not match.)

The new regulations also severely limit California citizen rights to observe every aspect of the election process, ask questions and receive answers. CA Election Laws §2300(a) (9) & (10)  Also threatened is Election Code §15104 that guarantees observers close access to the processing of vote-by-mail ballots and the opportunity to challenge procedures in a "reasonable and timely manner".

Most of these new regulations are beyond the purview of the executive branch of government because they supersede California law. Any such changes may only be sanctioned by an act of the state legislature, not simply declared by executive edict. And yet, Padilla is poised to get away with this excessive and likely disastrous executive over-reach.

Regardless of the new regulations, EIPCa-trained observers will be on guard, reporting violations and giving our legal team the ammunition needed to fight ongoing manipulation of the election process. For 10 years, Election Integrity Project®California (EIPCa) has trained over 11,000 nonpartisan volunteer observers, and is on track to train approximately 2,000 California citizens to observe the November election.

Election Integrity Project®California is a nonpartisan, nonprofit public benefit corporation, tax exempt under Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3).  Contributions are tax-deductible.

For more information, visit our website at www.eip-ca.com.

SOURCE Election Integrity Project, California