Governor Newsom signs legislation to further protect California elections from interference and intimidation

Trump’s attacks on democracy

Trump and his allies have spent years attacking the foundations of American democracy and undermining confidence in free and fair elections. After losing the 2020 election, Trump pressured state officials to overturn certified results — including infamously demanding Georgia’s Secretary of State “find” enough votes to reverse the outcome — while simultaneously promoting false claims of widespread voter fraud that were rejected by courts, election officials on both sides of the aisle, and even members of his own administration. He backed the fake electors scheme in multiple battleground states, pressured former Vice President Mike Pence to block certification of the Electoral College vote despite lacking any constitutional authority to do so, and later granted sweeping clemency to individuals connected to the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol that sought to stop the peaceful transfer of power. 

Trump and his allies have also fueled voter intimidation efforts through repeated false claims about noncitizen voting, pushed aggressive voter roll purges, deployed armed federal personnel near election sites, and sought access to voting systems, ballots, voter data, and election equipment — including the seizure of ballots in Fulton County.

Safeguarding the right to vote

Since taking office, Governor Newsom has taken aggressive action to protect voting rights, strengthen election security, and defend democratic institutions from political interference. Since 2019, California has expanded voter access through universal vote-by-mail, increased protections against voter intimidation and election misinformation, strengthened cybersecurity protections for election infrastructure, and invested in safeguarding election workers from threats and harassment. Last fall, Governor Newsom signed legislation to keep dirty money out of California’s democracy and prevent election “sweepstakes” — where billionaires attempt to buy elections.