September 2021
ENGAGE!
CID Newsletter
CID News
A Message from our Director

While voter turnout in the 2020 General Election made historic gains, the method by which Californians decided to cast their ballot last November was equally noteable.
 
CID’s newest study, “California’s Changing Electorate: A 2020 Post Election Analysis of Voting Behavior” details evolving voting behaviors in California. The study also includes results from a recent survey of eligible California voters, which provides additional insights on changing voter preferences. 

My OpEd in Cal Matters this week explains why this new information is important for informing future election reforms in California, including policy debates about making vote-by-mail and drop box options permanent for voters throughout the state. The editorial makes the case for why voter education needs to improve if elections are to be fully representative for all groups.
 
Our press release on the new study provides highlights of key findings, and the full report can be accessed here. Happy reading!
 
Mindy Romero, Ph.D.
Director
Center for Inclusive Democracy
Voting and the Recall
With the Sept. 14 California gubernatorial recall just days away, Your Guide to the 2021 Recall Election in California from the Los Angeles Times provides all you need to know about voting in next week’s election.
Reminder: As announced in July, CID’s web-based Voting Location Siting Tool for California has been updated with new statewide data collected during the 2020 general election. The Tool helps election officials identify optimal voting and ballot drop box locations that best serve voters. The data provided by the Tool can also be used to support voter education and outreach efforts, including those for Tuesday's recall election.
CID Presentations
Tune into Capitol Public Radio’s “Insight” Program on Tuesday, Sept. 14, for live coverage of the 2021 Recall Election results. CID’s Mindy Romero will be among the analysts providing commentary on the election returns and answering caller questions.
Democracy News
Texas governor signs new GOP voting restrictions into law
Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed an elections overhaul bill into law this week that adds more voting restrictions in the state. The approval comes after Democrats spent months protesting what they say are efforts to weaken minority turnout and preserve the GOP’s eroding dominance.
Election workers are under attack. A group of lawyers plans to defend them.
A bipartisan group of attorneys announced this week that they have formed an organization to help voting officials fight back against death threats, conspiracy theories and legal penalties for minor mistakes. The Election Official Legal Defense Network is the first organization of its kind aimed at providing pro-bono legal help and advice to election officials.
New Democracy Research
PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government
This August 2021 PPIC statewide survey shows that California voters favoring a recall of Governor Newsom still falls short of a majority. The survey also reveals voters’ mixed reviews about the “state of the state” in light of lifted COVID restrictions on June 15, drought and serious wildfires, and a COVID surge as schools and colleges reopen for the fall semester.
CID in the Media

Balance of Power host David Westin interviews Mindy Romero about the California recall and its implications on national politics and the 2022 midterm elections. (Interview starts at 25:08 mark of the show).

This story examines the potential impact of vote-by-mail for the 2021 California gubernatorial recall election, citing CID’s newest study on voting behaviors and findings that 87.5% of California voters used the VBM option during the 2020 General Election.

Mindy Romero tells the Associated Press that the California recall election is the result of a “perfect storm” of events, including the governor’s French Laundry incident, ongoing COVID concerns and other issues impacting California’s economy.

With polls showing that more women than men support keeping Gavin Newsom in office, Mindy Romero says that in recent weeks the governor has brought increased urgency to issues that women care about.

Mindy Romero calls the California recall election a rallying cry for many groups in California and the nation. She notes to the Christian Science Monitor that it represents an opportunity for Republicans candidates running against the governor to raise their national profiles.

Mindy Romero comments on the impact of voter turnout on the 2021 recall election, and implications in the event of low participation among Democrats.

Cal Matters speculates on the impact that young voters might have on the upcoming recall election in California, citing CID’s report on the youth vote that showed 64% of 18 to 24-year-olds were registered for the November 2020 election. But while the voter turnout among eligible 18 to 24-year-olds rose to 48% in 2020, it was still the lowest of any age group.
Employment Opportunities
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Share Your Democracy Research with CID
CID is interested in broadening awareness of new research on elections, voting, civic engagement and related issues. Have research to share? Just send a short write-up to Alexander Richardson at ar04928@price.usc.edu for consideration. Thanks for reading and staying engaged! 
Center for Inclusive Democracy
The Center for Inclusive Democracy (CID), formerly known as the California Civic Engagement Project (CCEP), is part of the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy and is based in Sacramento. CID conducts a range of national and multi-state research initiatives exploring voting behavior, civic engagement, electoral and economic research, the intersection of social justice and democracy, and more. Its research informs and empowers a wide range of policy and organizing efforts aimed at eliminating disparities in social and economic well-being. Now a cornerstone project nested within CID’s larger umbrella, the CCEP continues to produce groundbreaking resources and research for California.
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