Octobber 2021
ENGAGE!
CID Newsletter
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Happy Fall!
Usually, the spring and summer after a presidential general election is a quieter time of year for election and voting-related news. Yet that hasn’t been the case for 2021, given the many voting bills being considered around the U.S., as well as California’s own gubernatorial recall election last month.
As we expected, the recall election generated a tremendous amount of interest and conversation, as political pundits at both the state and national level weighed in about whether the Governor would retain his seat. Polls varied widely up until the end, with the Governor ultimately prevailing by a wider margin than many had predicted. Recall election results were officially certified by the California Secretary of State today.
The conversation around recall reforms also turned more concrete this month, when California Assemblymember and Chair of the Assembly Committee on Elections, Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park), along with State Senator Steve Glazer (D-Orinda), announced plans for bipartisan joint hearings to explore ways that the recall process might be changed or improved in the state.
The two legislators raise questions about whether a system designed in the early 20th Century has enough checks and balances to ensure democratic and fair elections. CID will be tracking those discussions closely in the weeks ahead.
To learn more about the history of California's recall process, and to learn from expert pollsters about public opinion on the recall and potential reforms, see the first in a series of public hearings on California's recall system conducted by the Little Hoover Commission.
Mindy Romero, Ph.D.
Director
Center for Inclusive Democracy
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Remembering Scott Lay (1972-2021)
We were deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Scott Lay, a well-known, highly respected and driving force in helping shape and inform politics in Sacramento.
While Scott’s interest in California politics and government began early in his career, it was his co-founding of The Roundup—a daily email digest of California political news and information—and later The Nooner that helped bring about a new era of state political news for all of us. Scott’s curiosity, diligence and smart reporting changed how we got information about happenings at the State Capitol.
We will greatly miss his updates and insights, his passion, and his dedication. In his honor, the Scott Lay Memorial Scholarship has been created for students at Orange Coast College. Read more in this tribute from Capitol Weekly. |
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As Arizona election review ends, new ones begin |
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An Arizona “audit" of the 2020 presidential election showed that President Biden beat former President Donald Trump by an even larger margin than in the official vote count. Following this result, the GOP continues to pursue election reviews in other states. The Los Angeles Times examines where this is happening and why.
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California is now permanently a vote-by-mail state as Gavin Newsom signs bill |
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California Governor Gavin Newsom late last month approved a bill that requires county election officials to mail all active registered voters a Vote-by-Mail ballot for all elections. This permanently extends the practice that was temporarily put into place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Voters can still choose to vote in-person at physical voting locations if needed or preferred. |
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Idaho vote recount disproves 'Big Lie' about a stolen presidential election |
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Idaho was among several states recently in the national spotlight, fighting accusations of fraud in the 2020 presidential election in the state. On September 30, the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office reported that a recount of votes cast turned up no evidence of manipulation or tampering, reaffirming that Idaho’s election was safe and secure. |
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The Brennan Center for Justice has released a new fact sheet on the Freedom to Vote Act. The act would protect elections from interference, dark money, partisan gerrymandering, and voter suppression.
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A new white paper commissioned by the Democracy Fund and authored by Astrid Ochoa, former Executive Director of FoCE, highlights the success — and learnings — of the FoCE model and best practices for those interested in building cross-sector collaborative networks in other states.
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The Carter Center published “The Big Lie and Big Tech,” a new report that details the role played by “repeat offenders”—media known to repeatedly publish false and misleading information—in spreading election fraud narratives in online echo chambers during the 2020 election.
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California Public Utilities Commission and Civic Engagement |
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On Oct. 1, Director Mindy Romero spoke to the California Public Utilities Commission about voting rights and electoral participation, and about Latino voting behavior and processes that impact this group’s voter turnout. |
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As California Governor Gavin Newsom was making his final push during the state's recall election, reporter Anthony Pura interviewed Mindy Romero on the significance and potential implications of the recall election to the state and nation overall.
Although Latinos are a growing share of voters in California elections, they still remain largely underrepresented among California voters, said Mindy Romero.
Mindy Romero tells Capitol Public Radio that the recall went down strictly along party lines, with very little crossover. “This breakout right now that we’re seeing isn’t a reflection on everyone being satisfied with Newsom,” she said. “It’s a reflection of the party dynamics that we have in California.”
In this AP story on the five takeaways on Newsom surviving the California recall, CID Director Romero notes that the recall was the second election in a row where GOP contentions of voter fraud surfaced, even while ballots were still being cast.
This article looks at what Governor Newsom’s victory means for California. Mindy Romero comments that since rival candidate Larry Elder was aligned with the polarizing part of California’s GOP, that polarization didn’t help the party win over independents, much less Democrats, and won’t in future elections.
Mindy Romero comments on the impact of voter turnout on the 2021 recall election, and implications in the event of low participation among Democrats.
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Many of our partners and supporters are hiring. Check out the job opportunities below: |
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Share Your Democracy Research with CID |
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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!
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Center for Inclusive Democracy |
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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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