In 2015, California was one of the first states to propose and ultimately adopt a new voter registration program that automatically registers eligible driver license or identification card applicants at the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles. 

A new study by CID to be released March 30 examines the California New Motor Voter (CNMV) program, how it and other registration methods have impacted registration rolls and voter turnout, and whether the program has proven effective in engaging different voting populations, particularly communities of color. 

Join CID Director Mindy Romero, along with research contributors Eric McGhee, senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) and Anna Meier, CID research associate, as they reveal and discuss the report’s findings.  

On March 15, CID held the fourth and final webinar in its “Behind Closed Doors” series, a multi-part exploration of the nation’s entrenched relationship between racism and politics, brought into the spotlight following the secret recording of an LA City redistricting meeting last fall. 

CID’s webinar this month, entitled “Behind Closed Doors: How Communities Move Forward Toward Dismantling the Relationship Between Political Manipulation and Racism,” focused on not just how communities reacted to the secret recordings, but what can be done moving forward to drive real change.

Joining the final webinar in the series was Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, who represents the Los Angeles City Council 1st District. “I think the recordings agitated the community in a way that reengaged…brought coalitions and communities together,” she said, offering what she viewed as a potential opportunity and momentum to drive new policies and long-term solutions. 

Liam Chen, executive director of Khmer Girls in Action, and Peggy Moore, principal and co-owner of Hope Action Change Counseling, agreed. 

“If we can lift up, do some follow through…create real deliverables for our community, that’s what I envision we can do,” said Moore.  

The webinar series was hosted in conjunction with the USC Price School, the California Black Freedom Fund, the Latino Community Foundation and the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund.

View the webinar highlights here or full session.  

Stay tuned for a highlight composite coming next month of the full webinar series. 

This virtual town hall organized by CA Assemblymember Laura Freidman (D-14) will explore deep fakes, their impact on trust in government and democracy, what can be done to protect these institutions and how information can be better vetted as technology evolves. 

The town hall will take place March 22, 2023 

at 6:00 p.m. PT. Panelists will include:

First-time Latino voters are outpacing first-time non-Latino voters in Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada, New York and Texas. Nonpartisan and unaffiliated Latino voters are on the verge of becoming one of the biggest swing voter groups in the U.S. — raising the stakes for early and regular engagement from both parties.

Election officials from states enrolled in a bipartisan effort to ensure accurate voter lists decided on March 17 against making rule changes pushed by some Republicans, who questioned the funding and purpose of the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC). The rejection of any rule changes has prompted more GOP-leaning states to opt out of the ERIC system. 

Former President Trump is moving to block a Georgia investigation into his efforts to influence the outcome of the 2020 election, seeking to bar the use of any evidence presented to a grand jury reviewing the matter.

After soaring in 2018 compared with the previous midterm, voter turnout in the 2022 midterm elections for the U.S. House of Representatives retracted. Nationwide, nearly 107.7 million valid votes were cast in the 2022 House elections, representing about 45.1% of the estimated voting-eligible population. That was down from 48.1% turnout in 2018, when midterm voting reached levels not seen in more than a century.

A new report posits that Republicans are gaining footholds in some California electoral districts where Latinos make up the majority population, a finding from 2022 election data and a development that might concern some Democrats moving forward. CID’s Mindy Romero commented, “A lot of people working in Latino communities across the state are trying to grapple with not only lower turnout, but why.”