We are deeply disappointed in Governor Newsom’s decision to veto SB 299 (Limón), a crucial solution that would have established Secure Automatic Voter Registration (SAVR), enfranchised millions of eligible residents, and position California as a clear leader in expanding democracy while other states are overtly suppressing voters. The Governor has missed a tremendous opportunity to address the racist legacy of voter registration in his home state.
Over the last two years, 140 organizations across California joined the California Grassroots Democracy Coalition and have steadfastly advocated for SB 299. We hoped the Governor would heed the call of community organizers, working-class, Black, Latinx, Asian American, Pacific Islander, young people–ultimately, millions of Californians seeking a voice and a vote in our state’s democratic process.
By vetoing SB 299, Governor Newsom is maintaining an unnecessary barrier to the ballot for 4.7 million eligible but unregistered voters. This veto perpetuates California’s egregious and racially segregated voter participation gap. Under the current voter registration system, over half of Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) users decline to register, partly due to users’ confusion, language barriers, or haste–rather than disinterest in voting. Voter registration was created to deter certain communities from participation, and it clearly continues to do so when California’s electorate is not representative of our state demographically.
Ultimately, the Governor chose not to invest in the Californians most impacted by systemic racism. By the intention and leadership of the author, delayed implementation of SB 299 to 2030 would not have impacted the 2024-2025 budget cycle and allowed for additional resources to be identified and secured for the measure’s success. SB 299 intended to use the existing pre-registration infrastructure established for 16 and 17-year-olds when receiving their driver’s licenses to pre-approve registration for millions of other Californians currently left out of our democracy, all while protecting non-citizens from being erroneously registered.
Our people-powered effort will continue fighting from every corner of the state to ensure that all communities and all eligible voters have access and opportunity to participate in our democracy.