(CALIFORNIA GLOBE) Under a bill proposed late last week, California would make it mandatory for all qualified and registered voters to cast a ballot for every election in their area.
Assembly Bill 2070, authored by Assemblyman Marc Levine (D-Greenbrae), also states that ballots themselves wouldn’t have to be filled in. The wording of the bill currently states that ballots can be “marked or unmarked in whole or in part.” The whole process would then be enforced under the office of the Secretary of State.
Supporters of the bill, led by Assemblyman Levine, want more voter participation and for people to care more about who is being elected. While California has made strides in recent years with the Voter’s Choice Act expanding voting times and mailing out a ballot to each registered voter, the number of registered voters is at 73% for all qualified people, with election participation among those registered dipping down below 50% in 2014 before spiking to a nearly four decade high of 64.5% in 2018.
