In The News

Capitol Alert: Election workers get protection + Biden gets sued + Crime is a problem, Californians say

Excerpted from the Sacramento Bee

By Andrew Sheeler

"With Election Day six weeks away, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a bill intended to protect election workers from harassment.

SB 1131, by Sen. Josh Newman, D-Fullerton, gives election workers the option of keeping their home addresses confidential. The signing comes as they face threats and harassment, particularly from deniers of the 2020 presidential election results. As the bill has an urgency measure, it goes into effect immediately. “One of the byproducts of an increasingly hostile and polarized political environment has been an alarming rise in threats to election workers and other civil servants,” Newman said in a statement. “With midterm elections nearing, the safety and peace of mind of hardworking election workers should be a top priority.”

According to a 2021 report from the Brennan Center for Justice, a sponsor of the bill, a third of local election officials say that they are concerned about harassment or pressure on the job and feel unsafe as a result. One in six say they have been threatened. The bill allows election workers to enroll in the California Secretary of State’s Office “Safe At Home” program, designed to protect survivors of domestic violence and people who work at abortion clinics. Alternatively, they may enroll in a program that allows state and local agencies to respond to public records requests without disclosing the address of the election worker."

Read the full article here