Former California Governors Criticize State Ballot Harvesting Laws

Former California government officials and critics are challenging the state's election laws, specifically citing systemic vulnerabilities created by ballot harvesting and slow counting processes. Under current law, any person may collect and return ballots for others, a practice legalized in 2016 when Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 1921. This policy stands in contrast to previous administrations; Governors Gray Davis and Arnold Schwarzenegger both vetoed efforts to expand ballot return eligibility in 2001 and 2009, arguing that such moves invited fraud.

Recent concerns have centered on the timeline of election results. Governor Gavin Newsom recently urged state election officials to accelerate the ballot-counting process to prevent the spread of disinformation. Delays in finalizing results are attributed to several factors, including the universal mailing of ballots to all registered voters, a seven-day grace period for postmarked ballots, and a lengthy process for curing signature mismatches.

Opponents of the current system, including the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, have warned that the 2016 law promotes illegal harvesting. Conversely, organizations such as the Democratic Socialists of America have provided instructions to ballot harvesters on how to confirm candidate support and collect ballots from voters.