Protecting Your Right and the Ability to Vote

The right to vote means little if eligible citizens cannot cast a ballot and have it counted. That is why the League of Women Voters has long defended both election integrity and access to the ballot box. Recent federal demands directed at California make this distinction especially important.

On October 15, the U.S. Department of Justice sued California after identifying more than 20,000 registered voters it considers “likely noncitizens.” It asked California election officials to separate any ballots cast by people on its list and not count them until citizenship was verified. Noncitizens may not vote in federal elections, and allegations of unlawful voting deserve careful investigation. But a list of suspected ineligible voters is not evidence that 20,000 fraudulent ballots have been cast.

What safeguards does California provide? First, only eligible citizens may register, and voters attest to their eligibility. Election officials check ballot-envelope signatures against voter records and have procedures to prevent duplicate votes. The state also requires paper ballots or voter-verifiable paper records and post-election audits. Election security and voting rights are complementary obligations, not competing goals.

Equally important, California makes voting feasible for people with demanding schedules, disabilities, language barriers, or registration problems. Every active registered voter receives a mailed ballot, which can be returned by mail, at an official drop box, or in person. In Santa Clara County, voters may use any county vote center, including locations open before Election Day. Eligible residents who missed the regular registration deadline may still register and vote through November 3; their eligibility is checked before their ballots are counted.

California’s Voter Bill of Rights also protects voters whose names are missing from the rolls: they may cast provisional ballots, which count when eligibility is confirmed. Voters can obtain assistance, cast secret ballots free from intimidation, and correct missing or mismatched signatures rather than automatically lose their votes. The state’s “Where’s My Ballot?” service lets voters follow their mail ballots from mailing through counting.

The League’s ask is straightforward: investigate credible evidence of illegal voting, but do not disenfranchise eligible voters based on unverified claims. Protecting democracy requires both confidence that only lawful ballots count and confidence that every eligible voter’s ballot will count.

With Election Day on November 3, we urge every eligible voter to exercise this fundamental right and help others understand their voting options. Protecting the right to vote is a responsibility we all share.

As the late Congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis reminded us:

“The vote is precious. It’s almost sacred. It is the most powerful nonviolent instrument or tool that we have in a democratic society.”