page Statewide Survey: About the Center Apr 19, 2017 The PPIC Statewide Survey provides a voice for the public and likely voters—informing policymakers, encouraging discussion, and raising awareness on critical issues of the day.
Report What to Expect from California’s New Motor Voter Law By Eric McGhee, Mindy Romero Jun 15, 2016 In 2015, California passed major legislation to increase the state’s voter rolls by simplifying the voter registration process. Under the New Motor Voter Act, the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will electronically transmit information about DMV customers who are eligible to vote to the California Secretary of State, which will add eligible customers to the voter rolls unless they opt out. We find that this law has the potential to significantly alter the demographic composition of the California electorate, making the population of registered voters more representative of the state as a whole. Our estimates also suggest that the new system may rapidly expand the voter rolls, adding more than 2 million new registrants in the first year. Key implementation issues will decide the impact of the New Motor Voter Act. To ensure the law’s success, the state should require DMV customers to attest to their eligibility to vote as a precondition for completing their transaction. It will also be necessary to mobilize new registrants aggressively if they are to become new voters.
Fact Sheet Voter Participation in California By Mark Baldassare, Lunna Lopes, Dean Bonner, David Kordus Sep 9, 2015
blog post Automatic Voter Registration Is No Panacea By Mark Baldassare May 6, 2015 There’s no question that automatic voter registration would swell California’s voter rolls. But would it significantly increase turnout?
blog post Testimony: Four Important Questions about Voting in California By Eric McGhee Mar 30, 2015 Low voter registration is about more than administrative hurdles. Many of the people who do not register are expressing a deeper disengagement from politics and public life.
blog post The Special Election and the Top-Two Primary By Eric McGhee Mar 19, 2015 The "top-two” primary rules have changed the contest for a Bay Area state senate seat.