Report California’s Exclusive Electorate: A New Look at Who Votes and Why It Matters By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Alyssa Dykman, Rachel Lawler Sep 16, 2019 The people who go to the polls in California are very different from those who don't—a gap that has far-reaching implications for our democracy and political future.
blog post Shorter Timeline Threatens Census Count By Eric McGhee, Jennifer Paluch Aug 11, 2020 As the in-person follow-up phase of Census 2020 gets underway, COVID-19 and an earlier-than-expected deadline pose challenges for ensuring a complete count.
blog post Video: Preparing California for the 2020 Census By Susan Gluss Apr 26, 2018 Much is at stake for California in the 2020 census—from political power to billions of federal dollars—but getting an accurate count of all Californians poses a major challenge.
blog post Interview: Citizenship and the 2020 Census By Vicki Hsieh, Eric McGhee Jun 27, 2019 With the Supreme Court blocking the Trump administration’s plans to include a citizenship question on the 2020 Census, PPIC researcher Eric McGhee discusses what the decision means for California.
blog post Motivating Californians to Fill Out the 2020 Census By Joseph Hayes Jul 24, 2019 New US Census Bureau research shows that awareness of the potential community benefits, and other factors, can improve participation in the upcoming census.
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.
Explainer Race and Diversity in the Golden State By Hans Johnson, Eric McGhee, Carolyn Subramaniam, Vicki Hsieh Oct 2, 2023 California is one of the most diverse states in the nation, but disparate outcomes persist across and within racial groups.
blog post Video: Countdown to Census 2020 By Stephanie Barton Feb 12, 2020 Secretary of state Alex Padilla and other leaders discuss why the upcoming census is so important for California and assess the state’s readiness for the count.
