page PPIC Events Apr 30, 2017 Our events feature viewpoints across the political spectrum, promoting constructive, thoughtful, and respectful dialogue on the issues that matter most to California.
blog post Video: Rolling Out the New Motor Voter Law By Linda Strean Jun 21, 2016 California’s New Motor Voter Act has the potential to diversify the electorate. Its success hinges on the way the system is designed.
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.
blog post Video: Expanding the California Electorate By Linda Strean May 19, 2016 How can the state expand its electorate? Leaders and experts told a Los Angeles audience that the mechanics of voting can be improved and outreach to underrepresented groups is essential.
blog post Testimony: California’s Exclusive Electorate & the 2016 Election By Mark Baldassare May 13, 2016 As California's population continues to expand and change, the voting rolls are not keeping pace, and the state’s voters remain unrepresentative of its population.
event California’s Exclusive Electorate Mar 30, 2016 About the ProgramOnly half of California adults can be expected to vote in this year’s presidential election, and they are likely to be very different from those who do not vote—in their demographic and economic backgrounds and in their political attitudes. PPIC president and CEO Mark Baldassare will outline the findings of a new report, California’s Exclusive Electorate: Who Votes and Why It Matters. A panel of experts and leaders will discuss the challenges of improving participation in elections. This research was supported with funding from The James Irvine Foundation.
