Transcript Highlights:

• </c> 2025 house bills concerning voter 2025 house bills concerning voter registration<00:12:16.800><c
• </c><00:28:14.320><c> Rights</c> national voter Rights national voter Rights Act<00:28:16.360><c> an<
• </c><00:28:47.480><c> Rights</c> national voter Rights national voter Rights Act<00:28:50.000><c> um<
• Fully qualified voters will have provided all documented proof for all the qualified voter criteria.
• if they're a non-resident voter?

Committee: House Election Law

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• youngest voters.
• Each year, the voter turnout gets low. This shows us two truths.
• Graduate with the tools to become a lifelong voter.
• for new and infrequent voters, while adding to election costs.
• Creating educational tools and voter guides whenever possible.

Committee: House Elections

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We are asking voters, we are asking California's voters whether...
• We want to silence the voices of Latino voters, black voters, API voters, and LGBTQ voters.
• And we're going to put it to voters and give California voters the opportunity.
• Only. voters pass ACA 8.
• The voters will decide.

Committee: House Elections

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There are two types of voter registration databases: a county voter registration database maintained
• Each auditor enters and maintains voter registration records in the official statewide voter registration
• or files regarding a voter or group of voters is available for public inspection and copying: the voter's
• All voters are listed on the voter registration database, can vote in both state and federal elections
• encourage clean voter rolls.

Summary: The committee heard three measures. SB 5892 would clarify that only the Secretary of State may respond to public records requests for data generated by the statewide voter registration database, prohibit county election offices from producing those records in response to PRA requests, and make unauthorized disclosure of certain sensitive voter information a Class C felony. The Secretary of State, the prime sponsor, and the staff all described the bill as a privacy and database-security update reflecting the centralized VoteWA system, while one testifier opposed it, arguing it would not help maintain clean voter rolls. No vote was taken; the hearing was closed. The committee also heard SCR 8406, which reestablishes the Joint Select Committee on Civic Health, expands its membership, and extends its work through January 2029. Staff explained that the prior committee expired after issuing recommendations, and the sponsors and supporters said the measure would continue work on respectful dialogue, common ground, and civic education. Testimony was uniformly supportive, with members and the Lieutenant Governor emphasizing civic health as a way to strengthen democracy and encourage constructive disagreement. No vote was taken; the hearing was closed. Finally, the committee heard SB 5863, which extends the moratorium on destroying Lakeland Village records until fiscal year 2030 and changes the rules for restricted records transferred to State Archives so they become open after 75 years without needing a separate archivist determination. The sponsor and supporters said the bill would preserve important disability history, support family research, and protect records and artifacts tied to the state’s treatment of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Testimony from disability advocates and self-advocates was strongly in favor. No vote was taken; the hearing was closed, and the committee adjourned after announcing caucus rooms for later discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• voters, investigate potential illegal voting, and provide voter registration information to individuals
• the state's voter roles are that the state's voter roles are accurate<00:05:40.960><c> and</c><00:05:
• </c> Now The League of Women Voters Now The League of Women Voters Republican<00:06:25.919><c> state<
• </c><00:10:25.480><c> fraud</c> possible voter frauds in uh voter fraud possible voter frauds in uh voter
• sure voter rolls are clean.

Committee: Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• those eligible voters.
• Texas voter rights movement. the National Voter Registration Act.
• In Arizona, the 9th Circuit... found that voters can register to vote using the federal voter registration
• Texas already has some strong systems in place to verify voter eligibility and maintain secure voter
• voters out of the process.

Keywords: legislation, public policy, testimony, committee meeting, debates

Summary: The committee meeting involved various discussions pertaining to legislative initiatives and public policy concerns. Members engaged in debates around significant topics, highlighting their diverse perspectives. The atmosphere was lively with members presenting arguments for and against certain measures. Testimonies from the public were also a key feature, shedding light on community sentiments related to proposed bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• And the voter would have to file with the registrar of voters an alternative signature attestation to
• And then that person and you, the voter, must complete the voter assistance form prior to that.
• So we realized in the inactive voter statute that there are ways for a voter to update their address
• Register of Voters.
• He talked about voter turnout. He talked about voter turnout.

Committee: House House and Governmental Affairs

Summary: The Committee on House and Governmental Affairs met on March 18 and first adopted the minutes from its February 21 meeting. The committee then took up HB 250, which would have narrowed financial disclosure requirements for appointed, unpaid board and commission members by exempting immediate family information. Supporters said the bill would reduce burdens and help recruit volunteers, while opponents argued it would weaken ethics enforcement and create opportunities for undisclosed conflicts of interest. After debate and a roll call, the committee deadlocked and HB 250 failed to advance on a 6-6 vote with one abstention. The committee next considered HB 576, which transfers ownership and maintenance responsibility for the Old Governor’s Mansion to the Department of State and codifies its current operational role. Secretary of State Nancy Landry and mansion staff testified in support, describing expanded programming, increased visitors, and the need to align the statute with current practice. The committee adopted technical amendments and then reported HB 576 favorably without objection. The committee also heard HB 117, which recreates the Department of State and its statutory entities through July 1, 2033, and reported it favorably without objection. The major remaining item was HB 842, the annual omnibus elections bill, which makes numerous technical and substantive changes to election law, including voter assistance for people with disabilities, absentee ballot and petition procedures, inactive voter updates, and election contest deadlines. Several members and public witnesses raised concerns about disability documentation, absentee ballot curing, witness requirements, constitutional amendment challenge deadlines, and the scope of authority given to the Secretary of State, while others said the bill clarified existing practice and improved election administration. After adopting amendments and rejecting a motion to defer, the committee reported HB 842 favorably by an 8-5 vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• Because the voters allowed up to three.
• that have the voter rolls stored in them.
• They just ask to be removed from the voter rolls.
• You're now an active voter on the rolls in Florida.
• , let the voters then mail it back to us.

Committee: Senate Ethics and Elections

Summary: The committee heard a presentation from several county supervisors of elections and the Florida Supervisors of Elections Association on the 2024 election cycle and priorities for the 2025 session. They described very high turnout in the presidential election, major operational planning needs, and the heavy reliance on seasonal workers, list maintenance, ballot-on-demand systems, and secure chain-of-custody procedures. They also discussed the impact of recent legislative changes on voter-roll maintenance, including inactive voter removal, and said Florida’s election administration has improved to what they called a “platinum standard.” The supervisors outlined several legislative requests: allowing more than one non-government “wild card” early voting site to improve access and emergency flexibility; requiring newly naturalized citizens to update driver’s license information so voter records match DHSMV data; exempting home addresses of certain election workers and ballot transporters from public records to improve safety and recruitment; restoring a checkbox on vote-by-mail return envelopes so voters can stay on the vote-by-mail list for the next cycle; aligning base salaries for supervisors, property appraisers, and clerks with other constitutional officers; and reducing ballot length by removing precinct committee races from the ballot. They also said they expect a committee bill to carry some of these proposals. Members questioned the panel about ballot transport security, signature verification, vote-by-mail expiration, public records transparency, and the petition process for constitutional amendments. The supervisors said ballots are transported under detailed county plans with tamper-evident seals, chain-of-custody logs, trained workers, and in some cases two-person transport teams. On petitions, they said the process is labor-intensive and expensive, that fraud has occurred in some cases, and that they favor reforms such as requiring more personal identifying information and having initiative sponsors mail petitions to voters rather than making supervisors handle the mailing. They also said signature mismatches can be cured within 72 hours after Election Day and that voters are notified when possible. After the supervisors’ presentation, the committee also heard brief public testimony from Kathleen Griffiths, who urged adoption of commercial-style risk management standards in election systems and referenced several election-related bills her group supports.

Transcript Highlights:

• So basically, are you saying that's voter fraud? Voter fraud does... Yes, voter fraud does occur.
• Voter fraud does occur.
• Thank you. ...for registered voters.
• Are you aware of any documented cases of in-person voter fraud, voter impersonation in Cass County?
• Are you aware of any documented cases of in-person voter fraud, voter impersonation in Cass County?

Committee: House Special Committee on Redistricting

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In addition, we estimate voter turnout using voter data that is coming from voter registration files.
• So instead of looking at Native voters individually, we looked at voters who live on tribal lands.
• voter identity.
• So we don't know if voters would identify as Native voters. We just know that.
• So we don't know if voters would identify as Native voters.

Summary: The committee heard a work session on voting access on tribal lands, beginning with a presentation from Dr. Chelsea Jones of the Brennan Center. She described barriers affecting Native voters and voters on tribal lands, including long travel distances to polling places and drop boxes, nontraditional addresses, unreliable postal service, language access, and limited broadband. Citing research, she said turnout on tribal lands trails turnout off tribal lands by about 10 percentage points nationally and about 10% in Washington, with larger gaps in some convenience voting measures. Members asked about the meaning of “lost votes,” the role of tribal leadership and community trust, and whether outreach by election officials and candidates could help; Dr. Jones emphasized that the study measured missed voting opportunities, not missing ballots, and that partnerships with trusted community leaders are important. The University of Washington Elections Database then presented data on voter registration, turnout, signature challenges, curing, and ballot rejection for voters whose addresses fall within tribal reservation boundaries. The presenters said registration on reservations increased from about 107,000 in 2010 to 137,000 in 2024, turnout on reservations remained about 8 to 9 percentage points lower than outside reservations in recent general elections, and signature-challenge and rejection rates were generally low but somewhat higher in off-year elections. They reported that about 60% to two-thirds of signature-challenged ballots are cured, with cure rates similar inside and outside reservations, and that late return is the most common reason for primary ballot rejection while signature mismatch is the leading cause in general elections. A question was raised about USPS postmarking issues and how those might affect future data; the presenters said they plan to track return method and cure timing more closely. The committee also received an overview of the Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs. Staff reviewed the office’s history, the Centennial Accord, the Millennium Agreement, and related state-tribal frameworks, and GOIA Director Tim Rainan described the office’s role as a bridge between the state and tribal governments, including consultation, policy coordination, training, and convening work groups. He said GOIA now has six positions, is part of the governor’s executive cabinet, and is working on a statewide tribal relations training module and consultation handbook. In response to a question, he said tribal voting is not a major topic at the Centennial Accord but is discussed more extensively through ATNI. The committee then shifted to contracting equity, hearing from WSDOT, DES, OMWBE, and the Office of Equity. WSDOT described its race-neutral small business and veteran goals, mentorship and support programs, and its response to the federal suspension of the DBE program; DES discussed statewide contracting spend, the EDGE pilot for small construction firms, and efforts to improve procurement access; OMWBE reported growth in certified firms and about $371 million in state spend with certified firms in the most recent year, while noting ongoing impacts from federal DBE changes; and the Office of Equity outlined its broader work on agency consultation, dashboards, and systems change. No votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> uh for folks to file online so voters uh for folks to file online so voters can<00:15:12.480><c>
• States in a PDF online voter guide.
• This is type of voter guide.
• </c> one registered voter. one registered voter.
• My first experience of voting as an 18-year-old new voter was with a voter guide.

Committee: Senate Elections

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• voters to provide some sort of document showing that they are U.S. citizens at that point of voter registration
• They want to become the supervisor for voter registration.
• So that's an update on our voter roll litigation.
• They want to become the supervisor for voter registration.
• So that's an update on our voter role litigation.

Summary: The House State Government & Tribal Relations Committee held a virtual work session focused first on federal actions affecting elections. A representative from NCSL reviewed recent U.S. Supreme Court and pending cases, including a redistricting/Voting Rights Act case and a case on whether mailed ballots received after Election Day can be counted. She also discussed a Trump executive order directing USPS to draft mail-ballot rules, the federal SAVE system’s expanded use for voter list maintenance, DOJ requests for unredacted voter rolls, and reduced federal election-security support. Committee members asked about proof of citizenship requirements, whether DOJ requests are compulsory, and how federal election funding and grants may be changing. The Attorney General’s Office then described Washington’s litigation challenging two election-related executive orders and DOJ’s lawsuit seeking unredacted voter registration lists. State lawyers said courts have already enjoined parts of the executive orders, including documentary proof-of-citizenship requirements and voting-system changes, and have upheld Washington’s ballot-receipt deadlines so far. They said DOJ’s voter-roll demands have been rejected by multiple courts and that Washington’s position is that state law limits disclosure of sensitive voter data. Members asked about the legal basis for DOJ’s requests, the risk of immigration-enforcement use, and whether attestation on registration forms counts as proof of citizenship; the office said it does under state law and that no evidence of mass voter-fraud problems in Washington has been shown. Deputy Attorney General Todd Bowers then gave a broader overview of the Attorney General’s federal litigation, saying Washington has filed 61 cases since January 2025, often with other states, and has had notable success obtaining preliminary injunctions and favorable summary judgments. He highlighted cases involving election rules, environmental and energy disputes, public health funding, student loans, housing, and data privacy, and said many challenges involve executive-branch conditions added to congressionally appropriated funds. He also described a growing number of federal audits and inquiries directed at state agencies. Finally, Office of Equity Director Megan Matthews discussed how federal actions are affecting state and local equity work, community organizations, and public confidence. She said the office is coordinating more closely with the Attorney General, governor’s office, other agencies, and local governments through the immigration subcabinet, while also working on data privacy, Keep Washington Working compliance, and community outreach. Committee members asked about the office’s human-trafficking work and how it is encouraging agency compliance; Matthews said the focus is on clearer guidance, technical support, and consistent expectations across agencies. The committee adjourned after the presentations and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• At its core, AB 2484 is about local control, the choice of voters.
• The voters could place this on the ballot. The courts have spoken about voter initiatives.
• The voters could place this on the ballot. The courts have spoken about voter initiatives.
• Young voters face unique challenges when voting by mail.
• primary voters using a vote-by-mail ballot.

Summary: The Assembly Elections Committee met as a subcommittee until quorum was established, then heard a series of election- and public-trust-related bills. Early items included AB 2592, which would move lobbyist training from legislative ethics committees to the FPPC starting in 2029 and make it available online on demand; it drew support from the FPPC and an oppose-unless-amended request to make the training public and ensure lobbyists pay fees. AB 2573 would refine California’s confidential voter registration protections for candidates and elected officials, with support from the Secretary of State and county election officials after amendments narrowed some family-member coverage. AB 2753 would bar registered sex offenders from running for or holding local or state office; it prompted extended debate about public trust, second chances, and where to draw the line, but was ultimately advanced on a 5-0 vote with one member not voting. AB 2691 similarly would expand disqualifying felony convictions to include sexual assault and human trafficking, and it also passed 5-0 after testimony from victim advocates and discussion about survivors, restorative justice, and the power dynamics involved in public office. The committee also advanced AB 2413, which would prohibit public funds from being used for large-format ads featuring elected officials, and AB 2281, which would direct the Office of Election Cybersecurity to assess replacement resources after federal cybersecurity support cuts and allow consultation with academic researchers. AB 1664 would require local election officials to notify the Secretary of State and Attorney General within one business day of warrants, subpoenas, or investigations involving election records or voting systems; supporters said it would help the state respond quickly to improper seizure of election materials, and it passed 5-0. AB 2484, concerning San Diego MTS, would let voters authorize a local sales tax initiative for transit funding and exempt it from an existing cap; it drew support from transit leaders and labor, opposition from the Realtors, and a lengthy exchange over Prop. 13, Prop. 218, and whether the measure created a special deal, before passing 6-1. The committee then heard AB 2230, which would create buffer zones around voting centers and child care facilities to keep immigration enforcement away from those locations. The author said the bill was meant to reduce fear and intimidation for voters and families, while the opposition argued it was unenforceable, lacked evidence of a problem, and would interfere with federal officers doing their jobs. Members supporting the bill cited reported ICE profiling and intimidation in California communities, while others raised jurisdictional and practical concerns. The transcript ends during this debate, with no final vote shown for AB 2230.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> with without pre-printed voter with without pre-printed voter information<00:04:02.400><c> these
• </c> burden they also enhance voter burden they also enhance voter understanding<00:04:15.120><c> and
• </c><00:04:30.600><c> caused</c> being being sent to voters caused being being sent to voters caused
• </c> Administration and enhance voter Administration and enhance voter understanding<00:07:58.159><c>
• </c><00:25:56.279><c> registration</c> requirements of the voter registration requirements of the voter

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• ><c> um</c> That voter information about voters, including what funding is available.
• not a voter.
• I think the voter has some burden. Um, most voters show their driver's license.
• </c> need to be also provided by the voter. need to be also provided by the voter.
• Yeah. voters. Uh this could actually save time voters.

Committee: Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Our direct voter outreach and communications campaigns reached tens of thousands of voters across this
• Voters, a majority of voters in every age and every ethnic group, share this belief, and voters are..
• ineligible voters prior to the midterm elections?
• ' lists, voter systems, devices, software, and source code.
• You don't even contend that there was voter intimidation.

Committee: House Elections

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> thousands of young voters. thousands of young voters.
• </c> the centralized voter database. the centralized voter database.
• . voters. voters.
• a registered voter in the town.
• </c> voter affidavit. voter affidavit.

Committee: House Election Law

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> voter intimidation. voter intimidation.
• </c> linked a demand for unredacted voter linked a demand for unredacted voter rolls<00:24:24.560><c>
• </c> state's voter rolls. state's voter rolls.
• </c> by false claims of rampant voter fraud. by false claims of rampant voter fraud.
• ><c> also</c> voters, intimidating voters, and also voters, intimidating voters, and also increasing<

Committee: Senate Elections

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• voters to provide some sort of document showing that they are U.S. citizens at that point of voter registration
• Of these full voter registration lists.
• Voters from those lists.
• mass voter fraud in the state of Washington?
• Regarding the voter rolls, very invaluable.

Committee: House State Government & Tribal Relations

Keywords: 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In local levels may qualify for confidential voter status.
• Voter status and under what circumstances.
• The voters could place this on the ballot. The courts have spoken about voter initiatives.
• Young voters face unique challenges when voting by mail.
• League of Women Voters of California. There’s a letter on the way.

Committee: House Elections

Keywords: 988, house, all