California will send mail-in ballots to all its residents for the presidential election this November, amid the coronavirus concerns.
Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-California) issued an executive order on Friday, mandating every county in California to mail ballots to all the eligible voters.
The governor further explained that his order is not “an exclusive substitute to a physical location,” and will only serve as an alternative way to vote.
Newsom said that this would guarantee every registered voter the right to vote in a safe way.
“Elections and the right to vote are foundational to our democracy,” said Newsom in his statement on Friday. “No Californian should be forced to risk their health in order to exercise their right to vote.”
The Republican National Committee (RNC) reacted following the announcement, warning for the legal action.
“While we have always supported absentee voting, California is a case study in why automatically sending this many ballots is a problem. Just last year, a court found that LA county had 1.5 million ineligible voters on their registration lists, meaning there were 112 percent more registered voters than adults living in the county,” RNC spokesperson said in a statement. “We are weighing our legal options to ensure the integrity of the election.”
President Donald Trump has also criticized Newsom’s decision, asserting that mail-in voting could lead to fraud.
“So in California, the Democrats, who fought like crazy to get all mail-in only ballots, and succeeded, have just opened a voting booth in the most Democrat area in the State,” Trump said in his tweet. “They are trying to steal another election. It’s all rigged out there. These votes must not count. SCAM!”
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