PRESS RELEASE
As Federal Attacks on Democracy Grow, Governor Newsom Signs Nation-Leading Voter Protections Into Law
Sacramento, CA – Amidst federal and local attempts to suppress access to the ballot, California is fighting back, increasing ballot access and empowering voters to protect their votes. Today, Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 1164 and SB 1360 (Cervantes), the California Voting Rights Act of 2026, into law, updating our state’s more than two decades-old landmark Voting Rights Act and ensuring more, not fewer, voters have access to the ballot box this November.
“The California Voting Rights Act of 2026 delivers an extra layer of defense for California voters, so they can feel confident their voices will be heard at the polls. Voters should not have to fight discrimination, language barriers, and voter suppression while jumping over endless hurdles as they cast their votes in future elections. Thank you to my partners in the Democracy Partnership for their advocacy on behalf of voters in our state, and thank you to Governor Gavin Newsom for making the CVRA of 2026 law,” said Senator Sabrina Cervantes (D-Riverside), the author of the California Voting Rights Act of 2026.
The CVRA of 26 was sponsored by The California Democracy Partnership, a powerful group of labor leaders, voting rights advocates, civil rights leaders and racial justice advocates who joined forces to protect and defend our democracy in the face of unrelenting attacks. The CVRA of 2026 is a direct response to voters' overwhelming desire to have their state voting rights protected with new safeguards and to have existing safeguards fortified.
A recent poll found that two-thirds of California voters believe our democracy is under attack and voiced overwhelming support for state lawmakers to strengthen voter protections.
A strong majority of those polled, 89% believe our democracy is in danger.
And a similar percentage, 87% supported taking direct steps to strengthen our democracy, especially in the face of recent attacks.
Additionally 64% said they wanted their state representative to prioritize passing stronger voting rights.
“Two decades ago, California stepped up to protect voters and today our state is stepping up again in the face of unprecedented federal attacks on our democracy. For years, the California Voting Rights Act has provided critical protections beyond those in the federal Voting Rights Act. But as we confront unrelenting efforts by the federal government and bad actors here at home to disenfranchise voters and undermine access to the ballot, the need for action is unmistakable. The CVRA of 2026 sends a clear message: California will not stand by while the fundamental rights of its voters are threatened. The California Democracy Partnership is proud to help strengthen access to the ballot box and ensure that communities have the power to defend their votes for generations to come,” said Hector Villagra, Vice President for Policy Advocacy and Community Education at MALDEF.
The CVRA of 2026 will:
Prohibit Voter Suppression: Confront threats to voter participation and access to voting opportunities that occur through discriminatory barriers to the ballot.
Prohibit Vote Dilution: Protect against district maps or election systems that weaken or silence a community’s voting power.
Stop Voting Discrimination Before It Occurs: Require jurisdictions with a recent history of discrimination to obtain approval before making certain changes to voting practices.
Ensure Voters Can Directly Protect Their Rights: As voters’ ability to use the federal VRA comes under attack, ensure Californians can go to state court to enforce voting rights.
Require Courts to Interpret Laws in Favor of Voters: Direct courts to interpret laws and exercise discretion in favor of broad access and equal participation in the democratic process.
Guarantee the federal VRA’s language assistance requirements under state law: Codify Section 203 of the federal VRA’s requirement to provide in-language votable ballots and all other election materials to groups that meet a certain threshold in a county.
Protect and Expand Language Access: Expand beyond federal language categories to include all language groups.
Streamline and clarify the steps for language groups to receive assistance in voting: Give groups not adequately captured in the Census the opportunity to show, through other sources, that they meet one of the thresholds.
Learn more about the California Voting Rights Act of 2026 here: https://www.cademocracypartnership.org/CAVRA26
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Anchored in the belief that our democracy should be by the people, and for the people, the California Democracy Partnership is a growing group of racial justice, civil rights, union and community organizations focused on making sure our democracy works for everyone who calls California home. Learn more about our work and members of the Partnership here.