Assembly Standing Committee on Elections

Good morning. I'd like to call the 08/25/2026 hearing of the Assembly Elections Committee to order. Do I have a board? We do not have a board. I can count.

Yes. We will begin as a subcommittee if We will begin as a subcommittee. If members of the committee are monitoring this hearing, please come to Room 444. Room 127. 6.

I'm like, we're not in Room 2. Yeah. Room 126. 6. 6.

We know where we are. Come here. 127.

1127. Okay. We are we are in 127 The South of the state capital

in the hearing room today and who's watching this hearing online. For the purpose of this hearing, we are accepting witness testimony in person, and we are also accepting written testimony through the legislature's position letter portal. That portal can be accessed through the committee's website at a e l c Dot Assembly.c a.gov. The committee has one bill on its agenda for today.

When we hear the bill on the agenda, we will hear from a maximum of two primary witnesses in support and two primary witnesses in opposition with a limit of two minutes per witness.

As a reminder, primary witnesses in support are those designated by the author. Other witnesses are limited to providing their name, the organization they represent, if any, and their position on the bill. Additional comments will be ruled out of order. We seek to protect the rights of all who participate in the legislative process so that we can have a effective deliberation and decisions on the critical issues facing California.

In order to facilitate the committee's business and public participation in today's hearing, we will not permit conduct that disrupts, disturbs, or otherwise impedes the orderly conduct of legislative proceedings.

Violations of these rules may subject you to removal or other enforcement action. And before we move on to the agenda, I have one additional announcement to make. Hang on one second. Okay. Assemblymember Matt Haney, who's sitting in that Chair, was appointed to replace Assemblymember's Mark Berman on the committee for the purpose of today's hearing only.

Assemblymember's Haney, wherever you are, please come to this hearing room wherever we are. 1277127. And thank you for joining us in Assembly elections today. With those announcements out of the way, we will move on to our committee's agenda. So Senator Wahaf, you have the floor.

All right. Thank you. I'm here today to present SB 259. SB 259 is a response to the consistent threats from federal and local actors to interfere with elections by undermining or obstructing the vote-by-mail process. In California, we do allow individuals to vote by mail.

Widespread false claims of voter fraud have undermined public confidence in elections and contributed to restrictive voting policies that infringe on voter turnout. In March of this year, the Trump Administration issued Executive Order 14399 that aimed to rewrite the rules of federal elections. This executive order directs the United States Postal Service to only send ballots to individuals on a federally prepared mail-in and absentee participation list.

Federal courts have deemed this executive order unconstitutional and warned that implementation will cause confusion and disenfranchise eligible voters. California heavily relies on mail voting, with more than 80% of voters using the vote-by-mail method, both Republican, Democrat, and all other parties.

To ensure that future elections are protected from voter suppression tactics, SB 259 will create a new felony to deter anyone in a position of authority from interfering with the delivery or submission of a vote-by-mail ballot. Our democracy is strongest when every eligible voter can cast a ballot freely, securely, and with confidence that it will be counted. Election security and voting access are not competing values. We can and must protect both. With me to testify is Beth Malinowski from SEIU.

Good morning, Chair and members. Beth Malinowski with SEIU California in proud support of SB 259. SEIU California is committed to safeguarding the right to vote, a right that's currently under active attack at the federal level. These growing threats highlight why California must act now to strengthen California law ahead of this year's elections.

Building on prior election safeguarding bills, SB 259: Wahab and AB 282: Pellerin, the election protection legislative package ensures Californians have the greatest confidence in our election systems. As noted by the author, this bill would establish a new felony and misdemeanors relating to the willful interference of the delivery or receipt of a vote-by-mail ballot.

Of note, the penalties under this bill do not apply to instances where an individual, volunteer, local election official accidentally misplaces or impacts a ballot's timely receipt or delivery. In closing, we stand with the Legislature in creating new protections and safeguards to guarantee a free and fair election. Respectfully ask for your aye vote today. Thank you.

Thank you so much, and if you'd give us a pause, we're gonna go ahead and establish a quorum. Madam Secretary, please call the roll.

[Roll call]. We have a quorum.

Thank you so much. Is there any other witness in support? Any other witnesses wanna sign on as a MeToo? See none, any witnesses in opposition? Anybody want to come to the mic and just say hello? No. Okay. Any questions, comments from the dais? Man, no one's had their coffee yet. All right.

Respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Wonderful. Well-- so-- and certainly in light of the unprecedented attempts by the federal government to interfere with the administration of our nation's elections, California must remain vigilant and proactive and must be prepared for the possibility that federal or local actors could be used to interfere in California's election operations.

The president's latest executive order on voting by mail is yet another example of these concerning and misguided efforts. So I wanna thank the author for this bill, and I am recommending support. Madam Secretary, please call the roll. Wait, wait, wait, wait. Yeah. We need a motion. And a second. Moved by Solache; seconded by Haney. Now we may call the roll.

The motion on SB 259 is do pass and re-refer to the Committee on Appropriations. [Roll call].

We're gonna put that bill on call for our absent members, and we'll remain waiting here for them patiently until they get here.

Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you all for being here, finding the right hearing room.

We have a member present, so we'll go ahead and open the roll on SB 259. Madam Secretary, please call the absent members.

The motion is do pass and re-refer to the Committee on Appropriations. The chair was voting aye. [Roll call].

We're gonna keep that bill on call for our absent members.

Welcome. We have Assembly Member Stefani. Madam Secretary, please call the open roll. We're lifting the call on SB 259.

The motion is do pass and re-refer to the Committee on Appropriation--sorry--and the chair is voting aye. [Roll call].

Thank you. That bill is out, but we're gonna hold the roll open for our absent member who just came in, and Madam Secretary, please call the roll.

On SB 259, the motion is do pass and re-refer to the Committee on Appropriations. [Roll call].

That bill, SB 259, is out six to two. Thank you so much. And with that, our committee is adjourned.