A single, instantly updated list of registered voters in California became reality on Monday, as two final counties plugged in to an electronic database mandated by a federal law enacted in the wake of the contentious 2000 presidential campaign. In other words, a database that was long overdue. “It’s been more than a decade in coming,” Secretary of State Alex Padilla said. The $98-million project allows elections officials in each of California’s 58 counties to easily track voters who move from one place to another and to quickly update their records in the event of a death or a voter deemed ineligible after conviction of a felony.
The database will allow voters to check if they are registered at their current address, their party affiliation and whether a ballot sent by mail was actually counted.
“Usually, it is the poorer or more rural counties that lack these tools,” said Kim Alexander, president of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation. “That creates an uneven playing field for California voters and undermines voters’ constitutional right to equal protection.”
Full Article: All of California’s voters are now in one online database – LA Times.