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California law makes spreading vote-by-mail misinformation a misdemeanor crime

by City News Service • September 21, 2020

 

LOS ANGELES – A newly signed state law makes spreading misinformation about voting by mail a misdemeanor criminal offense.

SB 739, by Sen. Henry Stern, D-Los Angeles, was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday and took effect immediately as an urgency measure.

Stern said he hopes prosecutors will take note.

“If you’re putting out tweets, Facebook posts or using social and other types of media to intentionally mislead voters about their right and ability to vote by mail, that’s now a crime, and it’s my hope local D.A.s and the state attorney general will go after violators the moment they see them,” Stern said. “In the midst of this worldwide pandemic, it is imperative that voters, especially those who are getting a vote-by-mail ballot for the first time, know their rights and are getting accurate, reliable information.”

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, a record number of voters in California and other states across the U.S. are preparing to cast ballots by mail for the Nov. 3 general election, and misinformation is rampant. SB 739 makes it a misdemeanor to intentionally mislead a voter about his or her right to apply for, receive or return a vote-by-mail ballot.

It was already a misdemeanor for anyone to deceive voters about the location of their polling place or qualifications needed to register to vote.

“The spread of misinformation and disinformation are enormous threats to our elections. Voting by mail is a critical component of our plans to keep our elections accessible, secure and safe during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Secretary of State Alex Padilla said. “We need to discourage and combat election disinformation that could disenfranchise citizens. Our democracy depends on it.”

Stern said he sees people trying to cast doubt on the process every day, undermining people’s right to vote.

“I am tired of seeing social media be weaponized in an attempt to undermine our democracy. This new law will go after people who use social media and other avenues to confuse, mislead, and lie to California voters,” the state senator said.

According to Padilla, nearly 60% of California’s voters are already registered as permanent vote-by-mail voters, meaning they are automatically sent a vote-by-mail ballot before each election. Under California law, any voter can request a vote-by-mail ballot before any election, but this year, rather than wait for voters to request a ballot, all registered voters will automatically be sent a vote-by-mail ballot.

SB 739 passed the Senate and Assembly in August on bipartisan 32-0 and 72-1 votes, respectively.

–

Filed Under: Home, Los Angeles County, Politics

13 comments for "California law makes spreading vote-by-mail misinformation a misdemeanor crime"

  1. John Evans says

    September 25, 2020 at 7:35 pm

    Vote in person, if it’s good enough for co-morbidity Joe Biden it’s good enough for everyone! Pass the Clorox bottle, right Nancy?

  2. Claire says

    September 22, 2020 at 2:29 pm

    Don’t vote twice because Trump tells you to; it’s illegal.

  3. Claire says

    September 22, 2020 at 2:27 pm

    These days everyone is guilty of spreading misinformation. It starts at the top with Trump and works its way down.

    • NB says

      September 22, 2020 at 4:03 pm

      Misinformation is a regular occurrence with Rex. Remember the sheriff who he claimed was shot by a mentally ill person from the building next to the sheriff’s station? Remember how he said he saw the shot sheriff in great pain and how he described where the bullet went in? It never happened. Just like bird sounds on the BLVD never lowered crime, Raymond Lee Jennings didn’t kill anyone, Johnathan Ervin wasn’t affiliated with gangs, homeless people weren’t robbing people all over town, and so on. Rex has made Lancaster the Misinformation Capital of the World.

  4. Beecee says

    September 22, 2020 at 12:55 pm

    Here were are folks….
    We have reached peak clown world!

  5. Alby says

    September 22, 2020 at 5:44 am

    The only voter fraud is Donald Trump, @ weak pathetic racist coward

  6. Cory says

    September 21, 2020 at 9:19 pm

    mail-in-balloting = election fraud, and everyone knows it

    • Mail-in your ballot says

      September 22, 2020 at 9:21 am

      The Republican Party pushed mail-in voting this spring to help elect Mike Garcia.

      Now, clowns are saying it’s “election fraud”.

      It must be nice for Cory to be so blissful.

  7. Brianna says

    September 21, 2020 at 9:07 pm

    Here in California, you’re free loot and pillage to your heart’s content, just so long as you’re willing to look the other way on election fraud.

    • Chris says

      September 21, 2020 at 9:12 pm

      You are now officially a criminal. A bad person. The world according to Gavin Newsom, what you’ve just written constitutes 10 years hard labor, in a state penitentiary.

    • Stewie says

      September 21, 2020 at 9:34 pm

      Keep talking smack about election fraud, Eric Garcetti’s going to shut off your utilities.

    • Mail in your ballot says

      September 22, 2020 at 9:24 am

      There is no election fraud Brianna except by Republicans.

  8. Denise says

    September 21, 2020 at 9:03 pm

    … the Nancy Pelosi people gone berserk on 1st amendment constitutional infringements, clamping down on free speech –

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