Collage of photos from No Kings Day rallies across California, this year’s Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee, and LWV Riverside President Joan Donahue speaking at a press conference about Sheriff Bianco’s overreach.

Letter from the Executive Director

Dear Friends,

It has been one of those weeks where each day seems to bring a new and deeply troubling development for our democracy. At the national, state, and local levels, we are seeing a steady drumbeat of actions and rhetoric that, taken together, point in the same direction: toward restricting access to the ballot and concentrating power over our elections.

On Wednesday, President Trump issued an Executive Order containing illegal threats to mail-in voting and threatening criminal prosecution of local election officials who don’t fall in line.  As part of the newly formed California Democracy Partnership, we quickly condemned it. As we shared in that statement, this Order would undermine secure, widely used election systems, suppress voter participation, and improperly expand federal control over state-run elections.

Here in California, we are confronting parallel threats. A new voter ID initiative that is likely to qualify for the November 2026 ballot would impose strict new requirements that risk disenfranchising voters and raise serious privacy concerns. And in Riverside County, Sheriff Chad Bianco’s unprecedented seizure of ballots has raised urgent questions about interference in the electoral process.

Against this backdrop, the League of Women Voters of California is taking action. We recently submitted an amicus (“friend of the court”) brief to the California Supreme Court in Cervantes v. Bianco, standing firmly in defense of the rule of law and the integrity of our election systems. Our message is clear: elections must be administered by trained, nonpartisan professionals – not subject to interference, intimidation, or political agendas.

What connects all these developments is simple but profound. They are all efforts to make it harder for people to vote, creating fear, confusion, and barriers around a fundamental right that should be freely exercised.

At the League, we refuse to accept that narrowing. We will continue to fight – in the courts, in our communities, and at the ballot box – to ensure that every eligible voter can participate in our democracy safely, securely, and without unnecessary barriers.

Thank you for standing with us in this work. Our democracy depends on it.

Sincerely,

Jenny Farrell
Executive Director
League of Women Voters of California

Advocacy Update

The threats to our democratic systems are real, but the LWVC is meeting them head-on.

The California Voting Rights Act (CVRA) of 2026

We are proud members of the California Democracy Partnership – a powerhouse coalition of civil rights, labor, and community leaders dedicated to safeguarding the vote. As coalition members, we are co-sponsors of two bills within the California Voting Rights Act of 2026 package. This is a landmark package of bills designed to confront discriminatory barriers before they reach the ballot box.

• Proactive Protection: The package of bills requires jurisdictions with recent histories of discrimination to get pre-approval for voting changes, stopping violations before they occur.
  
  
• Restoring Enforcement: With federal protections eroding, the bills ensure that Californians can use state courts to enforce their rights, with a mandate for courts to favor broad, equal access.
  
  
• Expanding the Table: The bills make massive strides in language access by:
• Lowering the threshold for required language assistance materials.
• Expanding coverage to all language groups.
• Creating a legal pathway for unserved communities to prove their need for assistance.

Priority Bills: LWVC Co-Sponsorships

We are also championing two bills that address systemic inequities in our courts and our local representation.

AB 1958 (Kalra) – Making the Racial Justice Act Work

The original Racial Justice Act was a breakthrough, but practical hurdles have slowed its impact. This bill fixes the "plumbing" of the law:

• Access to Data: It ends repeated, costly litigation over data requests, making it easier to see where disparities exist.
  
  
• Clarifying Evidence: It removes the burden of presenting both statistical and non-statistical evidence in every case, allowing claims to be evaluated on their actual merits.
  
  
• Total Transparency: It explicitly applies the RJA to the entire process - including plea bargaining and other pretrial resolutions - where much of the system's bias is often hidden.

SB 1414 (Reyes) – Independent Redistricting for San Bernardino County

In one of California’s largest and most diverse counties, supervisors currently draw their own district lines - a clear conflict of interest.

• Independent Oversight: This bill replaces the supervisor-led process with an Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission to handle map-drawing.
  
  
• Community-First Boundaries: By using strict conflict-of-interest safeguards, the bill ensures district lines protect communities of interest rather than the political careers of incumbents.
  
  
• Public Trust: This transition is a vital step toward ensuring a large, diverse population is fairly represented by a process that serves the public interest, not political self-protection.

Stay Involved

You can follow the live progress of these bills and every other position we take this session.

Explore our Bill Status Report

Justice in Action: Understanding Reparations in California

What does it mean to truly repair the foundations of our community? Reparations are a series of steps taken to address long-standing, systemic harms—specifically those rooted in the history of slavery and ongoing racial discrimination. This isn't just about financial compensation; it includes formal apologies and, most importantly, policy reforms designed to build a fairer future for everyone.

Here at the League, we believe that for a democracy to be healthy, our government must actively work to fix the social and economic barriers that prevent people from thriving. Solving these deep-seated problems is essential to protecting democracy and ensuring every Californian has an equal seat at the table.

Last month, we had the privilege of hosting Kristin Nimmers, Policy & Campaigns Manager for the California Black Power Network, at our Legislation Committee meeting. She shared a powerful look at why reparations are a vital tool for justice today, the current legislative efforts moving through our state capitol, and how public education can bridge the gap toward real change.

We invite you to watch the presentation and explore the resources below to join this important conversation:

Watch the Presentation Recording    View the Presentation Slides

To learn more about the roadmap for reparations in our state, you can read the full report by the California Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans.

Upcoming Panel: Voting Rights and Free & Fair Elections

Join the League of Women Voters of California and the Mechanics’ Institute for a vital conversation on the state of our democracy. Part of the On Democracy series, this hybrid panel features election experts and legal scholars discussing the evolving landscape of voter access and election protection.

When: Wednesday, May 13 | 6:00 PM 

Where: Mechanics’ Institute (SF) or via Zoom 

Panelists:  

• Natalie Adona: Marin County Registrar of Voters
• Jesse Mainardi: Election law expert and UC Law SF Professor
• Dora Rose: Deputy Director, League of Women Voters of California

Key Topics:

• Constitutional protections and the impact of redistricting.
• Navigating modern threats to voter access and ballot security.
• The influence of AI, social media, and cybersecurity on election outcomes.
• Practical steps for citizens to take in protecting democracy.

Don’t miss this opportunity to gain expert insight into the mechanics of our elections and how we can work together to ensure they remain free and fair. League members can attend in person or virtually for a discounted price of $5.  If you are not able to attend live, we will send out a link to the recording to League members after the event.

Register via Eventbrite

April 15th Youth Webinar Panel

Engaging California Youth: A Virtual Panel Discussion

What does the future of democracy look like? Join us for a conversation with young California League leaders active in voter registration and community organizing. Learn how they are successfully engaging their peers to move from apathy to action. The session will conclude with an interactive Q&A.

Register Now

WNBA Basketball: LWVC Night at Chase Center!

Monday, August 17, 2026 at 7:00pm Chase Center, San Francisco

Join the League of Women Voters of California to experience an exciting WNBA matchup as the Golden State Valkyries take on the Dallas Wings. Enjoy a night of sports and community with preferred seating in Section 216, rows 15-17 alongside fellow League members.

Attendees will enjoy exclusive benefits, including the opportunity to go courtside to watch the teams warm up and see League messaging on the Jumbotron. Tickets are $100 (fees waived) and include a $50 tax-deductible donation to the LWV California.

Purchase Tickets Here

(Be sure to select seats in Rows 15-17 of Section 216)

Please secure your tickets by July 16th before this popular game sells out! Questions or need help securing your tickets? Contact us at lwvc [at] lwvc.org. 

LWVC at the Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee

Reflections from Dora Rose, LWVC Deputy Director

The League was invited to commemorate the 61st Anniversary of the historic Selma Bridge Crossing in Selma and Montgomery, Alabama, from March 6-8, 2026, known as the Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee, a transformative commemoration of one of the most pivotal moments in our nation's fight for civil rights.

Our Deputy Director, Dora Rose, had the pleasure of representing the LWVC at this event. Read her account of the event:

Marching across the Edmund Pettus Bridge with the League of Women Voters to commemorate Bloody Sunday was profoundly moving. It was impossible not to feel the weight of the history carried by that place—the courage of those who were beaten for demanding the right to vote, and the unfinished work they left to all of us. Sixty-one years later, we are still fighting for voting rights. The work continues, and the movement remains strong. Walking that bridge was both an act of remembrance and a reminder that progress has never come easily, but has always depended on people willing to keep going. Marching alongside fellow League members made that truth feel especially powerful and underscored our shared responsibility to keep pushing for a democracy that truly includes everyone. We are part of a long struggle, we are not giving up, and we will prevail.

Join Forces with LWVC: Partner for Democracy

The League of Women Voters of California is looking for brands, nonprofits, and associations to help us empower every voter in our state. From providing co-branded VOTE411.org resources in English and Spanish to hosting virtual civics webinars for employees, our partnership program offers turnkey ways for organizations to champion nonpartisan engagement.

Why partner with us?

• Trusted Resources: Provide your network with our "one-stop-shop" for election info.
• Local Impact: Connect with our 60+ local League chapters for registration drives and forums.
• Expertise: Access League leaders for educational sessions on voting rights.

Help us protect democracy. If your company or organization is ready to make an impact, visit our Partnerships page or email us at lwvc [at] lwvc.org to get started.

LWVC in the News

Our advocacy continues to be covered by news outlets up and down the state, most recently in a USA Today piece (April 2) highlighting a study that finds millions of Californians lack the ID required by a proposed 2026 ballot initiative. This critical data underscores our ongoing work to protect the ballot from unnecessary hurdles that disenfranchise vulnerable communities. From our commentary on the Riverside County ballot seizure in CBS News to in-depth discussions on the future of vote-by-mail with KQED and CalMatters, the League remains at the forefront of defending our democracy.

You can catch up on all these interviews, articles, and more by visiting our In the News page.

Fun Corner

Welcome to LWVC’s Fun Corner! This month, we’re giving you a simple crossword with just a few terms that are important to the work of the League. You can play below or online at CrosswordLabs.com with passcode lwvc–view the answers here, too.