With the 2020 Primary Election less than a year away, here’s a harsh reality check: Congress did more to respond to hanging chads than to respond to Vladimir Putin and the threats by Russian intelligence officials against our elections.

As Secretary of State, I’ve exercised my authority to decertify all the old voting systems in California that were not tested or certified to our most recent higher security standards. As the NBC report points out, Orange County alone is replacing 11,000 voting machines that relied on old technology, but could not be upgraded for security.

Paper ballots, voter verified paper trails, upgraded voting machines, and post-election audits are all critical for ensuring the security and integrity of our elections — and they’re practices that California has in place as the 2020 Presidential Election approaches.

And since Trump and the Republican leaders in Congress have failed to approve any new funding for election security, California has stepped up. Thanks to the Governor and the Legislature, the state has approved funding to help counties upgrade or replace their older voting systems to meet California’s higher standards.

Californians pride ourselves in being the national leaders when it comes to policy and innovation, and election security is no exception. So when you go into the voting booth or return your vote by mail ballot, do so with confidence knowing that we’re working to ensure that your vote will be counted and safe.

Finally, here are a couple of helpful tips:

1. You can verify your voter registration status at: voterstatus.sos.ca.gov

2. If you need to register to vote or update your registration information, you can do so easily at: registertovote.ca.gov

Spread the word!

And thank you for your support,

Alex Padilla