California Sees Record 22M Registered Voters for 2020 Election
SACRAMENTO (CBS SF) -- California recorded 22 million registered voters this election cycle, the highest number of voter registrations in state's history, according to the Secretary of State's office.
Secretary of State Alex Padilla released a report Friday showing that almost 88% of Californians were registered to vote, which is "the highest percentage of eligible citizens registered to vote heading into a General Election in the past 80 years."
"For the first time, California now has more than 22 million registered voters," Padilla said. "There are more voters registered in California than the number of people in the state of Florida! Record registration and a historic election points towards a big voter turnout, which could also mean longer lines and wait times on Election Day."
Padilla also noted that same day voter registration is still available to residents all the way up to the day of the election, Nov. 3. Traditional voter registration ended on Oct. 19 but residents can still register at their local county elections office, polling place, or vote center. Once they complete the registration process, they'll be handed a ballot.
"2020 marks the first year that voters can complete the 'Same Day' voter registration process and cast their ballot at any in-person voting location in the county or the county elections office," Padilla said.
To learn more about California voters' rights and read the rest of the report, visit the Secretary of State's elections website.