Official California Voter Information Gubernatorial Guide Recall Election Tuesday, September 14, 2021 Polls Are Open From 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Election Day! Certificate of Correctness I, Shirley N. Weber, Secretary of State of the State of California, do hereby certify that the recall information included herein will be submitted to the electors VOTE SAFE of the State of California at the CALIFORNIA Gubernatorial Recall Election to be held throughout the State on Every registered September 14, 2021, and that voter in California this guide has been correctly will receive a vote- prepared in accordance with by-mail ballot in the law. Witness my hand and the Gubernatorial the Great Seal of the State in Recall Election. Sacramento, California, this Learn more inside. 6th day of August, 2021. Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D. Secretary of State + You may request additional copies of the Official Voter Information Guide by contacting your county elections official or by calling (800) 345-VOTE (8683). + VOTER BILL OF RIGHTS YOU HAVE THE FOLLOWING RIGHTS: The right to vote if you are a registered The right to get help casting your ballot 1 6 voter. You are eligible to vote if you are: from anyone you choose, except from • a U.S. citizen living in California your employer or union representative. • at least 18 years old • registered where you currently live The right to drop off your completed 7 • not currently serving a state or federal vote-by-mail ballot at any polling place prison term for the conviction of a felony, in California. and • not currently found mentally incompetent The right to get election materials in a 8 to vote by a court language other than English if enough people in your voting precinct speak The right to vote if you are a registered 2 that language. voter even if your name is not on the list. You will vote using a provisional The right to ask questions to elections ballot. Your vote will be counted if 9 officials about election procedures elections officials determine that you and watch the election process. If the are eligible to vote. person you ask cannot answer your questions, they must send you to the The right to vote if you are still in line 3 right person for an answer. If you are when the polls close. disruptive, they can stop answering you. The right to cast a secret ballot without 4 The right to report any illegal or anyone bothering you or telling you how 10 to vote. fraudulent election activity to an elections official or the Secretary of The right to get a new ballot if you State’s office. 5 have made a mistake, if you have not On the web at www.sos.ca.gov already cast your ballot. You can: By phone at (800) 345-VOTE (8683) Ask an elections official at a polling place By email at [email protected] for a new ballot, Exchange your vote-by-mail ballot for a new one at an elections office, or at your polling place, or Vote using a provisional ballot. IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE BEEN DENIED ANY OF THESE RIGHTS, CALL THE SECRETARY OF STATE’S CONFIDENTIAL TOLL-FREE VOTER HOTLINE AT (800) 345-VOTE (8683). 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE RECALL INFORMATION 6 PROPONENTS’ STATEMENT OF REASONS FOR THE RECALL AND THE GOVERNOR’S ANSWER 7 RECALL ARGUMENTS 8 RECALL REPLACEMENT CANDIDATE STATEMENTS 11 VOTER INFORMATION Voter Bill of Rights 2 Information About Recall Replacement 10 Find Your Polling Place or Vote Center 3 Candidate Statements 28 Election Results 3 Voter Registration 28 Top Contributors to State Candidates Voter Registration Privacy Information and Ballot Measures 3 Check Your Voter Status Online 28 Letter From the Secretary of State 4 Vote Safe at Early Voting Locations 29 Postage Prepaid Ballots 5 Assistance for Voters With Disabilities 29 Where’s My Ballot? 5 Same Day Voter Registration 29 Audio & Large Print Voter Information Guides 5 Vote Safe With Your Vote-By-Mail Ballot 30 Estimated Costs of Election 6 Dates to Remember 31 Find Your Polling Place or a Vote Center Polling places and vote centers are established by county elections officials. Look for your polling place address or vote center locations in the county Voter Information Guide that you receive in the mail a few weeks before Election Day. You may also visit the Secretary of State’s website at vote.ca.gov or call the toll-free Voter Hotline at (800) 345-VOTE (8683). You can also text “Vote” to GOVOTE (468683) to find the location of your polling place. Want to see the September 14, 2021, California Gubernatorial Recall Election results after the polls close at 8:00 p.m.? Visit the California Secretary of State’s Election Results website at electionresults.sos.ca.gov. The Election Results website is updated continuously on Election Night as counties report results to the Secretary of State. County elections officials send semi-official election results to the Secretary of State’s website after the polls close at 8:00 p.m. and continue to send updates at least every two hours until all Election Day ballots are counted. Beginning on September 14, the Election Results website will update at 8:00 p.m., and then going forward, every day at 5:00 p.m. as counties count the remaining ballots. The official results of the election will be posted by October 22, 2021, at sos.ca.gov/elections. Top Contributors to State Candidates and Ballot Measures When a committee (a person or group of people who receive or spend money for the purpose of influencing voters to support or oppose candidates or ballot measures) supports or opposes a candidate or a ballot measure and raises at least $1 million, the committee must report its top 10 contributors to the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC). The committee must update the top 10 list when there is any change. These lists are available on the FPPC website at http://www.fppc.ca.gov/transparency/top-contributors.html. To research campaign contributions for candidates, visit the Secretary of State’s website at powersearch.sos.ca.gov. 3 Secretary of State Fellow Californian, Voting matters to Californians. Even in the midst of a devastating worldwide pandemic, nearly 17.8 million Californians cast their votes in the 2020 General Election, the largest voter turnout in almost 70 years. We have demonstrated we can vote in great numbers no matter the challenge. We should all be proud of this unwavering commitment to democracy. My mission as Secretary of State is to work with elections officials statewide to ensure that all elections, including the upcoming California Gubernatorial Recall Election, are safe, fair, and accessible to every voter. To help you navigate the recall, we have provided this Voter Information Guide which includes recall information, important deadlines, registration information, and your rights as a California voter. Just like last fall, every voter in the upcoming recall election will have the option of voting by mail. Counties will start sending registered voters a vote- by-mail ballot 29 days before the election. As most of the health restrictions in place during the 2020 General Election have been lifted, voters will also have greater access to secure ballot drop-off boxes and more opportunities for traditional in-person voting. For updates on your voting options, I urge you to check the websites of your local elections official. Never wonder whether your vote is counted. You can track your vote-by-mail ballot by signing up at wheresmyballot.sos.ca.gov for text, email, or voice status alerts. Every vote matters in every election. But to vote, you need to make a plan. Will you vote early by returning your ballot by mail in the envelope provided? Will you drop it at a voting center or drop box? Or will you vote in person at a neighborhood polling station? Research your options and make a plan. You can visit vote.ca.gov for more helpful information on the election. If you have any questions about voter registration or casting your ballot, you can contact the Secretary of State’s office by calling toll-free (800) 345-VOTE (8683). 4 Postage Prepaid Ballots “No Stamp, No Problem”—All California vote-by-mail ballots with return envelopes now have prepaid postage, ensuring that voting is free and convenient for all California voters. After you have filled out your vote-by-mail ballot, place it in the return envelope, seal the envelope, sign on the designated line, and place it into the mailbox. The California Secretary of State offers voters a way to track and receive notifications on the status of their vote-by-mail ballot. “Where’s My Ballot?” lets voters know where their ballot is, and its status, every step of the way. Sign up at WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov. When you sign up for “Where’s My Ballot?” you will receive automatic updates when your county elections office: • Mails your ballot. • Receives your ballot. • Counts your ballot. • Or if there are any issues with your ballot. Voters who sign up at WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov can choose to receive automatic updates by: • E-mail • Text Message (SMS) • Voice Call Tracking your ballot—when it is mailed, received, and counted—has never been easier. WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov Audio & Large Print Voter Information Guides This guide is available in audio and large print versions. The guide is also available at no cost in English, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Spanish, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese.