Califraudia Capers

On Nov. 4, Californians will vote on Proposition 50, a project of Gov. Gavin Newsom endorsed by federal Democrats. A “Yes” vote transfers redistricting from an independent citizens’ commission to legislators. A “No” vote keeps redistricting in the hands of citizens, but Californians in multiple counties noted a potential problem. A “No” vote showed through a hole in the ballot envelope, a possible breach of security.

“When anyone can literally see through the envelope and tell how someone voted, that is not democracy,” Steve Hilton, the former Fox News personality now a Republican candidate for governor, told reporters. “That is rigging the system in plain sight.” For election officials, it was much ado about nothing.

“There are a couple of reasons that we have the holes on the back of our ballot and one on the front,” explained Ken Casparis of the Sacramento County Registrar of Voters. The holes help verify when the ballots are removed and gives visibly impaired voters “something to feel so they know where to sign their name.” If it remained a concern, Casparis recommended folding the ballot so nothing shows through the hole. As voters should know, the same issue surfaced in the 2021 election to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom.

In the run-up to that recall election, CalMatters, a “nonpartisan and nonprofit news organization,” ran a piece headlined, “Recall fact and fiction: What you need to know about the election fraud rumors you’re seeing.” Some Californians were concerned that their vote could be seen through holes in the envelope. Los Angeles County officials said the holes were to help vision impaired voters and ensure that no ballot was left uncounted.