State Elections Chief On Ballot Harvesting and Age 17 Voting

By David Taub, Senior Reporter

Published 6 years ago on

April 10, 2019

California Secretary of State Alex Padilla wants to make voting easier for everyone.
He visited Fresno last month, pushing the Voters Choice Act. Fresno County will implement the system starting next year.
The act expands the days that polls are open before an election, sends vote-by-mail ballots to all registered voters and allows them to return them in the mail without a stamp. It also replaces neighborhood precincts with voting centers.

Take 5

Take 5 spoke with Padilla and got his thoughts on:
— “Ballot harvesting.”
— Russian interference in the 2016 election.
— The citizenship question that may be asked in the 2020 census. Thus far, the courts have rejected the Trump Administration’s effort to include it. It will likely be decided at the Supreme Court.
— Should the voting age drop to 17?
— Ranked-choice voting, which is used in some cities, like San Francisco. It allows voters to give first, second, third (and so on) rankings to candidates. And it eliminates the need for run-off elections. Does Padilla think it can work statewide?
Watch the video above to find out.

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David Taub,

Senior Reporter

Curiosity drives David Taub. The award-winning journalist might be shy, but feels mighty with a recorder in his hand. He doesn't see it his job to "hold public officials accountable," but does see it to provide readers (and voters) the information needed to make intelligent choices. Taub has been honored with several writing awards from the California News Publishers Association. He's just happy to have his stories read. Joining GV Wire in 2016, Taub covers politics, government and elections, mainly in the Fresno/Clovis area. He also writes columns about local eateries (Appetite for Fresno), pro wrestling (Off the Bottom Rope), and media (Media Man). Prior to joining the online news source, Taub worked as a radio producer for KMJ and PowerTalk 96.7 in Fresno. He also worked as an assignment editor for KCOY-TV in Santa Maria, California, and KSEE-TV in Fresno. He has also worked behind the scenes for several sports broadcasts, including the NCAA basketball tournament, and the Super Bowl. When not spending time with his family, Taub loves to officially score Fresno Grizzlies games. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Taub is a die-hard Giants and 49ers fan. He graduated from the University of Michigan with dual degrees in communications and political science. Go Blue! You can contact David at 559-492-4037 or at Send an Email