Coronavirus: May special election for State Senate will be all vote-by-mail, Newsom says

To help contain the spread of coronavirus, California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday ordered that all voters in State Senate District 28 and Congressional District 25 should receive ballots in the mail ahead of May 12 special elections triggered by the resignations of state Sen. Jeff Stone, R-La Quinta, and U.S. Rep. Katie Hill, D-Agua Dulce.

"Whereas hundreds of local governments across the state have also declared states of emergency, imposed or recommended social distancing, and taken other significant steps in response to COVID-19," Newsom wrote in an executive order released Friday evening, "[The special elections] shall each be held as an all-mail ballot election."

With the decision, California joins jurisdictions throughout the country that are adapting their procedures to minimize health risks associated with in-person voting. Seven states and Puerto Rico have postponed their presidential primary elections.

Although all voters will receive mail ballots, there will still be a limited number of polling places for voters in need of day-of assistance or replacement ballots.

"As we work collectively to flatten the curve, providing every voter the option to vote at home, while maintaining social distance, is a no-brainer. Vote-by-mail is a critical component of election access during this health pandemic, but it cannot stand alone," Secretary of State Alex Padilla said after Newsom's announcement.

He added: "Governor Newsom's order also calls on counties to maintain in-person voting options for voters who need assistance, including participating in Same-Day Registration."

Newsom's announcement comes after local election officials sent letters requesting a procedural change. On Friday, Riverside County Registrar of Voters Rebecca Spencer sent the secretary of state a letter requesting a change for the upcoming State Senate race. The 28th District, which spans from Temecula to Blythe, is completely within Riverside County.

In the letter, Spencer requested that the number of normal polling places be scaled back and replaced by mail ballots.

"Our proposal to the California Secretary of State is that all voters would receive a ballot in the mail. On Election Day we would set up a limited number of voting sites for voters that need the in-person assistance or need a replacement ballot," she said in a statement to The Desert Sun before Newsom's announcement.

There have been 28 confirmed cases and four deaths from coronavirus in Riverside County, and the changes to election procedures are the latest impact of the far-reaching pandemic.

Although county registrars and the Secretary of State can change voting procedures, the governor is the only authority who could suspend the California Elections Code, which would be required to delay the election.

Final results of primary still pending

The 28th State Senate District has an almost even split between Republicans and Democrats. After Newsom announced a representative would be chosen by special election, the open seat sparked a melee among candidates. Historically, mail voters have leaned more Republican than those who vote on election day at polling places throughout California — which means a procedural change could affect the outcome in the swing district.

Final results have yet to be certified for the March 3 primary, but Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez, R-Lake Elsinore, and Riverside County Board of Education Member Elizabeth Romero, a Democrat, appear to be the top two vote-getters poised to advance to the May 12 runoff. Melendez won 40.2% of votes in the five-person race in the March primary and Romero won 24%. Melendez won 40.3% of mail voters and Romero won 23.1%. Republican candidates won 52.3% of the vote and Democrats won 47.7%.

Before Newsom's decision, Melendez said in a statement:

"Our constitution was designed to weather far worse than the current threat of Coronavirus. I urge all residents to take the necessary precautions, to apply for vote-by-mail ballots and to follow the instructions of local authorities. That said, the residents of the 28th Senate District deserve to be represented in the State Senate, I am eager to be their voice."

Romero said her campaign had suspended events and pivoted to virtual communications since coronavirus cases started spreading in the Coachella Valley and Riverside County. She said she canceled door-knocking sessions and in-person fundraisers but worried whether the limited outreach opportunities would be enough to reach all potential voters.

"We’ll definitely have to employ a strategic campaign to reach voters and get out in front of them through different mechanisms," she said. "We're having to adjust to this new reality and be creative in how we communicate with people in a way that’s respectful and adhering to the CDC guidelines."

Melina Duarte, Romero's campaign manager, said regardless of what policies are put in place for the May 12 election, she worries certain voters will be disenfranchised — potentially eastern Coachella Valley residents who rely on P.O. boxes to receive mail.

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"If they do a forced vote-by-mail, that’s not good for the community that we work with because in rural areas like Thermal, they can't get to their post office," Duarte said. "People think they're supposed to stay at home and that stresses a lot of people out."

Sam Metz covers politics. Reach him at samuel.metz@desertsun.com or on Twitter @metzsam.