Sen. Bernie Sanders | AP Photo/Nati Harnik Sanders warns California primary could disenfranchise his independent base

OAKLAND — Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders charged Friday that California's primary system threatens to disenfranchise millions of independent voters whose support he has cultivated in the nation's most populous state.

Sanders said Friday during a press conference in Santa Ana that he and his team have been campaigning hard to reach California’s 5.3 million "no-party-preference" voters, who now represent the second largest voting bloc in the state at 25.9 percent — ahead of Republicans, who comprise 23.7 percent.


But in California, where voting has already started ahead of the March 3 election, the Vermont senator said he's concerned that independents are not yet turning out in large numbers.

Each party establishes its own presidential primary rules. In California, Democrats allow independents to participate if those voters request a Democratic ballot, while Republicans have a closed system that requires voters to re-register with the GOP.

"Unfortunately, under the current NPP participation rules, we risk locking out millions of young people … millions of young people of color — and many, many other people who wanted to participate in the Democratic primary but may find it impossible for them to do so," he said. "And that seems to me to be very, very wrong."

Sanders' concerns may be rooted in data suggesting his campaign — banking heavily on California's 494 delegate Mother Lode — could take a hit on Super Tuesday should NPP voters fail to turn out. So far, about 1.6 million ballots have been cast in the primary, with about 326,000 ballots from voters not registered with the two major parties, compared to 612,000 votes submitted by Democrats and 619,000 from Republicans, according to Political Data Inc.

The firm's vice president, Paul Mitchell, suggested in a recent analysis in Capitol Weekly that the failure of NPP voters to obtain Democratic ballots would most likely hurt two candidates — Sanders and Mike Bloomberg.

“As the most populous state in the nation, and one of the most progressive states in the nation. … California needs to be the gold standard in voter enfranchisement,’’ Sanders said. “It is critical that the voices of independents, of people who have no party preference, be heard. But many NPP voters do not know that they need to request a Democratic party crossover ballot in order to participate.’’

Sanders himself has long been registered as an independent while serving in Congress, but he caucuses with Democrats and has filed as a Democrat to run twice for president.

Rusty Hicks, chair of the California Democratic Party, responded Friday that "unlike Republicans, California Democrats are making it easier to vote than ever before,'' especially if they are NPP voters. He noted that since 2002, NPP voters have been able to participate in the Democratic presidential primary, and "they simply need to request a ballot at their polling place or voting center."

California Secretary of State Alex Padilla has launched a "How to Vote for the President" informational website and has traveled the state for months to publicize the rules of the March presidential primary.

Independent voters who have received a nonpartisan ballot can contact their county registrar by Tuesday — one week before the election — to receive a replacement or crossover ballot in the mail. If they miss that deadline, they can go to the polls or voting centers on Election Day.

Rafael Navar, Sanders’ state 2020 campaign director, said Friday that with its early primary, California “has never been more important in the Democratic primary process.’’ He said the campaign has focused intently on NPP voters, especially “immigrant communities, Latinos and youth." So far, the campaign has educated those voters by holding three press conferences, establishing a special hotline, pushing out social media messages and releasing three videos, including one with New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to carry the message.

“We have built a massive campaign infrastructure that’s integrated in every single thing we do in California … and all of it includes information to NPP voters on what they need to do,’’ he said.

In an effort to address concerns about confusion or voters potentially disenfranchised, Gov. Gavin Newsom last week signed a new law intended to make it easier for voters to participate in the partisan primary of their choosing. Under Senate Bill 207 by Sen. Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger), voters can submit a written request to county election officials changing their party registration or address in the final two weeks of an election, right up until polls close.

The bill was hailed by Padilla as a good move as elections officials prepare for record primary turnout, saying it would give them "every tool at their disposal to create an efficient, positive voting experiences for Californians."