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"content": "\n\u003cp>In \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/educationnews\">school districts\u003c/a> across the Bay Area, years of declining enrollment are forcing major cuts and closures; students’ math and reading scores are in a \u003ca href=\"https://cepr.harvard.edu/news/2026/05/why-us-test-scores-are-generation-long-decline\">free fall\u003c/a>; and campuses are being confronted with many of our major political fights, from transgender rights to AI regulation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But in many cases, the people elected to navigate these challenges earn that significant power by a margin as small as a couple hundred votes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>More than half of school board candidates across the U.S. run uncontested in an average election cycle, and voter turnout hovers between 5% and 10%. And school board races tend to be “low information,” meaning voters know little about who the candidates are or where they stand on key issues, many of which are similar across districts throughout the state.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>KQED asked \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">390 candidates vying for 109 school board seats\u003c/a> across the nine-county Bay Area in November for their stance on some of these topics, from potential school closures to cellphone use — information voters can use at a time that education experts say is pivotal to public schools’ success. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have some unambiguously big problems for schools,” said Jon Valant, who directs the Brown Center on Education Policy at the Brookings Institution. “You can have a big impact, and you can have a big impact at a time when schools are facing a lot of important questions.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What do school boards actually do?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>School boards oversee large budgets, act as major employers and make policy and curriculum decisions that affect thousands of young people — and have rippling impacts on their wider communities.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[Public schools] are the primary institutions that we have for preparing people to be contributing members of our society, democracy and economy,” Valant said. “When you’re participating in a school board election, you’re really having a say in the structure of our society more broadly.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094191\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A classroom at Mission Bay Elementary School in San Francisco on Aug. 6, 2026. Mission Bay School is the first new public SFUSD school to open in 20 years. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The bodies have a few main functions: approving a school district’s budget — which for an urban district like San Francisco, tops $1.36 billion — and hiring and evaluating a superintendent, the person “who’s really responsible for running the system,” according to Julie Marsh, a faculty director at Policy Analysis for California Education.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>School boards set priorities, such as student outcome goals and community values, that are supposed to guide decision-making by the superintendent and district staff. They also approve curriculum and labor contracts and can steer high-level policy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Culture war battlegrounds\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Less officially, school boards have also become political arenas.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Schools and particularly school boards have really become some of the country’s main battlegrounds for its culture wars,” Valant said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He traces the trend back to the COVID-19 pandemic, when some groups of parents began organizing and rallying against masking and vaccine mandates.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1571\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/MomsLibertyGetty-52a1d437.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103881\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/MomsLibertyGetty-52a1d437.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/MomsLibertyGetty-52a1d437-160x126.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/MomsLibertyGetty-52a1d437-1536x1207.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Martha Aguilera, left, with Karen Frost of Moms for Liberty, speaks at the California Policy Center and PERK (Protection of the Educational Rights of Kids) event, “A Line in the Sand, A Rally for Parental Rights,” at Rancho Madera Community Park in Simi Valley, California, on Sept. 26, 2023. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Around the same time, groups like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101904708/conservative-mothers-as-a-political-force-in-california\">Moms for Liberty\u003c/a> were on the rise, advocating against curriculum that teaches about LGBTQ rights and race and ethnicity. They began running school board candidates and establishing a sustained presence at school board meetings, sowing fear that public schools are pushing “woke indoctrination.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’ve seen far-right leaders who have been quite successful with this approach where they run well-funded groups, organize and run a candidate on an ideological platform,” Marsh said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She and other experts said the rise of candidates running for the nonpartisan roles backed by political interest groups became especially prominent in the early 2020s. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While these groups’ influence on school board races seems to be dying down in California, Valant said a recent national Brookings survey found that school board members still feel their governance has become more political and partisan in recent years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Marsh said that conservative groups have also used the tactic to upend trust in school systems more broadly and “mobilize their base.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s a whole strategy of creating a bench for potential candidates for higher office,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1372\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Sonja-Shaw-Getty-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12086196\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Sonja-Shaw-Getty-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Sonja-Shaw-Getty-1-160x110.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Sonja-Shaw-Getty-1-1536x1054.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sonja Shaw, Chino Valley Unified School District Board President, speaks at the California Policy Center and PERK (Protection of the Educational Rights of Kids) event, “A Line in the Sand: A Rally for Parental Rights,” at Rancho Madera Community Park in Simi Valley, California, on Sept. 26, 2023. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sonja Shaw, who is in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086044/conservative-activist-sonja-shaw-advances-in-state-superintendent-race\">runoff election for California state superintendent\u003c/a> this November, rose to notoriety as Chino Valley’s school board president in 2023, when she pushed for a policy that would require school staff to notify parents of any change in their children’s gender identity. Shaw made headlines after current state Superintendent Tony Thurmond was heckled and removed from her district’s board meeting after he expressed opposition to the policy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The policy was permanently halted in 2024, after a lawsuit from Attorney General Rob Bonta, along with similar campaigns to implement “forced outing” in Rocklin and counties in Southern California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>President Donald Trump also harnessed fear surrounding schools’ policies around LGBTQ students in the final stretch of his 2024 reelection campaign, telling a crowd of about 20,000 at Madison Square Garden, “we will get … transgender insanity the hell out of our schools.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He repeatedly told voters: “your kid goes to school and comes home a few days later with an operation,” changing their sex.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘Big, big issues’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While “culture war politics” draw attention and tend to spur single-issue candidates to run for school boards, Valant said, “we need really to be focused on some of the core issues in education.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[Artificial intelligence] has kind of landed on schools’ laps, and questions about how technology should be embedded into the school day,” he said. “We’ve seen achievement declines across the country and growing gaps between the highest- and lowest-scoring students. We’ve seen chronic absenteeism and enrollment declines.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“And, we’ve seen a growing attack on public education across the country,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/LAUSDScreenTimeGetty-d975feb9.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103883\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/LAUSDScreenTimeGetty-d975feb9.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/LAUSDScreenTimeGetty-d975feb9-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/LAUSDScreenTimeGetty-d975feb9-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nick Melvoin, Member of the Los Angeles Unified School District, speaks during a board meeting at the LAUSD headquarters on April 21, 2026, in Los Angeles, California. The LAUSD met to discuss a resolution calling for development of a Screen Time Policy setting time limits by grade, including elimination of student digital devices for early education through first grade, prohibiting device use by elementary and middle school students during passing periods, lunch and recess. The board unanimously voted to approve Board Member Melvoin’s Resolution to limit student screen time. (Kayla Bartkowski/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many of the boards elected this November will be tasked with deciding how their districts will weather shrinking student bodies, and whether to close schools as part of that process.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/school-closures\">closure process\u003c/a> is almost always met with strong opposition from families and teachers, but how districts approach it can significantly change how it affects enrollment and trust.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s former superintendent \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12010008/sf-schools-crisis-is-spiraling-with-top-official-to-resign-heres-all-thats-happened\">resigned under pressure\u003c/a> in 2024 after a botched closure process that strained relationships with the district’s labor unions and many families. But earlier this year, the school board \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095382/as-sfusd-welcomes-back-students-officials-plan-to-revamp-enrollment-consider-closures\">reopened the question of school consolidations\u003c/a>, giving Superintendent Maria Su a strict deadline of 2030 to decide whether campuses should shutter. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The board — including the three members who will be elected this fall — will have final approval over her plan.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Campus closures can upend longstanding school communities, and National School Board Association president Verjeana McCotter-Jacobs said they have rippling effects on nearby businesses, property values and neighborhood populations if they spur families to move.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Of the 140 Bay Area school board candidates who responded to KQED’s question about school closures, 57% said they would consider supporting a proposal from their district to close schools, while 43% said they would oppose the practice.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Boards are also setting the course for the future of technology in classrooms, as parent-led backlash expands across the country, blaming overreliance on screens and artificial intelligence for poor learning outcomes. According to a joint Education Scorecard project from researchers at Stanford, Harvard and Dartmouth universities, falling test scores reflect a \u003ca href=\"https://cepr.harvard.edu/news/2026/05/why-us-test-scores-are-generation-long-decline\">decadelong “learning recession.”\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the spring, the Los Angeles Unified School District board passed a slate of historic tech-limiting policies, proposed by board member Nick Melvoin, with advocacy group Schools Beyond Screens. Districts across the country have moved quickly to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12096557/a-chromebook-in-the-hand-of-every-child-did-schools-go-too-far\">replicate their model\u003c/a>, including in the Bay Area, from San José to Marin.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Last week, the Oakland school board approved new technology restrictions, proposed by board member Rachel Latta, that prohibit students from using individual devices during lunch and passing periods, and mandate training for teachers to reduce 1:1 device use by the fall of 2027. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other districts in San Francisco, San Mateo and Palo Alto have formed ad hoc committees or working groups to consider stricter tech policies, which will be presented to their new boards in the spring.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s public school district is relatively behind on limiting tech use — the current board allowed administrators to punt on a stricter cellphone policy last spring, and it uses a controversial AI-assisted reading assessment and tutoring tool with kindergarteners.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Combatting federal attacks\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Voters aren’t just choosing who will make major instructional decisions at their local school districts; Valant said voting in school board elections this November will send an important message amid what he calls a “federal attack” on public schools.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Staying engaged with school boards, with education, with your local public school, is just really important in communicating that public schools are institutions that mean a lot to this country,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Since taking office last year, Trump has signed an executive order directing the dismantling of the Department of Education and created a federal \u003ca href=\"https://www.ed.gov/media/document/education-freedom-tax-credit-fact-sheet-113147.pdf\">Education Freedom Scholarship Program\u003c/a>, which aims to expand parents’ school choice by allowing them to receive tax credits up to $1,700 that can be used to pay for private school tuition, home-schooling costs, and other educational support.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-2285787606-scaled-e1791586238561.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091600\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the nation from the East Room of the White House on July 16, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Saul Loeb/Pool via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Those together are the biggest change in school policy since at least the early 1990s,” said professor Doug Harris, the director of the National Center for Research on Education Access and Choice at Tulane University. “The idea of open access or universal access to schools is upended. Public education has always involved some public governance, and this eliminates [that].”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Valant called the universal private school choice policies, adopted by more than half of U.S. states, not including California, “intentionally hostile to public schools.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While the federal government has suggested that school choice increases competition and will improve public schools, Valant and others worry it will siphon funds away from the public system and toward schools that are able to select which students they serve — and often teach religious material.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Trump administration has also threatened to withhold federal dollars from school districts that teach about diversity, equity and inclusion, or promote policies that protect transgender students. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In June, the Department of Education launched compliance reviews into SFUSD and three Monterey County school districts over their policies and materials related to gender identity and sexual orientation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/MariaSuAP2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12086920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/MariaSuAP2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/MariaSuAP2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/MariaSuAP2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Maria Su testifies during a House Education and Workforce Committee hearing on parental rights and school content policies, on June 10, 2026, in Washington. (Kevin Wolf/AP Photo)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Later that month, San Francisco Superintendent Su was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086522/congress-to-grill-san-francisco-schools-chief-maria-su-about-gender-ethnic-studies\">called to testify\u003c/a> before Congress about parental rights and “inappropriate” course curriculum.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>All of that adds up to a current moment that Marsh described as an attack on public education and democracy at large, adding that voting is essential to maintain those institutions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“A democracy that focuses on the common good … actually requires people to look out for other kids, not just their own families,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“School boards are one of our few local institutions that are both defending democracy and public education,” she said. “The federal government can’t do anything about our boards — the school board system is well established, and I think we need to defend that.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/educationnews\">school districts\u003c/a> across the Bay Area, years of declining enrollment are forcing major cuts and closures; students’ math and reading scores are in a \u003ca href=\"https://cepr.harvard.edu/news/2026/05/why-us-test-scores-are-generation-long-decline\">free fall\u003c/a>; and campuses are being confronted with many of our major political fights, from transgender rights to AI regulation. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But in many cases, the people elected to navigate these challenges earn that significant power by a margin as small as a couple hundred votes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>More than half of school board candidates across the U.S. run uncontested in an average election cycle, and voter turnout hovers between 5% and 10%. And school board races tend to be “low information,” meaning voters know little about who the candidates are or where they stand on key issues, many of which are similar across districts throughout the state.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>More than half of school board candidates across the U.S. run uncontested in an average election cycle, and voter turnout hovers between 5% and 10%. And school board races tend to be “low information,” meaning voters know little about who the candidates are or where they stand on key issues, many of which are similar across districts throughout the state.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>KQED asked \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">390 candidates vying for 109 school board seats\u003c/a> across the nine-county Bay Area in November for their stance on some of these topics, from potential school closures to cellphone use — information voters can use at a time that education experts say is pivotal to public schools’ success. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>KQED asked \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">390 candidates vying for 109 school board seats\u003c/a> across the nine-county Bay Area in November for their stance on some of these topics, from potential school closures to cellphone use — information voters can use at a time that education experts say is pivotal to public schools’ success. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We have some unambiguously big problems for schools,” said Jon Valant, who directs the Brown Center on Education Policy at the Brookings Institution. “You can have a big impact, and you can have a big impact at a time when schools are facing a lot of important questions.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We have some unambiguously big problems for schools,” said Jon Valant, who directs the Brown Center on Education Policy at the Brookings Institution. “You can have a big impact, and you can have a big impact at a time when schools are facing a lot of important questions.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What do school boards actually do?\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>School boards oversee large budgets, act as major employers and make policy and curriculum decisions that affect thousands of young people — and have rippling impacts on their wider communities.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>School boards oversee large budgets, act as major employers and make policy and curriculum decisions that affect thousands of young people — and have rippling impacts on their wider communities.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“[Public schools] are the primary institutions that we have for preparing people to be contributing members of our society, democracy and economy,” Valant said. “When you’re participating in a school board election, you’re really having a say in the structure of our society more broadly.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“[Public schools] are the primary institutions that we have for preparing people to be contributing members of our society, democracy and economy,” Valant said. “When you’re participating in a school board election, you’re really having a say in the structure of our society more broadly.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094191\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A classroom at Mission Bay Elementary School in San Francisco on Aug. 6, 2026. Mission Bay School is the first new public SFUSD school to open in 20 years.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094191\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A classroom at Mission Bay Elementary School in San Francisco on Aug. 6, 2026. Mission Bay School is the first new public SFUSD school to open in 20 years.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The bodies have a few main functions: approving a school district’s budget — which for an urban district like San Francisco, tops $1.36 billion — and hiring and evaluating a superintendent, the person “who’s really responsible for running the system,” according to Julie Marsh, a faculty director at Policy Analysis for California Education.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The bodies have a few main functions: approving a school district’s budget — which for an urban district like San Francisco, tops $1.36 billion — and hiring and evaluating a superintendent, the person “who’s really responsible for running the system,” according to Julie Marsh, a faculty director at Policy Analysis for California Education.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>School boards set priorities, such as student outcome goals and community values, that are supposed to guide decision-making by the superintendent and district staff. They also approve curriculum and labor contracts and can steer high-level policy. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>School boards set priorities, such as student outcome goals and community values, that are supposed to guide decision-making by the superintendent and district staff. They also approve curriculum and labor contracts and can steer high-level policy. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Less officially, school boards have also become political arenas.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Schools and particularly school boards have really become some of the country’s main battlegrounds for its culture wars,” Valant said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He traces the trend back to the COVID-19 pandemic, when some groups of parents began organizing and rallying against masking and vaccine mandates.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/MomsLibertyGetty-52a1d437.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103881\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/MomsLibertyGetty-52a1d437.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/MomsLibertyGetty-52a1d437-160x126.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/MomsLibertyGetty-52a1d437-1536x1207.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Martha Aguilera, left, with Karen Frost of Moms for Liberty, speaks at the California Policy Center and PERK (Protection of the Educational Rights of Kids) event, “A Line in the Sand, A Rally for Parental Rights,” at Rancho Madera Community Park in Simi Valley, California, on Sept. 26, 2023.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/MomsLibertyGetty-52a1d437.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103881\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Martha Aguilera, left, with Karen Frost of Moms for Liberty, speaks at the California Policy Center and PERK (Protection of the Educational Rights of Kids) event, “A Line in the Sand, A Rally for Parental Rights,” at Rancho Madera Community Park in Simi Valley, California, on Sept. 26, 2023.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Around the same time, groups like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101904708/conservative-mothers-as-a-political-force-in-california\">Moms for Liberty\u003c/a> were on the rise, advocating against curriculum that teaches about LGBTQ rights and race and ethnicity. They began running school board candidates and establishing a sustained presence at school board meetings, sowing fear that public schools are pushing “woke indoctrination.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Around the same time, groups like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101904708/conservative-mothers-as-a-political-force-in-california\">Moms for Liberty\u003c/a> were on the rise, advocating against curriculum that teaches about LGBTQ rights and race and ethnicity. They began running school board candidates and establishing a sustained presence at school board meetings, sowing fear that public schools are pushing “woke indoctrination.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’ve seen far-right leaders who have been quite successful with this approach where they run well-funded groups, organize and run a candidate on an ideological platform,” Marsh said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She and other experts said the rise of candidates running for the nonpartisan roles backed by political interest groups became especially prominent in the early 2020s. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While these groups’ influence on school board races seems to be dying down in California, Valant said a recent national Brookings survey found that school board members still feel their governance has become more political and partisan in recent years. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>While these groups’ influence on school board races seems to be dying down in California, Valant said a recent national Brookings survey found that school board members still feel their governance has become more political and partisan in recent years. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Marsh said that conservative groups have also used the tactic to upend trust in school systems more broadly and “mobilize their base.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There’s a whole strategy of creating a bench for potential candidates for higher office,” she said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Sonja-Shaw-Getty-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12086196\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Sonja-Shaw-Getty-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Sonja-Shaw-Getty-1-160x110.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Sonja-Shaw-Getty-1-1536x1054.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sonja Shaw, Chino Valley Unified School District Board President, speaks at the California Policy Center and PERK (Protection of the Educational Rights of Kids) event, “A Line in the Sand: A Rally for Parental Rights,” at Rancho Madera Community Park in Simi Valley, California, on Sept. 26, 2023.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Sonja-Shaw-Getty-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12086196\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sonja Shaw, Chino Valley Unified School District Board President, speaks at the California Policy Center and PERK (Protection of the Educational Rights of Kids) event, “A Line in the Sand: A Rally for Parental Rights,” at Rancho Madera Community Park in Simi Valley, California, on Sept. 26, 2023.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Sonja Shaw, who is in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086044/conservative-activist-sonja-shaw-advances-in-state-superintendent-race\">runoff election for California state superintendent\u003c/a> this November, rose to notoriety as Chino Valley’s school board president in 2023, when she pushed for a policy that would require school staff to notify parents of any change in their children’s gender identity. Shaw made headlines after current state Superintendent Tony Thurmond was heckled and removed from her district’s board meeting after he expressed opposition to the policy. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Sonja Shaw, who is in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086044/conservative-activist-sonja-shaw-advances-in-state-superintendent-race\">runoff election for California state superintendent\u003c/a> this November, rose to notoriety as Chino Valley’s school board president in 2023, when she pushed for a policy that would require school staff to notify parents of any change in their children’s gender identity. Shaw made headlines after current state Superintendent Tony Thurmond was heckled and removed from her district’s board meeting after he expressed opposition to the policy. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The policy was permanently halted in 2024, after a lawsuit from Attorney General Rob Bonta, along with similar campaigns to implement “forced outing” in Rocklin and counties in Southern California.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The policy was permanently halted in 2024, after a lawsuit from Attorney General Rob Bonta, along with similar campaigns to implement “forced outing” in Rocklin and counties in Southern California.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>President Donald Trump also harnessed fear surrounding schools’ policies around LGBTQ students in the final stretch of his 2024 reelection campaign, telling a crowd of about 20,000 at Madison Square Garden, “we will get … transgender insanity the hell out of our schools.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>President Donald Trump also harnessed fear surrounding schools’ policies around LGBTQ students in the final stretch of his 2024 reelection campaign, telling a crowd of about 20,000 at Madison Square Garden, “we will get … transgender insanity the hell out of our schools.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He repeatedly told voters: “your kid goes to school and comes home a few days later with an operation,” changing their sex.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>He repeatedly told voters: “your kid goes to school and comes home a few days later with an operation,” changing their sex.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "‘Big, big issues’",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While “culture war politics” draw attention and tend to spur single-issue candidates to run for school boards, Valant said, “we need really to be focused on some of the core issues in education.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>While “culture war politics” draw attention and tend to spur single-issue candidates to run for school boards, Valant said, “we need really to be focused on some of the core issues in education.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“[Artificial intelligence] has kind of landed on schools’ laps, and questions about how technology should be embedded into the school day,” he said. “We’ve seen achievement declines across the country and growing gaps between the highest- and lowest-scoring students. We’ve seen chronic absenteeism and enrollment declines.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“[Artificial intelligence] has kind of landed on schools’ laps, and questions about how technology should be embedded into the school day,” he said. “We’ve seen achievement declines across the country and growing gaps between the highest- and lowest-scoring students. We’ve seen chronic absenteeism and enrollment declines.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“And, we’ve seen a growing attack on public education across the country,” he said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“And, we’ve seen a growing attack on public education across the country,” he said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/LAUSDScreenTimeGetty-d975feb9.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103883\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/LAUSDScreenTimeGetty-d975feb9.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/LAUSDScreenTimeGetty-d975feb9-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/LAUSDScreenTimeGetty-d975feb9-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nick Melvoin, Member of the Los Angeles Unified School District, speaks during a board meeting at the LAUSD headquarters on April 21, 2026, in Los Angeles, California. The LAUSD met to discuss a resolution calling for development of a Screen Time Policy setting time limits by grade, including elimination of student digital devices for early education through first grade, prohibiting device use by elementary and middle school students during passing periods, lunch and recess. The board unanimously voted to approve Board Member Melvoin’s Resolution to limit student screen time.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Kayla Bartkowski/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/LAUSDScreenTimeGetty-d975feb9.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103883\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nick Melvoin, Member of the Los Angeles Unified School District, speaks during a board meeting at the LAUSD headquarters on April 21, 2026, in Los Angeles, California. The LAUSD met to discuss a resolution calling for development of a Screen Time Policy setting time limits by grade, including elimination of student digital devices for early education through first grade, prohibiting device use by elementary and middle school students during passing periods, lunch and recess. The board unanimously voted to approve Board Member Melvoin’s Resolution to limit student screen time.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Kayla Bartkowski/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Many of the boards elected this November will be tasked with deciding how their districts will weather shrinking student bodies, and whether to close schools as part of that process.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Many of the boards elected this November will be tasked with deciding how their districts will weather shrinking student bodies, and whether to close schools as part of that process.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/school-closures\">closure process\u003c/a> is almost always met with strong opposition from families and teachers, but how districts approach it can significantly change how it affects enrollment and trust.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/school-closures\">closure process\u003c/a> is almost always met with strong opposition from families and teachers, but how districts approach it can significantly change how it affects enrollment and trust.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s former superintendent \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12010008/sf-schools-crisis-is-spiraling-with-top-official-to-resign-heres-all-thats-happened\">resigned under pressure\u003c/a> in 2024 after a botched closure process that strained relationships with the district’s labor unions and many families. But earlier this year, the school board \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095382/as-sfusd-welcomes-back-students-officials-plan-to-revamp-enrollment-consider-closures\">reopened the question of school consolidations\u003c/a>, giving Superintendent Maria Su a strict deadline of 2030 to decide whether campuses should shutter. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s former superintendent \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12010008/sf-schools-crisis-is-spiraling-with-top-official-to-resign-heres-all-thats-happened\">resigned under pressure\u003c/a> in 2024 after a botched closure process that strained relationships with the district’s labor unions and many families. But earlier this year, the school board \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095382/as-sfusd-welcomes-back-students-officials-plan-to-revamp-enrollment-consider-closures\">reopened the question of school consolidations\u003c/a>, giving Superintendent Maria Su a strict deadline of 2030 to decide whether campuses should shutter. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The board — including the three members who will be elected this fall — will have final approval over her plan.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Campus closures can upend longstanding school communities, and National School Board Association president Verjeana McCotter-Jacobs said they have rippling effects on nearby businesses, property values and neighborhood populations if they spur families to move.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Campus closures can upend longstanding school communities, and National School Board Association president Verjeana McCotter-Jacobs said they have rippling effects on nearby businesses, property values and neighborhood populations if they spur families to move.\u003c/p>\n"
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"label": "2026 Bay Area Voter Guide",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Of the 140 Bay Area school board candidates who responded to KQED’s question about school closures, 57% said they would consider supporting a proposal from their district to close schools, while 43% said they would oppose the practice.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Of the 140 Bay Area school board candidates who responded to KQED’s question about school closures, 57% said they would consider supporting a proposal from their district to close schools, while 43% said they would oppose the practice.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Boards are also setting the course for the future of technology in classrooms, as parent-led backlash expands across the country, blaming overreliance on screens and artificial intelligence for poor learning outcomes. According to a joint Education Scorecard project from researchers at Stanford, Harvard and Dartmouth universities, falling test scores reflect a \u003ca href=\"https://cepr.harvard.edu/news/2026/05/why-us-test-scores-are-generation-long-decline\">decadelong “learning recession.”\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Boards are also setting the course for the future of technology in classrooms, as parent-led backlash expands across the country, blaming overreliance on screens and artificial intelligence for poor learning outcomes. According to a joint Education Scorecard project from researchers at Stanford, Harvard and Dartmouth universities, falling test scores reflect a \u003ca href=\"https://cepr.harvard.edu/news/2026/05/why-us-test-scores-are-generation-long-decline\">decadelong “learning recession.”\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the spring, the Los Angeles Unified School District board passed a slate of historic tech-limiting policies, proposed by board member Nick Melvoin, with advocacy group Schools Beyond Screens. Districts across the country have moved quickly to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12096557/a-chromebook-in-the-hand-of-every-child-did-schools-go-too-far\">replicate their model\u003c/a>, including in the Bay Area, from San José to Marin.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the spring, the Los Angeles Unified School District board passed a slate of historic tech-limiting policies, proposed by board member Nick Melvoin, with advocacy group Schools Beyond Screens. Districts across the country have moved quickly to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12096557/a-chromebook-in-the-hand-of-every-child-did-schools-go-too-far\">replicate their model\u003c/a>, including in the Bay Area, from San José to Marin.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Last week, the Oakland school board approved new technology restrictions, proposed by board member Rachel Latta, that prohibit students from using individual devices during lunch and passing periods, and mandate training for teachers to reduce 1:1 device use by the fall of 2027. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Last week, the Oakland school board approved new technology restrictions, proposed by board member Rachel Latta, that prohibit students from using individual devices during lunch and passing periods, and mandate training for teachers to reduce 1:1 device use by the fall of 2027. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Other districts in San Francisco, San Mateo and Palo Alto have formed ad hoc committees or working groups to consider stricter tech policies, which will be presented to their new boards in the spring.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Other districts in San Francisco, San Mateo and Palo Alto have formed ad hoc committees or working groups to consider stricter tech policies, which will be presented to their new boards in the spring.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s public school district is relatively behind on limiting tech use — the current board allowed administrators to punt on a stricter cellphone policy last spring, and it uses a controversial AI-assisted reading assessment and tutoring tool with kindergarteners.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Voters aren’t just choosing who will make major instructional decisions at their local school districts; Valant said voting in school board elections this November will send an important message amid what he calls a “federal attack” on public schools.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Voters aren’t just choosing who will make major instructional decisions at their local school districts; Valant said voting in school board elections this November will send an important message amid what he calls a “federal attack” on public schools.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Staying engaged with school boards, with education, with your local public school, is just really important in communicating that public schools are institutions that mean a lot to this country,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Since taking office last year, Trump has signed an executive order directing the dismantling of the Department of Education and created a federal \u003ca href=\"https://www.ed.gov/media/document/education-freedom-tax-credit-fact-sheet-113147.pdf\">Education Freedom Scholarship Program\u003c/a>, which aims to expand parents’ school choice by allowing them to receive tax credits up to $1,700 that can be used to pay for private school tuition, home-schooling costs, and other educational support.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Since taking office last year, Trump has signed an executive order directing the dismantling of the Department of Education and created a federal \u003ca href=\"https://www.ed.gov/media/document/education-freedom-tax-credit-fact-sheet-113147.pdf\">Education Freedom Scholarship Program\u003c/a>, which aims to expand parents’ school choice by allowing them to receive tax credits up to $1,700 that can be used to pay for private school tuition, home-schooling costs, and other educational support.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-2285787606-scaled-e1791586238561.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091600\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the nation from the East Room of the White House on July 16, 2026, in Washington, D.C. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Saul Loeb/Pool via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-2285787606-scaled-e1791586238561.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091600\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the nation from the East Room of the White House on July 16, 2026, in Washington, D.C. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Saul Loeb/Pool via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Those together are the biggest change in school policy since at least the early 1990s,” said professor Doug Harris, the director of the National Center for Research on Education Access and Choice at Tulane University. “The idea of open access or universal access to schools is upended. Public education has always involved some public governance, and this eliminates [that].”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Those together are the biggest change in school policy since at least the early 1990s,” said professor Doug Harris, the director of the National Center for Research on Education Access and Choice at Tulane University. “The idea of open access or universal access to schools is upended. Public education has always involved some public governance, and this eliminates [that].”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Valant called the universal private school choice policies, adopted by more than half of U.S. states, not including California, “intentionally hostile to public schools.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While the federal government has suggested that school choice increases competition and will improve public schools, Valant and others worry it will siphon funds away from the public system and toward schools that are able to select which students they serve — and often teach religious material.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>While the federal government has suggested that school choice increases competition and will improve public schools, Valant and others worry it will siphon funds away from the public system and toward schools that are able to select which students they serve — and often teach religious material.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Trump administration has also threatened to withhold federal dollars from school districts that teach about diversity, equity and inclusion, or promote policies that protect transgender students. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In June, the Department of Education launched compliance reviews into SFUSD and three Monterey County school districts over their policies and materials related to gender identity and sexual orientation.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In June, the Department of Education launched compliance reviews into SFUSD and three Monterey County school districts over their policies and materials related to gender identity and sexual orientation.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Later that month, San Francisco Superintendent Su was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086522/congress-to-grill-san-francisco-schools-chief-maria-su-about-gender-ethnic-studies\">called to testify\u003c/a> before Congress about parental rights and “inappropriate” course curriculum.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>All of that adds up to a current moment that Marsh described as an attack on public education and democracy at large, adding that voting is essential to maintain those institutions.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“A democracy that focuses on the common good … actually requires people to look out for other kids, not just their own families,” she said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“School boards are one of our few local institutions that are both defending democracy and public education,” she said. “The federal government can’t do anything about our boards — the school board system is well established, and I think we need to defend that.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Public schools across the Bay Area are facing “some unambiguously big problems,” education experts say, but the elections for local school boards often fly under the radar.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>In \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/educationnews\">school districts\u003c/a> across the Bay Area, years of declining enrollment are forcing major cuts and closures; students’ math and reading scores are in a \u003ca href=\"https://cepr.harvard.edu/news/2026/05/why-us-test-scores-are-generation-long-decline\">free fall\u003c/a>; and campuses are being confronted with many of our major political fights, from transgender rights to AI regulation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But in many cases, the people elected to navigate these challenges earn that significant power by a margin as small as a couple hundred votes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>More than half of school board candidates across the U.S. run uncontested in an average election cycle, and voter turnout hovers between 5% and 10%. And school board races tend to be “low information,” meaning voters know little about who the candidates are or where they stand on key issues, many of which are similar across districts throughout the state.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>KQED asked \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">390 candidates vying for 109 school board seats\u003c/a> across the nine-county Bay Area in November for their stance on some of these topics, from potential school closures to cellphone use — information voters can use at a time that education experts say is pivotal to public schools’ success. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have some unambiguously big problems for schools,” said Jon Valant, who directs the Brown Center on Education Policy at the Brookings Institution. “You can have a big impact, and you can have a big impact at a time when schools are facing a lot of important questions.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What do school boards actually do?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>School boards oversee large budgets, act as major employers and make policy and curriculum decisions that affect thousands of young people — and have rippling impacts on their wider communities.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[Public schools] are the primary institutions that we have for preparing people to be contributing members of our society, democracy and economy,” Valant said. “When you’re participating in a school board election, you’re really having a say in the structure of our society more broadly.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12094191\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-8-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A classroom at Mission Bay Elementary School in San Francisco on Aug. 6, 2026. Mission Bay School is the first new public SFUSD school to open in 20 years. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The bodies have a few main functions: approving a school district’s budget — which for an urban district like San Francisco, tops $1.36 billion — and hiring and evaluating a superintendent, the person “who’s really responsible for running the system,” according to Julie Marsh, a faculty director at Policy Analysis for California Education.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>School boards set priorities, such as student outcome goals and community values, that are supposed to guide decision-making by the superintendent and district staff. They also approve curriculum and labor contracts and can steer high-level policy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Culture war battlegrounds\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Less officially, school boards have also become political arenas.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Schools and particularly school boards have really become some of the country’s main battlegrounds for its culture wars,” Valant said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He traces the trend back to the COVID-19 pandemic, when some groups of parents began organizing and rallying against masking and vaccine mandates.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1571\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/MomsLibertyGetty-52a1d437.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103881\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/MomsLibertyGetty-52a1d437.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/MomsLibertyGetty-52a1d437-160x126.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/MomsLibertyGetty-52a1d437-1536x1207.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Martha Aguilera, left, with Karen Frost of Moms for Liberty, speaks at the California Policy Center and PERK (Protection of the Educational Rights of Kids) event, “A Line in the Sand, A Rally for Parental Rights,” at Rancho Madera Community Park in Simi Valley, California, on Sept. 26, 2023. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Around the same time, groups like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101904708/conservative-mothers-as-a-political-force-in-california\">Moms for Liberty\u003c/a> were on the rise, advocating against curriculum that teaches about LGBTQ rights and race and ethnicity. They began running school board candidates and establishing a sustained presence at school board meetings, sowing fear that public schools are pushing “woke indoctrination.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’ve seen far-right leaders who have been quite successful with this approach where they run well-funded groups, organize and run a candidate on an ideological platform,” Marsh said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She and other experts said the rise of candidates running for the nonpartisan roles backed by political interest groups became especially prominent in the early 2020s. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While these groups’ influence on school board races seems to be dying down in California, Valant said a recent national Brookings survey found that school board members still feel their governance has become more political and partisan in recent years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Marsh said that conservative groups have also used the tactic to upend trust in school systems more broadly and “mobilize their base.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s a whole strategy of creating a bench for potential candidates for higher office,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1372\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Sonja-Shaw-Getty-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12086196\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Sonja-Shaw-Getty-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Sonja-Shaw-Getty-1-160x110.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Sonja-Shaw-Getty-1-1536x1054.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sonja Shaw, Chino Valley Unified School District Board President, speaks at the California Policy Center and PERK (Protection of the Educational Rights of Kids) event, “A Line in the Sand: A Rally for Parental Rights,” at Rancho Madera Community Park in Simi Valley, California, on Sept. 26, 2023. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Sonja Shaw, who is in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086044/conservative-activist-sonja-shaw-advances-in-state-superintendent-race\">runoff election for California state superintendent\u003c/a> this November, rose to notoriety as Chino Valley’s school board president in 2023, when she pushed for a policy that would require school staff to notify parents of any change in their children’s gender identity. Shaw made headlines after current state Superintendent Tony Thurmond was heckled and removed from her district’s board meeting after he expressed opposition to the policy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The policy was permanently halted in 2024, after a lawsuit from Attorney General Rob Bonta, along with similar campaigns to implement “forced outing” in Rocklin and counties in Southern California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>President Donald Trump also harnessed fear surrounding schools’ policies around LGBTQ students in the final stretch of his 2024 reelection campaign, telling a crowd of about 20,000 at Madison Square Garden, “we will get … transgender insanity the hell out of our schools.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He repeatedly told voters: “your kid goes to school and comes home a few days later with an operation,” changing their sex.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘Big, big issues’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While “culture war politics” draw attention and tend to spur single-issue candidates to run for school boards, Valant said, “we need really to be focused on some of the core issues in education.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[Artificial intelligence] has kind of landed on schools’ laps, and questions about how technology should be embedded into the school day,” he said. “We’ve seen achievement declines across the country and growing gaps between the highest- and lowest-scoring students. We’ve seen chronic absenteeism and enrollment declines.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“And, we’ve seen a growing attack on public education across the country,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/LAUSDScreenTimeGetty-d975feb9.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103883\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/LAUSDScreenTimeGetty-d975feb9.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/LAUSDScreenTimeGetty-d975feb9-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/LAUSDScreenTimeGetty-d975feb9-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nick Melvoin, Member of the Los Angeles Unified School District, speaks during a board meeting at the LAUSD headquarters on April 21, 2026, in Los Angeles, California. The LAUSD met to discuss a resolution calling for development of a Screen Time Policy setting time limits by grade, including elimination of student digital devices for early education through first grade, prohibiting device use by elementary and middle school students during passing periods, lunch and recess. The board unanimously voted to approve Board Member Melvoin’s Resolution to limit student screen time. (Kayla Bartkowski/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many of the boards elected this November will be tasked with deciding how their districts will weather shrinking student bodies, and whether to close schools as part of that process.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/school-closures\">closure process\u003c/a> is almost always met with strong opposition from families and teachers, but how districts approach it can significantly change how it affects enrollment and trust.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s former superintendent \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12010008/sf-schools-crisis-is-spiraling-with-top-official-to-resign-heres-all-thats-happened\">resigned under pressure\u003c/a> in 2024 after a botched closure process that strained relationships with the district’s labor unions and many families. But earlier this year, the school board \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095382/as-sfusd-welcomes-back-students-officials-plan-to-revamp-enrollment-consider-closures\">reopened the question of school consolidations\u003c/a>, giving Superintendent Maria Su a strict deadline of 2030 to decide whether campuses should shutter. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The board — including the three members who will be elected this fall — will have final approval over her plan.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Campus closures can upend longstanding school communities, and National School Board Association president Verjeana McCotter-Jacobs said they have rippling effects on nearby businesses, property values and neighborhood populations if they spur families to move.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Of the 140 Bay Area school board candidates who responded to KQED’s question about school closures, 57% said they would consider supporting a proposal from their district to close schools, while 43% said they would oppose the practice.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Boards are also setting the course for the future of technology in classrooms, as parent-led backlash expands across the country, blaming overreliance on screens and artificial intelligence for poor learning outcomes. According to a joint Education Scorecard project from researchers at Stanford, Harvard and Dartmouth universities, falling test scores reflect a \u003ca href=\"https://cepr.harvard.edu/news/2026/05/why-us-test-scores-are-generation-long-decline\">decadelong “learning recession.”\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the spring, the Los Angeles Unified School District board passed a slate of historic tech-limiting policies, proposed by board member Nick Melvoin, with advocacy group Schools Beyond Screens. Districts across the country have moved quickly to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12096557/a-chromebook-in-the-hand-of-every-child-did-schools-go-too-far\">replicate their model\u003c/a>, including in the Bay Area, from San José to Marin.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Last week, the Oakland school board approved new technology restrictions, proposed by board member Rachel Latta, that prohibit students from using individual devices during lunch and passing periods, and mandate training for teachers to reduce 1:1 device use by the fall of 2027. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other districts in San Francisco, San Mateo and Palo Alto have formed ad hoc committees or working groups to consider stricter tech policies, which will be presented to their new boards in the spring.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s public school district is relatively behind on limiting tech use — the current board allowed administrators to punt on a stricter cellphone policy last spring, and it uses a controversial AI-assisted reading assessment and tutoring tool with kindergarteners.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Combatting federal attacks\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Voters aren’t just choosing who will make major instructional decisions at their local school districts; Valant said voting in school board elections this November will send an important message amid what he calls a “federal attack” on public schools.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Staying engaged with school boards, with education, with your local public school, is just really important in communicating that public schools are institutions that mean a lot to this country,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Since taking office last year, Trump has signed an executive order directing the dismantling of the Department of Education and created a federal \u003ca href=\"https://www.ed.gov/media/document/education-freedom-tax-credit-fact-sheet-113147.pdf\">Education Freedom Scholarship Program\u003c/a>, which aims to expand parents’ school choice by allowing them to receive tax credits up to $1,700 that can be used to pay for private school tuition, home-schooling costs, and other educational support.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-2285787606-scaled-e1791586238561.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091600\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the nation from the East Room of the White House on July 16, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Saul Loeb/Pool via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Those together are the biggest change in school policy since at least the early 1990s,” said professor Doug Harris, the director of the National Center for Research on Education Access and Choice at Tulane University. “The idea of open access or universal access to schools is upended. Public education has always involved some public governance, and this eliminates [that].”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Valant called the universal private school choice policies, adopted by more than half of U.S. states, not including California, “intentionally hostile to public schools.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While the federal government has suggested that school choice increases competition and will improve public schools, Valant and others worry it will siphon funds away from the public system and toward schools that are able to select which students they serve — and often teach religious material.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Trump administration has also threatened to withhold federal dollars from school districts that teach about diversity, equity and inclusion, or promote policies that protect transgender students. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In June, the Department of Education launched compliance reviews into SFUSD and three Monterey County school districts over their policies and materials related to gender identity and sexual orientation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/MariaSuAP2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12086920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/MariaSuAP2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/MariaSuAP2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/MariaSuAP2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Maria Su testifies during a House Education and Workforce Committee hearing on parental rights and school content policies, on June 10, 2026, in Washington. (Kevin Wolf/AP Photo)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Later that month, San Francisco Superintendent Su was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086522/congress-to-grill-san-francisco-schools-chief-maria-su-about-gender-ethnic-studies\">called to testify\u003c/a> before Congress about parental rights and “inappropriate” course curriculum.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>All of that adds up to a current moment that Marsh described as an attack on public education and democracy at large, adding that voting is essential to maintain those institutions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“A democracy that focuses on the common good … actually requires people to look out for other kids, not just their own families,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“School boards are one of our few local institutions that are both defending democracy and public education,” she said. “The federal government can’t do anything about our boards — the school board system is well established, and I think we need to defend that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "newsom-apologized-to-tribes-for-historic-harms-but-vetoed-2-bills-that-would-have-empowered-them",
"title": "Newsom Apologized to Tribes for Historic Harms, but Vetoed 2 Bills That Would Have Empowered Them",
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"headTitle": "Newsom Apologized to Tribes for Historic Harms, but Vetoed 2 Bills That Would Have Empowered Them | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Five days after signing a law formalizing a state apology for “harms and atrocities” against California’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/indigenous\">Native peoples\u003c/a>, Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed two additional bills that California tribes had championed, one on water and the other on sacred sites.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tribal leaders say the vetoes leave them shut out of decisions about their ancestral waters and sacred places.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One of Newsom’s vetoes struck down a measure that would have compelled state agencies to address water shortages faced by tribes. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab2218\">Assembly Bill 2218\u003c/a> by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/ash-kalra-100938\">Ash Kalra\u003c/a>, a Santa Clara County Democrat, would have established a state policy to address water-related inequities and would have required a dispute between a tribe and any state water agency over water projects in the tribe’s ancestral territory to go through a mediation process, run by the Governor’s Office of Tribal Affairs. The Karuk Tribe and the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians co-sponsored the legislation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12036066\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gov. Gavin Newsom discusses his revised 2024-25 state budget during a news conference in Sacramento, California, on May 10, 2024. Newsom vetoed a number of bills that would have given tribal leaders more power. (Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom also rejected a bill that would have barred state agencies from significantly interfering with tribal religious practices on state land unless the state showed a compelling reason and chose the approach that interfered least. Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/james-ramos-149649\">James Ramos\u003c/a>, a Democrat from San Bernardino and the Legislature’s only Native American member, authored \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab1881\">AB 1881\u003c/a>, which was called the California Indian Freedom Act of 2026.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Only tribes could sue to enforce Ramos’ bill. Agencies would also have had to seek and document a tribe’s written consent before significantly changing a site they know is sacred, though an agency could ask for consultation if a tribe objected. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ramos is a member of the Serrano/Cahuilla tribe and is a former chairman of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Neither bill drew a “no” vote in the Assembly, though 23 members did not vote on the water bill and 15 on the sacred-sites bill, many Republican. Not voting counts the same as a no vote, and lawmakers are known to skip votes that might offend their supporters and donors.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In his veto message for the water bill, Newsom \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/VETO-msg-AB-2218.pdf\">wrote\u003c/a> that the bill was “not sufficiently clear about how its new policy will be implemented” and that “adding new sources of uncertainty will delay our urgent fight to secure Californians’ water supplies.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>About Ramos’ bill, Newsom \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/VETO-msg-AB-1881.pdf\">wrote\u003c/a> that he was “sympathetic to the goals of this measure” but that it could have “far-reaching impacts” on state government operations and management of state property, and that “this uncertainty calls for further discussion and review.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The governor’s office referred to Newsom’s veto messages in response to a request for comment on this article.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"tribes-criticize-water-bill-veto\">Tribes criticize water bill veto\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Tribes need to be at the table when decisions are being made, not brought in after the important decisions have already been made,” said Russell “Buster” Attebery, chairman of the Karuk Tribe.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Shingle Springs Vice Chair Malissa Tayaba called the veto of the water bill a “backhanded betrayal of California tribes and a direct contradiction of his apology and promises of reconciliation.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Her government, like other tribes, can sue or lodge formal objections to state water projects, she said, but those steps don’t guarantee an outcome. The final language of the bill would have added a mediation process that paused an agency’s action while the state and affected tribe discussed a resolution. Tayaba said \u003ca href=\"https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/tribal_affairs/policy_project.html\">the status quo\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/water/2023/08/california-water-agency-investigation-discrimination/\">excludes\u003c/a> her tribe from meaningful consultation on water projects in its ancestral lands and contributes to “a decimation” in salmon runs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/25_06_25_TRIBE_FOOD_CUTS_MM_26.DSC_7866-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12046548\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/25_06_25_TRIBE_FOOD_CUTS_MM_26.DSC_7866-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/25_06_25_TRIBE_FOOD_CUTS_MM_26.DSC_7866-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/25_06_25_TRIBE_FOOD_CUTS_MM_26.DSC_7866-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Trinity River flows through the Hoopa Valley in Northern California. (Mark McKenna for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under the vetoed bill, the State Water Board would have had to consult with any tribe whose ancestral territory included a water body at issue in a water-rights investigation. It also would have required agencies to offer financial assistance to tribes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The bill represented a step toward building a more meaningful relationship between California and tribal nations,” Tayaba said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Association of California Water Agencies opposed the bill, saying it created a “new and poorly defined standard under the Water Code” and that the mediation process would be inadequate because it would not be binding. Under the rejected bill, a tribe could have withdrawn at any point, according to a legislative analysis — including if the tribe believed the state was not acting in good faith. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We cannot say with certainty how this bill will be implemented and what its impacts will be on water supply,” Andrea Abergel, an advocate for the California Municipal Utilities Association, testified before the Senate Committee on Environmental Quality in July. The organization, which represents more than 80 public utility agencies across the state, opposed the bill. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"current-law-doesn-t-prevent-sacred-site-destruction\">Current law doesn’t prevent sacred site destruction\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ramos said the sacred sites bill, sponsored by Indigenous Justice, an advocacy group, would have afforded Native Americans greater protections to practice their faith.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Tribal members are routinely questioned or harassed for wearing regalia or carrying ceremonial items in public places,” Ramos told the Senate Judiciary Committee in July. “We have the right to assemble and practice our customs and traditions in a state whose ancestral lands are traditional lands of Indian people.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The bill would also have treated restrictions on regalia and other ceremonial items at state buildings as a burden on religious practice, requiring that the items be allowed in and inspected by hand when possible.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1245\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1.jpg\" alt=\"Helen Gaddie (L) stands inside the dance circle during the Sierra Mono Museum's 45th annual powwow on August 6, 2016.\" class=\"wp-image-11049382\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1-400x259.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1-800x519.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1-1180x765.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1-960x623.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Helen Gaddie, left, wears regalia and stands inside the dance circle during the Sierra Mono Museum’s 45th annual powwow on Aug. 6, 2016. (Vanessa Rancano/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens, a Democrat from Cupertino and a co-author of the bill, criticized the veto. “The least we can do as a government is allow Native Americans unburdened access to state lands to honor their heritage,” he said in a statement to CalMatters and ICT.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Supporters say the bill was needed because harm to sacred sites is a direct result of state and federal policies. Landmark Supreme Court cases such as \u003ca href=\"https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24-291_5i26.pdf\">Apache Stronghold v. United States\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/485/439/\">Lyng v. Northwest Indian Cemetery Protective Association\u003c/a> have allowed federal projects to go forward on sacred lands despite tribes’ religious-freedom claims. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>An Assembly analysis of the bill also notes state law restricts severe damage to sacred sites on public property unless there is a clear and convincing showing that the public interest requires it — but tribes have criticized state agencies for \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-05-22/caltrans-indigenous-burial-site\">failing\u003c/a> to prevent damage.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the bill’s findings, authors emphasize that Native American religions are land-based, meaning their practices are often inextricably linked to specific geographic locations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The California Chamber of Commerce applauded both vetoes. The bills “would have created serious legal barriers” to building water storage and infrastructure, wrote John Myers, spokesman for the chamber. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kristopher Anderson, a policy adviser for the California Chamber of Commerce, testified in July against the sacred sites bill. “This bill is about much more than access,” he said. “It is about the way land and water are managed — and the consequences of this bill would have severe ramifications for the water supply reliability of communities and local economies throughout the state.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"apology-and-the-vetoes\">Apology and the vetoes\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom declared \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/30/governor-newsom-proclaims-a-day-of-remembrance-for-indian-boarding-schools/\">Sept. 30\u003c/a> a Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools, which Tayaba called “ironic” considering he rejected bills that would have expanded tribal power the same day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California was home to 13 federal Indian boarding schools between 1892 and 1974 that forcibly removed thousands of Native children from their families. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In June 2019, Newsom signed an \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/6.18.19-Executive-Order.pdf\">executive order\u003c/a> apologizing on behalf of the state to California Native Americans and creating a Truth and Healing Council, \u003ca href=\"https://colorlines.com/articles/california-governor-apologizes-native-americans-genocide\">saying\u003c/a> they “suffered violence, discrimination and exploitation sanctioned by (the) state government.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Sept. 25, Newsom signed \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab2115\">AB 2115\u003c/a> into law, formalizing an apology to California Native peoples for harms experienced as a result of state policy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Newsom acknowledges the state’s historical violence against California’s Indigenous People, but when given the chance to rectify those harms and finalize the bills … he disappointed us and failed to follow through,” said Kasil Willie, policy director of the environmental group Save California Salmon. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom, who is not eligible for re-election, \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/25/governor-newsom-signs-legislation-supporting-california-native-americansgovernor-newsom-signs-legislation-supporting-california-native-americans/\">signed\u003c/a> a package of tribal bills, including making Native American Day a paid state holiday and making the Governor’s Office of Tribal Affairs permanent. His office says the state has returned more than 100,000 acres to tribes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Still, tribal leaders including Tayaba from Shingle Springs said they plan to continue their efforts to boost tribal consultation and co-stewardship.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“His apology, what does it really mean?” Tayaba said. “Man, did he really hurt us on his way out.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is co-published by CalMatters and ICT, a news partnership that covers Indigenous communities in California.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2026/07/newsom-uc-cal-state-billion-dollars-more/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Five days after signing a law formalizing a state apology for “harms and atrocities” against California’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/indigenous\">Native peoples\u003c/a>, Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed two additional bills that California tribes had championed, one on water and the other on sacred sites.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Five days after signing a law formalizing a state apology for “harms and atrocities” against California’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/indigenous\">Native peoples\u003c/a>, Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed two additional bills that California tribes had championed, one on water and the other on sacred sites.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tribal leaders say the vetoes leave them shut out of decisions about their ancestral waters and sacred places.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Tribal leaders say the vetoes leave them shut out of decisions about their ancestral waters and sacred places.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One of Newsom’s vetoes struck down a measure that would have compelled state agencies to address water shortages faced by tribes. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab2218\">Assembly Bill 2218\u003c/a> by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/ash-kalra-100938\">Ash Kalra\u003c/a>, a Santa Clara County Democrat, would have established a state policy to address water-related inequities and would have required a dispute between a tribe and any state water agency over water projects in the tribe’s ancestral territory to go through a mediation process, run by the Governor’s Office of Tribal Affairs. The Karuk Tribe and the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians co-sponsored the legislation. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>One of Newsom’s vetoes struck down a measure that would have compelled state agencies to address water shortages faced by tribes. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab2218\">Assembly Bill 2218\u003c/a> by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/ash-kalra-100938\">Ash Kalra\u003c/a>, a Santa Clara County Democrat, would have established a state policy to address water-related inequities and would have required a dispute between a tribe and any state water agency over water projects in the tribe’s ancestral territory to go through a mediation process, run by the Governor’s Office of Tribal Affairs. The Karuk Tribe and the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians co-sponsored the legislation. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12036066\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gov. Gavin Newsom discusses his revised 2024-25 state budget during a news conference in Sacramento, California, on May 10, 2024. Newsom vetoed a number of bills that would have given tribal leaders more power. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12036066\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gov. Gavin Newsom discusses his revised 2024-25 state budget during a news conference in Sacramento, California, on May 10, 2024. Newsom vetoed a number of bills that would have given tribal leaders more power. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Newsom also rejected a bill that would have barred state agencies from significantly interfering with tribal religious practices on state land unless the state showed a compelling reason and chose the approach that interfered least. Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/james-ramos-149649\">James Ramos\u003c/a>, a Democrat from San Bernardino and the Legislature’s only Native American member, authored \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab1881\">AB 1881\u003c/a>, which was called the California Indian Freedom Act of 2026.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Newsom also rejected a bill that would have barred state agencies from significantly interfering with tribal religious practices on state land unless the state showed a compelling reason and chose the approach that interfered least. Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/james-ramos-149649\">James Ramos\u003c/a>, a Democrat from San Bernardino and the Legislature’s only Native American member, authored \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab1881\">AB 1881\u003c/a>, which was called the California Indian Freedom Act of 2026.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Only tribes could sue to enforce Ramos’ bill. Agencies would also have had to seek and document a tribe’s written consent before significantly changing a site they know is sacred, though an agency could ask for consultation if a tribe objected. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Only tribes could sue to enforce Ramos’ bill. Agencies would also have had to seek and document a tribe’s written consent before significantly changing a site they know is sacred, though an agency could ask for consultation if a tribe objected. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Ramos is a member of the Serrano/Cahuilla tribe and is a former chairman of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Ramos is a member of the Serrano/Cahuilla tribe and is a former chairman of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Neither bill drew a “no” vote in the Assembly, though 23 members did not vote on the water bill and 15 on the sacred-sites bill, many Republican. Not voting counts the same as a no vote, and lawmakers are known to skip votes that might offend their supporters and donors.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Neither bill drew a “no” vote in the Assembly, though 23 members did not vote on the water bill and 15 on the sacred-sites bill, many Republican. Not voting counts the same as a no vote, and lawmakers are known to skip votes that might offend their supporters and donors.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In his veto message for the water bill, Newsom \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/VETO-msg-AB-2218.pdf\">wrote\u003c/a> that the bill was “not sufficiently clear about how its new policy will be implemented” and that “adding new sources of uncertainty will delay our urgent fight to secure Californians’ water supplies.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In his veto message for the water bill, Newsom \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/VETO-msg-AB-2218.pdf\">wrote\u003c/a> that the bill was “not sufficiently clear about how its new policy will be implemented” and that “adding new sources of uncertainty will delay our urgent fight to secure Californians’ water supplies.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>About Ramos’ bill, Newsom \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/VETO-msg-AB-1881.pdf\">wrote\u003c/a> that he was “sympathetic to the goals of this measure” but that it could have “far-reaching impacts” on state government operations and management of state property, and that “this uncertainty calls for further discussion and review.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>About Ramos’ bill, Newsom \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/VETO-msg-AB-1881.pdf\">wrote\u003c/a> that he was “sympathetic to the goals of this measure” but that it could have “far-reaching impacts” on state government operations and management of state property, and that “this uncertainty calls for further discussion and review.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The governor’s office referred to Newsom’s veto messages in response to a request for comment on this article.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The governor’s office referred to Newsom’s veto messages in response to a request for comment on this article.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Tribes criticize water bill veto",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"tribes-criticize-water-bill-veto\">Tribes criticize water bill veto\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Tribes need to be at the table when decisions are being made, not brought in after the important decisions have already been made,” said Russell “Buster” Attebery, chairman of the Karuk Tribe.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Tribes need to be at the table when decisions are being made, not brought in after the important decisions have already been made,” said Russell “Buster” Attebery, chairman of the Karuk Tribe.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Shingle Springs Vice Chair Malissa Tayaba called the veto of the water bill a “backhanded betrayal of California tribes and a direct contradiction of his apology and promises of reconciliation.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Shingle Springs Vice Chair Malissa Tayaba called the veto of the water bill a “backhanded betrayal of California tribes and a direct contradiction of his apology and promises of reconciliation.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Her government, like other tribes, can sue or lodge formal objections to state water projects, she said, but those steps don’t guarantee an outcome. The final language of the bill would have added a mediation process that paused an agency’s action while the state and affected tribe discussed a resolution. Tayaba said \u003ca href=\"https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/tribal_affairs/policy_project.html\">the status quo\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/water/2023/08/california-water-agency-investigation-discrimination/\">excludes\u003c/a> her tribe from meaningful consultation on water projects in its ancestral lands and contributes to “a decimation” in salmon runs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Her government, like other tribes, can sue or lodge formal objections to state water projects, she said, but those steps don’t guarantee an outcome. The final language of the bill would have added a mediation process that paused an agency’s action while the state and affected tribe discussed a resolution. Tayaba said \u003ca href=\"https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/tribal_affairs/policy_project.html\">the status quo\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/water/2023/08/california-water-agency-investigation-discrimination/\">excludes\u003c/a> her tribe from meaningful consultation on water projects in its ancestral lands and contributes to “a decimation” in salmon runs. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/25_06_25_TRIBE_FOOD_CUTS_MM_26.DSC_7866-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12046548\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/25_06_25_TRIBE_FOOD_CUTS_MM_26.DSC_7866-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/25_06_25_TRIBE_FOOD_CUTS_MM_26.DSC_7866-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/25_06_25_TRIBE_FOOD_CUTS_MM_26.DSC_7866-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Trinity River flows through the Hoopa Valley in Northern California.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Mark McKenna for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/25_06_25_TRIBE_FOOD_CUTS_MM_26.DSC_7866-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12046548\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Trinity River flows through the Hoopa Valley in Northern California.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Mark McKenna for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Under the vetoed bill, the State Water Board would have had to consult with any tribe whose ancestral territory included a water body at issue in a water-rights investigation. It also would have required agencies to offer financial assistance to tribes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Under the vetoed bill, the State Water Board would have had to consult with any tribe whose ancestral territory included a water body at issue in a water-rights investigation. It also would have required agencies to offer financial assistance to tribes. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The bill represented a step toward building a more meaningful relationship between California and tribal nations,” Tayaba said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The bill represented a step toward building a more meaningful relationship between California and tribal nations,” Tayaba said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Association of California Water Agencies opposed the bill, saying it created a “new and poorly defined standard under the Water Code” and that the mediation process would be inadequate because it would not be binding. Under the rejected bill, a tribe could have withdrawn at any point, according to a legislative analysis — including if the tribe believed the state was not acting in good faith. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Association of California Water Agencies opposed the bill, saying it created a “new and poorly defined standard under the Water Code” and that the mediation process would be inadequate because it would not be binding. Under the rejected bill, a tribe could have withdrawn at any point, according to a legislative analysis — including if the tribe believed the state was not acting in good faith. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We cannot say with certainty how this bill will be implemented and what its impacts will be on water supply,” Andrea Abergel, an advocate for the California Municipal Utilities Association, testified before the Senate Committee on Environmental Quality in July. The organization, which represents more than 80 public utility agencies across the state, opposed the bill. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We cannot say with certainty how this bill will be implemented and what its impacts will be on water supply,” Andrea Abergel, an advocate for the California Municipal Utilities Association, testified before the Senate Committee on Environmental Quality in July. The organization, which represents more than 80 public utility agencies across the state, opposed the bill. \u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Current law doesn’t prevent sacred site destruction",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"current-law-doesn-t-prevent-sacred-site-destruction\">Current law doesn’t prevent sacred site destruction\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"current-law-doesn-t-prevent-sacred-site-destruction\">Current law doesn’t prevent sacred site destruction\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Ramos said the sacred sites bill, sponsored by Indigenous Justice, an advocacy group, would have afforded Native Americans greater protections to practice their faith.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Ramos said the sacred sites bill, sponsored by Indigenous Justice, an advocacy group, would have afforded Native Americans greater protections to practice their faith.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Tribal members are routinely questioned or harassed for wearing regalia or carrying ceremonial items in public places,” Ramos told the Senate Judiciary Committee in July. “We have the right to assemble and practice our customs and traditions in a state whose ancestral lands are traditional lands of Indian people.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Tribal members are routinely questioned or harassed for wearing regalia or carrying ceremonial items in public places,” Ramos told the Senate Judiciary Committee in July. “We have the right to assemble and practice our customs and traditions in a state whose ancestral lands are traditional lands of Indian people.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The bill would also have treated restrictions on regalia and other ceremonial items at state buildings as a burden on religious practice, requiring that the items be allowed in and inspected by hand when possible.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The bill would also have treated restrictions on regalia and other ceremonial items at state buildings as a burden on religious practice, requiring that the items be allowed in and inspected by hand when possible.\u003c/p>\n"
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"alt": "Helen Gaddie (L) stands inside the dance circle during the Sierra Mono Museum's 45th annual powwow on August 6, 2016.",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1-400x259.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1-800x519.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1-1180x765.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1-960x623.jpg 960w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1.jpg\" alt=\"Helen Gaddie (L) stands inside the dance circle during the Sierra Mono Museum's 45th annual powwow on August 6, 2016.\" class=\"wp-image-11049382\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1-400x259.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1-800x519.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1-1180x765.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1-960x623.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Helen Gaddie, left, wears regalia and stands inside the dance circle during the Sierra Mono Museum’s 45th annual powwow on Aug. 6, 2016.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Vanessa Rancano/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1.jpg\" alt=\"Helen Gaddie (L) stands inside the dance circle during the Sierra Mono Museum's 45th annual powwow on August 6, 2016.\" class=\"wp-image-11049382\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Helen Gaddie, left, wears regalia and stands inside the dance circle during the Sierra Mono Museum’s 45th annual powwow on Aug. 6, 2016.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Vanessa Rancano/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens, a Democrat from Cupertino and a co-author of the bill, criticized the veto. “The least we can do as a government is allow Native Americans unburdened access to state lands to honor their heritage,” he said in a statement to CalMatters and ICT.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens, a Democrat from Cupertino and a co-author of the bill, criticized the veto. “The least we can do as a government is allow Native Americans unburdened access to state lands to honor their heritage,” he said in a statement to CalMatters and ICT.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Supporters say the bill was needed because harm to sacred sites is a direct result of state and federal policies. Landmark Supreme Court cases such as \u003ca href=\"https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24-291_5i26.pdf\">Apache Stronghold v. United States\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/485/439/\">Lyng v. Northwest Indian Cemetery Protective Association\u003c/a> have allowed federal projects to go forward on sacred lands despite tribes’ religious-freedom claims. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Supporters say the bill was needed because harm to sacred sites is a direct result of state and federal policies. Landmark Supreme Court cases such as \u003ca href=\"https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24-291_5i26.pdf\">Apache Stronghold v. United States\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/485/439/\">Lyng v. Northwest Indian Cemetery Protective Association\u003c/a> have allowed federal projects to go forward on sacred lands despite tribes’ religious-freedom claims. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>An Assembly analysis of the bill also notes state law restricts severe damage to sacred sites on public property unless there is a clear and convincing showing that the public interest requires it — but tribes have criticized state agencies for \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-05-22/caltrans-indigenous-burial-site\">failing\u003c/a> to prevent damage.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>An Assembly analysis of the bill also notes state law restricts severe damage to sacred sites on public property unless there is a clear and convincing showing that the public interest requires it — but tribes have criticized state agencies for \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-05-22/caltrans-indigenous-burial-site\">failing\u003c/a> to prevent damage.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the bill’s findings, authors emphasize that Native American religions are land-based, meaning their practices are often inextricably linked to specific geographic locations.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The California Chamber of Commerce applauded both vetoes. The bills “would have created serious legal barriers” to building water storage and infrastructure, wrote John Myers, spokesman for the chamber. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Kristopher Anderson, a policy adviser for the California Chamber of Commerce, testified in July against the sacred sites bill. “This bill is about much more than access,” he said. “It is about the way land and water are managed — and the consequences of this bill would have severe ramifications for the water supply reliability of communities and local economies throughout the state.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Kristopher Anderson, a policy adviser for the California Chamber of Commerce, testified in July against the sacred sites bill. “This bill is about much more than access,” he said. “It is about the way land and water are managed — and the consequences of this bill would have severe ramifications for the water supply reliability of communities and local economies throughout the state.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Newsom declared \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/30/governor-newsom-proclaims-a-day-of-remembrance-for-indian-boarding-schools/\">Sept. 30\u003c/a> a Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools, which Tayaba called “ironic” considering he rejected bills that would have expanded tribal power the same day. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Newsom declared \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/30/governor-newsom-proclaims-a-day-of-remembrance-for-indian-boarding-schools/\">Sept. 30\u003c/a> a Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools, which Tayaba called “ironic” considering he rejected bills that would have expanded tribal power the same day. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California was home to 13 federal Indian boarding schools between 1892 and 1974 that forcibly removed thousands of Native children from their families. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>California was home to 13 federal Indian boarding schools between 1892 and 1974 that forcibly removed thousands of Native children from their families. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In June 2019, Newsom signed an \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/6.18.19-Executive-Order.pdf\">executive order\u003c/a> apologizing on behalf of the state to California Native Americans and creating a Truth and Healing Council, \u003ca href=\"https://colorlines.com/articles/california-governor-apologizes-native-americans-genocide\">saying\u003c/a> they “suffered violence, discrimination and exploitation sanctioned by (the) state government.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In June 2019, Newsom signed an \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/6.18.19-Executive-Order.pdf\">executive order\u003c/a> apologizing on behalf of the state to California Native Americans and creating a Truth and Healing Council, \u003ca href=\"https://colorlines.com/articles/california-governor-apologizes-native-americans-genocide\">saying\u003c/a> they “suffered violence, discrimination and exploitation sanctioned by (the) state government.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Sept. 25, Newsom signed \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab2115\">AB 2115\u003c/a> into law, formalizing an apology to California Native peoples for harms experienced as a result of state policy.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On Sept. 25, Newsom signed \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab2115\">AB 2115\u003c/a> into law, formalizing an apology to California Native peoples for harms experienced as a result of state policy.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Newsom acknowledges the state’s historical violence against California’s Indigenous People, but when given the chance to rectify those harms and finalize the bills … he disappointed us and failed to follow through,” said Kasil Willie, policy director of the environmental group Save California Salmon. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Newsom acknowledges the state’s historical violence against California’s Indigenous People, but when given the chance to rectify those harms and finalize the bills … he disappointed us and failed to follow through,” said Kasil Willie, policy director of the environmental group Save California Salmon. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Newsom, who is not eligible for re-election, \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/25/governor-newsom-signs-legislation-supporting-california-native-americansgovernor-newsom-signs-legislation-supporting-california-native-americans/\">signed\u003c/a> a package of tribal bills, including making Native American Day a paid state holiday and making the Governor’s Office of Tribal Affairs permanent. His office says the state has returned more than 100,000 acres to tribes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Newsom, who is not eligible for re-election, \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/25/governor-newsom-signs-legislation-supporting-california-native-americansgovernor-newsom-signs-legislation-supporting-california-native-americans/\">signed\u003c/a> a package of tribal bills, including making Native American Day a paid state holiday and making the Governor’s Office of Tribal Affairs permanent. His office says the state has returned more than 100,000 acres to tribes. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Still, tribal leaders including Tayaba from Shingle Springs said they plan to continue their efforts to boost tribal consultation and co-stewardship.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Still, tribal leaders including Tayaba from Shingle Springs said they plan to continue their efforts to boost tribal consultation and co-stewardship.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“His apology, what does it really mean?” Tayaba said. “Man, did he really hurt us on his way out.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“His apology, what does it really mean?” Tayaba said. “Man, did he really hurt us on his way out.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is co-published by CalMatters and ICT, a news partnership that covers Indigenous communities in California.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is co-published by CalMatters and ICT, a news partnership that covers Indigenous communities in California.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2026/07/newsom-uc-cal-state-billion-dollars-more/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed two bills that would’ve given tribal governments a greater voice in water projects and in preventing the destruction of sacred Indigenous religious sites on state land.",
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"title": "Newsom Apologized to Tribes for Historic Harms, but Vetoed 2 Bills That Would Have Empowered Them | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Five days after signing a law formalizing a state apology for “harms and atrocities” against California’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/indigenous\">Native peoples\u003c/a>, Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed two additional bills that California tribes had championed, one on water and the other on sacred sites.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tribal leaders say the vetoes leave them shut out of decisions about their ancestral waters and sacred places.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One of Newsom’s vetoes struck down a measure that would have compelled state agencies to address water shortages faced by tribes. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab2218\">Assembly Bill 2218\u003c/a> by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/ash-kalra-100938\">Ash Kalra\u003c/a>, a Santa Clara County Democrat, would have established a state policy to address water-related inequities and would have required a dispute between a tribe and any state water agency over water projects in the tribe’s ancestral territory to go through a mediation process, run by the Governor’s Office of Tribal Affairs. The Karuk Tribe and the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians co-sponsored the legislation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12036066\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gov. Gavin Newsom discusses his revised 2024-25 state budget during a news conference in Sacramento, California, on May 10, 2024. Newsom vetoed a number of bills that would have given tribal leaders more power. (Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom also rejected a bill that would have barred state agencies from significantly interfering with tribal religious practices on state land unless the state showed a compelling reason and chose the approach that interfered least. Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/james-ramos-149649\">James Ramos\u003c/a>, a Democrat from San Bernardino and the Legislature’s only Native American member, authored \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab1881\">AB 1881\u003c/a>, which was called the California Indian Freedom Act of 2026.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Only tribes could sue to enforce Ramos’ bill. Agencies would also have had to seek and document a tribe’s written consent before significantly changing a site they know is sacred, though an agency could ask for consultation if a tribe objected. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ramos is a member of the Serrano/Cahuilla tribe and is a former chairman of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Neither bill drew a “no” vote in the Assembly, though 23 members did not vote on the water bill and 15 on the sacred-sites bill, many Republican. Not voting counts the same as a no vote, and lawmakers are known to skip votes that might offend their supporters and donors.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In his veto message for the water bill, Newsom \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/VETO-msg-AB-2218.pdf\">wrote\u003c/a> that the bill was “not sufficiently clear about how its new policy will be implemented” and that “adding new sources of uncertainty will delay our urgent fight to secure Californians’ water supplies.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>About Ramos’ bill, Newsom \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/VETO-msg-AB-1881.pdf\">wrote\u003c/a> that he was “sympathetic to the goals of this measure” but that it could have “far-reaching impacts” on state government operations and management of state property, and that “this uncertainty calls for further discussion and review.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The governor’s office referred to Newsom’s veto messages in response to a request for comment on this article.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"tribes-criticize-water-bill-veto\">Tribes criticize water bill veto\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Tribes need to be at the table when decisions are being made, not brought in after the important decisions have already been made,” said Russell “Buster” Attebery, chairman of the Karuk Tribe.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Shingle Springs Vice Chair Malissa Tayaba called the veto of the water bill a “backhanded betrayal of California tribes and a direct contradiction of his apology and promises of reconciliation.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Her government, like other tribes, can sue or lodge formal objections to state water projects, she said, but those steps don’t guarantee an outcome. The final language of the bill would have added a mediation process that paused an agency’s action while the state and affected tribe discussed a resolution. Tayaba said \u003ca href=\"https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/tribal_affairs/policy_project.html\">the status quo\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/water/2023/08/california-water-agency-investigation-discrimination/\">excludes\u003c/a> her tribe from meaningful consultation on water projects in its ancestral lands and contributes to “a decimation” in salmon runs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/25_06_25_TRIBE_FOOD_CUTS_MM_26.DSC_7866-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12046548\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/25_06_25_TRIBE_FOOD_CUTS_MM_26.DSC_7866-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/25_06_25_TRIBE_FOOD_CUTS_MM_26.DSC_7866-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/25_06_25_TRIBE_FOOD_CUTS_MM_26.DSC_7866-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Trinity River flows through the Hoopa Valley in Northern California. (Mark McKenna for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under the vetoed bill, the State Water Board would have had to consult with any tribe whose ancestral territory included a water body at issue in a water-rights investigation. It also would have required agencies to offer financial assistance to tribes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The bill represented a step toward building a more meaningful relationship between California and tribal nations,” Tayaba said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Association of California Water Agencies opposed the bill, saying it created a “new and poorly defined standard under the Water Code” and that the mediation process would be inadequate because it would not be binding. Under the rejected bill, a tribe could have withdrawn at any point, according to a legislative analysis — including if the tribe believed the state was not acting in good faith. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We cannot say with certainty how this bill will be implemented and what its impacts will be on water supply,” Andrea Abergel, an advocate for the California Municipal Utilities Association, testified before the Senate Committee on Environmental Quality in July. The organization, which represents more than 80 public utility agencies across the state, opposed the bill. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"current-law-doesn-t-prevent-sacred-site-destruction\">Current law doesn’t prevent sacred site destruction\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ramos said the sacred sites bill, sponsored by Indigenous Justice, an advocacy group, would have afforded Native Americans greater protections to practice their faith.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Tribal members are routinely questioned or harassed for wearing regalia or carrying ceremonial items in public places,” Ramos told the Senate Judiciary Committee in July. “We have the right to assemble and practice our customs and traditions in a state whose ancestral lands are traditional lands of Indian people.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The bill would also have treated restrictions on regalia and other ceremonial items at state buildings as a burden on religious practice, requiring that the items be allowed in and inspected by hand when possible.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1245\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1.jpg\" alt=\"Helen Gaddie (L) stands inside the dance circle during the Sierra Mono Museum's 45th annual powwow on August 6, 2016.\" class=\"wp-image-11049382\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1-400x259.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1-800x519.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1-1180x765.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1-960x623.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Helen Gaddie, left, wears regalia and stands inside the dance circle during the Sierra Mono Museum’s 45th annual powwow on Aug. 6, 2016. (Vanessa Rancano/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens, a Democrat from Cupertino and a co-author of the bill, criticized the veto. “The least we can do as a government is allow Native Americans unburdened access to state lands to honor their heritage,” he said in a statement to CalMatters and ICT.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Supporters say the bill was needed because harm to sacred sites is a direct result of state and federal policies. Landmark Supreme Court cases such as \u003ca href=\"https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24-291_5i26.pdf\">Apache Stronghold v. United States\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/485/439/\">Lyng v. Northwest Indian Cemetery Protective Association\u003c/a> have allowed federal projects to go forward on sacred lands despite tribes’ religious-freedom claims. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>An Assembly analysis of the bill also notes state law restricts severe damage to sacred sites on public property unless there is a clear and convincing showing that the public interest requires it — but tribes have criticized state agencies for \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-05-22/caltrans-indigenous-burial-site\">failing\u003c/a> to prevent damage.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the bill’s findings, authors emphasize that Native American religions are land-based, meaning their practices are often inextricably linked to specific geographic locations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The California Chamber of Commerce applauded both vetoes. The bills “would have created serious legal barriers” to building water storage and infrastructure, wrote John Myers, spokesman for the chamber. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kristopher Anderson, a policy adviser for the California Chamber of Commerce, testified in July against the sacred sites bill. “This bill is about much more than access,” he said. “It is about the way land and water are managed — and the consequences of this bill would have severe ramifications for the water supply reliability of communities and local economies throughout the state.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"apology-and-the-vetoes\">Apology and the vetoes\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom declared \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/30/governor-newsom-proclaims-a-day-of-remembrance-for-indian-boarding-schools/\">Sept. 30\u003c/a> a Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools, which Tayaba called “ironic” considering he rejected bills that would have expanded tribal power the same day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California was home to 13 federal Indian boarding schools between 1892 and 1974 that forcibly removed thousands of Native children from their families. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In June 2019, Newsom signed an \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/6.18.19-Executive-Order.pdf\">executive order\u003c/a> apologizing on behalf of the state to California Native Americans and creating a Truth and Healing Council, \u003ca href=\"https://colorlines.com/articles/california-governor-apologizes-native-americans-genocide\">saying\u003c/a> they “suffered violence, discrimination and exploitation sanctioned by (the) state government.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Sept. 25, Newsom signed \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab2115\">AB 2115\u003c/a> into law, formalizing an apology to California Native peoples for harms experienced as a result of state policy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Newsom acknowledges the state’s historical violence against California’s Indigenous People, but when given the chance to rectify those harms and finalize the bills … he disappointed us and failed to follow through,” said Kasil Willie, policy director of the environmental group Save California Salmon. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom, who is not eligible for re-election, \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/25/governor-newsom-signs-legislation-supporting-california-native-americansgovernor-newsom-signs-legislation-supporting-california-native-americans/\">signed\u003c/a> a package of tribal bills, including making Native American Day a paid state holiday and making the Governor’s Office of Tribal Affairs permanent. His office says the state has returned more than 100,000 acres to tribes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Still, tribal leaders including Tayaba from Shingle Springs said they plan to continue their efforts to boost tribal consultation and co-stewardship.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“His apology, what does it really mean?” Tayaba said. “Man, did he really hurt us on his way out.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is co-published by CalMatters and ICT, a news partnership that covers Indigenous communities in California.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2026/07/newsom-uc-cal-state-billion-dollars-more/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "local-loyalties-and-trump-opposition-collide-in-san-diego-house-race",
"title": "Local Loyalties and Trump Opposition Collide in San Diego House Race",
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"headTitle": "Local Loyalties and Trump Opposition Collide in San Diego House Race | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>VISTA — California’s newest \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/electionsnews\">congressional battleground\u003c/a> is taking shape in northern San Diego County, where hillsides speckled with terracotta roofs descend into canyons of chaparral — and voter opposition to President Donald Trump threatens to upend decades of local Republican dominance. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Previously a safely red seat, the new-look 48th Congressional District is rated “Lean Democrat” by the Cook Political Report — making it one of just three competitive districts left in California that will help decide control of Congress in November. Rep. Darrell Issa, the Republican incumbent, decided to retire rather than run for reelection. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A familiar dynamic has emerged in the race to succeed him: Democrat Marni von Wilpert, a San Diego City Council member, has positioned her campaign as a check on the Trump administration. Republican Jim Desmond, a San Diego County supervisor, has sought to ground his candidacy in local credibility to buttress the national headwinds facing the GOP.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Democrats set their sights on the 48th District after it was dramatically \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064834/how-prop-50-just-rewrote-californias-2026-congressional-map\">reshaped by Proposition 50\u003c/a>, the new map approved by California voters last year as part of a national redistricting battle. The district was transformed from a seat that Trump won by 15.3% to one in which former Vice President Kamala Harris would have won by 3.4%.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Marni-von-Wilpert-Getty-fdc6ba42.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103898\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Marni-von-Wilpert-Getty-fdc6ba42.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Marni-von-Wilpert-Getty-fdc6ba42-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Marni-von-Wilpert-Getty-fdc6ba42-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Congressional candidate Marni Von Wilpert marches during the 2026 San Diego Pride Parade on July 18, 2026, in San Diego, California. (Daniel Knighton/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Vista, where nearly half of residents are Latino, Desmond’s office recently sponsored the city’s Fiestas Patrias, a celebration of Mexican independence and Latino heritage. Local dance troupes performed traditional Mexican baile folklórico in the afternoon sun as their friends and family members cheered from tables shaded underneath large tents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As a procession of costumed dancers performing a danza de los diablos marched past, longtime Vista resident Yolanda Kenniston Alvarez praised Desmond for his constituent services. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She applauded Desmond’s office for sponsoring community gatherings and giving away household essentials such as baby formula to families in this working-class city.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Next week, they’re going to give out some car seats — that’s so good,” said Alvarez, who said she has voted for both Democrats and Republicans but is undecided in this race for Congress. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Still, reminders of Trump’s first-term agenda loomed over the festivities. An organizer of Vista’s Fiestas Patrias said the event was nearly canceled last year over fears of an immigration enforcement operation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Jim-Desmond-Getty-ed46ab3a.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103901\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Jim-Desmond-Getty-ed46ab3a.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Jim-Desmond-Getty-ed46ab3a-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Jim-Desmond-Getty-ed46ab3a-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jim Desmond, candidate for U.S. Congressional District CA 48, speaks to a reporter during a Republican election night watch party at The U.S. Grant Hotel on June 2, 2026, in downtown San Diego, California. (Luke Johnson/The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Alvarez said she was recently stopped on the street and questioned by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“People are scared — they’re scared they’re going to go back, they’re scared to even go to work, they’re scared to have their kids go to school,” she said. “It’s getting worse, and a lot of people are going against Trump.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Desmond’s firewall of local loyalty will be tested in an election that is shaping up to be a referendum on Trump, said Thad Kousser, a professor of political science at UC San Diego. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There are lots and lots of voters who strongly support Donald Trump in these areas,” Kousser said. “But the average voter in this area of San Diego is leaning towards the Democrats and not happy with the direction that Donald Trump has taken the country.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Trump took center stage in the race this week when he suggested letting Iran “take out San Diego” to prove the necessity of dismantling the country’s nuclear weapons capabilities. In response, Desmond \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/JimDesmondSD/status/2107294478314926462?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet\">wrote\u003c/a> on social media, “I vehemently disagree with President Trump’s comments … no American city is expendable, and no American family should ever be treated as collateral damage.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Von Wilpert has focused her campaign attacks on the local impacts of the Iran war — particularly the rising cost of gas in a region where drivers regularly endure long commutes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The choice is a fighter like me, who wants to stand up and lower costs to make Congress an equal branch of government again — or you could vote for another rubber stamp for the Donald Trump White House, which is my opponent,” Von Wilpert told KQED. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The newly drawn 48th District sprawls across vast stretches of Southern California, including areas of Riverside County around Temecula and the reliably Democratic city of Palm Springs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the election is expected to swing on voters in the San Diego County cities of Escondido, San Marcos, Oceanside and Vista — an area known locally as North County. So far, both campaigns have focused their broadcast television ad buys primarily on San Diego stations, with a pro-Von Wilpert super PAC airing some ads in the Los Angeles market (which covers much of Riverside).\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Desmond’s campaign views the geography as a key advantage: While Von Wilpert lives outside the district in the city of San Diego, Desmond served as mayor of San Marcos from 2006 to 2018 and is finishing his second term as county supervisor. Nearly half of the voters in the 48th District are already represented by Desmond on the Board of Supervisors, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan California Target Book. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even as the area has swung towards Democrats in presidential elections, voters in North County have elected members of both parties to the state Legislature. The mayors of Escondido, San Marcos and Vista, though elected in nonpartisan races, are all Republicans.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Politically, I’d say we’re very purple; we’re not strongly leaning in either direction,” said Vista Mayor John Franklin, who has endorsed Desmond. “We think of him as a common-sense leader — he has been very responsive, he’s focused on affordability issues, particularly fighting tax increases.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Desmond declined an interview request for this story. During the campaign, he has emphasized pieces of his platform with bipartisan support — such as assisting first-time homebuyers and banning members of Congress from trading stocks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Jim-Desmond-Getty2-bdd6ebf1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103902\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Jim-Desmond-Getty2-bdd6ebf1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Jim-Desmond-Getty2-bdd6ebf1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Jim-Desmond-Getty2-bdd6ebf1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Supporters of Jim Desmond, candidate for U.S. Congressional District CA 48, stand on stage as he speaks to the crowd during a Republican election night watch party at The U.S. Grant Hotel on June 2, 2026, in downtown San Diego, California. (Luke Johnson/The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I want to make sure that we can have the young families be able to afford a house and bring the cost of energy down,” Desmond \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcsandiego.com/video/videos/politically-speaking-one-on-one-with-jim-desmond/4076178/\">told \u003c/a>NBC 7 in San Diego. “If we can lower the cost of energy, we lower the cost of everything.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Desmond has struggled to distance himself from the most unpopular parts of Trump’s agenda. The president announced his support of Desmond ahead of the June primary, but Trump doesn’t appear on the campaign’s list of endorsements. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Federal immigration enforcement has emerged as another local flashpoint in the race. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Oceanside, Vista and Escondido all rank among the top 40 cities in California for ICE arrest rates since Trump took office last year, according to an \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/california/article/ice-arrest-san-francisco-california-city-22407786.php\">analysis\u003c/a> by the \u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The immigration crackdown has placed newfound scrutiny on the relationship between local governments and ICE. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Escondido, a handful of protesters lined the street outside a Home Depot, waving signs reading “ICE OUT” to passing cars. The group began gathering every week after a series of sweeps in Home Depot parking lots across the region. They are demanding that the city of Escondido end a contract with ICE that allows federal immigration agents to train at a local firing range. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted last month to end similar contracts with ICE and Customs and Border Protection. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Desmond voted in opposition, but acknowledged that “ICE has overreached and overstepped.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Supreshma Riya, a freshman at California State University, San Marcos, said opposition to Trump’s immigration enforcement is the top issue motivating her vote. The San Diego native stopped by a voter registration drive on campus as she prepared to cast a ballot for the first time in November. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think that the way that he’s handling the situation is inhumane,” Riya said. “I think people should be given fair chances and opportunities to make a difference in our country.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Opposition to the Biden administration’s border policy energized Republicans in 2024. But over time, Trump’s aggressive approach to immigration enforcement has chipped away at GOP support in the San Diego area, Kousser said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>North County is the last domino left standing in the region for the GOP. For decades, the area was represented in Congress by conservative stalwarts such as Duke Cunningham, Duncan Hunter and Issa. But a victory by Von Wilpert would give Democrats complete control of the county’s congressional delegation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This race could bring the culmination of the political transition of San Diego,” Kousser said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In Vista, where nearly half of residents are Latino, Desmond’s office recently sponsored the city’s Fiestas Patrias, a celebration of Mexican independence and Latino heritage. Local dance troupes performed traditional Mexican baile folklórico in the afternoon sun as their friends and family members cheered from tables shaded underneath large tents. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As a procession of costumed dancers performing a danza de los diablos marched past, longtime Vista resident Yolanda Kenniston Alvarez praised Desmond for his constituent services. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She applauded Desmond’s office for sponsoring community gatherings and giving away household essentials such as baby formula to families in this working-class city.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Next week, they’re going to give out some car seats — that’s so good,” said Alvarez, who said she has voted for both Democrats and Republicans but is undecided in this race for Congress. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Still, reminders of Trump’s first-term agenda loomed over the festivities. An organizer of Vista’s Fiestas Patrias said the event was nearly canceled last year over fears of an immigration enforcement operation.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Alvarez said she was recently stopped on the street and questioned by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“People are scared — they’re scared they’re going to go back, they’re scared to even go to work, they’re scared to have their kids go to school,” she said. “It’s getting worse, and a lot of people are going against Trump.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Desmond’s firewall of local loyalty will be tested in an election that is shaping up to be a referendum on Trump, said Thad Kousser, a professor of political science at UC San Diego. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There are lots and lots of voters who strongly support Donald Trump in these areas,” Kousser said. “But the average voter in this area of San Diego is leaning towards the Democrats and not happy with the direction that Donald Trump has taken the country.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Trump took center stage in the race this week when he suggested letting Iran “take out San Diego” to prove the necessity of dismantling the country’s nuclear weapons capabilities. In response, Desmond \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/JimDesmondSD/status/2107294478314926462?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet\">wrote\u003c/a> on social media, “I vehemently disagree with President Trump’s comments … no American city is expendable, and no American family should ever be treated as collateral damage.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Von Wilpert has focused her campaign attacks on the local impacts of the Iran war — particularly the rising cost of gas in a region where drivers regularly endure long commutes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The choice is a fighter like me, who wants to stand up and lower costs to make Congress an equal branch of government again — or you could vote for another rubber stamp for the Donald Trump White House, which is my opponent,” Von Wilpert told KQED. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The newly drawn 48th District sprawls across vast stretches of Southern California, including areas of Riverside County around Temecula and the reliably Democratic city of Palm Springs.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But the election is expected to swing on voters in the San Diego County cities of Escondido, San Marcos, Oceanside and Vista — an area known locally as North County. So far, both campaigns have focused their broadcast television ad buys primarily on San Diego stations, with a pro-Von Wilpert super PAC airing some ads in the Los Angeles market (which covers much of Riverside).\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Desmond’s campaign views the geography as a key advantage: While Von Wilpert lives outside the district in the city of San Diego, Desmond served as mayor of San Marcos from 2006 to 2018 and is finishing his second term as county supervisor. Nearly half of the voters in the 48th District are already represented by Desmond on the Board of Supervisors, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan California Target Book. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Desmond’s campaign views the geography as a key advantage: While Von Wilpert lives outside the district in the city of San Diego, Desmond served as mayor of San Marcos from 2006 to 2018 and is finishing his second term as county supervisor. Nearly half of the voters in the 48th District are already represented by Desmond on the Board of Supervisors, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan California Target Book. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Even as the area has swung towards Democrats in presidential elections, voters in North County have elected members of both parties to the state Legislature. The mayors of Escondido, San Marcos and Vista, though elected in nonpartisan races, are all Republicans.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Even as the area has swung towards Democrats in presidential elections, voters in North County have elected members of both parties to the state Legislature. The mayors of Escondido, San Marcos and Vista, though elected in nonpartisan races, are all Republicans.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Politically, I’d say we’re very purple; we’re not strongly leaning in either direction,” said Vista Mayor John Franklin, who has endorsed Desmond. “We think of him as a common-sense leader — he has been very responsive, he’s focused on affordability issues, particularly fighting tax increases.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Politically, I’d say we’re very purple; we’re not strongly leaning in either direction,” said Vista Mayor John Franklin, who has endorsed Desmond. “We think of him as a common-sense leader — he has been very responsive, he’s focused on affordability issues, particularly fighting tax increases.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Desmond declined an interview request for this story. During the campaign, he has emphasized pieces of his platform with bipartisan support — such as assisting first-time homebuyers and banning members of Congress from trading stocks. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Desmond declined an interview request for this story. During the campaign, he has emphasized pieces of his platform with bipartisan support — such as assisting first-time homebuyers and banning members of Congress from trading stocks. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I want to make sure that we can have the young families be able to afford a house and bring the cost of energy down,” Desmond \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcsandiego.com/video/videos/politically-speaking-one-on-one-with-jim-desmond/4076178/\">told \u003c/a>NBC 7 in San Diego. “If we can lower the cost of energy, we lower the cost of everything.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But Desmond has struggled to distance himself from the most unpopular parts of Trump’s agenda. The president announced his support of Desmond ahead of the June primary, but Trump doesn’t appear on the campaign’s list of endorsements. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But Desmond has struggled to distance himself from the most unpopular parts of Trump’s agenda. The president announced his support of Desmond ahead of the June primary, but Trump doesn’t appear on the campaign’s list of endorsements. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Oceanside, Vista and Escondido all rank among the top 40 cities in California for ICE arrest rates since Trump took office last year, according to an \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/california/article/ice-arrest-san-francisco-california-city-22407786.php\">analysis\u003c/a> by the \u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Oceanside, Vista and Escondido all rank among the top 40 cities in California for ICE arrest rates since Trump took office last year, according to an \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/california/article/ice-arrest-san-francisco-california-city-22407786.php\">analysis\u003c/a> by the \u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In Escondido, a handful of protesters lined the street outside a Home Depot, waving signs reading “ICE OUT” to passing cars. The group began gathering every week after a series of sweeps in Home Depot parking lots across the region. They are demanding that the city of Escondido end a contract with ICE that allows federal immigration agents to train at a local firing range. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted last month to end similar contracts with ICE and Customs and Border Protection. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Supreshma Riya, a freshman at California State University, San Marcos, said opposition to Trump’s immigration enforcement is the top issue motivating her vote. The San Diego native stopped by a voter registration drive on campus as she prepared to cast a ballot for the first time in November. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Supreshma Riya, a freshman at California State University, San Marcos, said opposition to Trump’s immigration enforcement is the top issue motivating her vote. The San Diego native stopped by a voter registration drive on campus as she prepared to cast a ballot for the first time in November. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I think that the way that he’s handling the situation is inhumane,” Riya said. “I think people should be given fair chances and opportunities to make a difference in our country.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Opposition to the Biden administration’s border policy energized Republicans in 2024. But over time, Trump’s aggressive approach to immigration enforcement has chipped away at GOP support in the San Diego area, Kousser said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>North County is the last domino left standing in the region for the GOP. For decades, the area was represented in Congress by conservative stalwarts such as Duke Cunningham, Duncan Hunter and Issa. But a victory by Von Wilpert would give Democrats complete control of the county’s congressional delegation. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>North County is the last domino left standing in the region for the GOP. For decades, the area was represented in Congress by conservative stalwarts such as Duke Cunningham, Duncan Hunter and Issa. But a victory by Von Wilpert would give Democrats complete control of the county’s congressional delegation. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This race could bring the culmination of the political transition of San Diego,” Kousser said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Democrat Marni von Wilpert and Republican Jim Desmond compete in the 48th Congressional District, one of California’s most competitive House elections. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>VISTA — California’s newest \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/electionsnews\">congressional battleground\u003c/a> is taking shape in northern San Diego County, where hillsides speckled with terracotta roofs descend into canyons of chaparral — and voter opposition to President Donald Trump threatens to upend decades of local Republican dominance. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Previously a safely red seat, the new-look 48th Congressional District is rated “Lean Democrat” by the Cook Political Report — making it one of just three competitive districts left in California that will help decide control of Congress in November. Rep. Darrell Issa, the Republican incumbent, decided to retire rather than run for reelection. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A familiar dynamic has emerged in the race to succeed him: Democrat Marni von Wilpert, a San Diego City Council member, has positioned her campaign as a check on the Trump administration. Republican Jim Desmond, a San Diego County supervisor, has sought to ground his candidacy in local credibility to buttress the national headwinds facing the GOP.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Democrats set their sights on the 48th District after it was dramatically \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064834/how-prop-50-just-rewrote-californias-2026-congressional-map\">reshaped by Proposition 50\u003c/a>, the new map approved by California voters last year as part of a national redistricting battle. The district was transformed from a seat that Trump won by 15.3% to one in which former Vice President Kamala Harris would have won by 3.4%.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Marni-von-Wilpert-Getty-fdc6ba42.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103898\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Marni-von-Wilpert-Getty-fdc6ba42.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Marni-von-Wilpert-Getty-fdc6ba42-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Marni-von-Wilpert-Getty-fdc6ba42-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Congressional candidate Marni Von Wilpert marches during the 2026 San Diego Pride Parade on July 18, 2026, in San Diego, California. (Daniel Knighton/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Vista, where nearly half of residents are Latino, Desmond’s office recently sponsored the city’s Fiestas Patrias, a celebration of Mexican independence and Latino heritage. Local dance troupes performed traditional Mexican baile folklórico in the afternoon sun as their friends and family members cheered from tables shaded underneath large tents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As a procession of costumed dancers performing a danza de los diablos marched past, longtime Vista resident Yolanda Kenniston Alvarez praised Desmond for his constituent services. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She applauded Desmond’s office for sponsoring community gatherings and giving away household essentials such as baby formula to families in this working-class city.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Next week, they’re going to give out some car seats — that’s so good,” said Alvarez, who said she has voted for both Democrats and Republicans but is undecided in this race for Congress. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Still, reminders of Trump’s first-term agenda loomed over the festivities. An organizer of Vista’s Fiestas Patrias said the event was nearly canceled last year over fears of an immigration enforcement operation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Jim-Desmond-Getty-ed46ab3a.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103901\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Jim-Desmond-Getty-ed46ab3a.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Jim-Desmond-Getty-ed46ab3a-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Jim-Desmond-Getty-ed46ab3a-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jim Desmond, candidate for U.S. Congressional District CA 48, speaks to a reporter during a Republican election night watch party at The U.S. Grant Hotel on June 2, 2026, in downtown San Diego, California. (Luke Johnson/The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Alvarez said she was recently stopped on the street and questioned by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“People are scared — they’re scared they’re going to go back, they’re scared to even go to work, they’re scared to have their kids go to school,” she said. “It’s getting worse, and a lot of people are going against Trump.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Desmond’s firewall of local loyalty will be tested in an election that is shaping up to be a referendum on Trump, said Thad Kousser, a professor of political science at UC San Diego. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There are lots and lots of voters who strongly support Donald Trump in these areas,” Kousser said. “But the average voter in this area of San Diego is leaning towards the Democrats and not happy with the direction that Donald Trump has taken the country.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Trump took center stage in the race this week when he suggested letting Iran “take out San Diego” to prove the necessity of dismantling the country’s nuclear weapons capabilities. In response, Desmond \u003ca href=\"https://x.com/JimDesmondSD/status/2107294478314926462?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet\">wrote\u003c/a> on social media, “I vehemently disagree with President Trump’s comments … no American city is expendable, and no American family should ever be treated as collateral damage.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Von Wilpert has focused her campaign attacks on the local impacts of the Iran war — particularly the rising cost of gas in a region where drivers regularly endure long commutes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The choice is a fighter like me, who wants to stand up and lower costs to make Congress an equal branch of government again — or you could vote for another rubber stamp for the Donald Trump White House, which is my opponent,” Von Wilpert told KQED. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The newly drawn 48th District sprawls across vast stretches of Southern California, including areas of Riverside County around Temecula and the reliably Democratic city of Palm Springs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the election is expected to swing on voters in the San Diego County cities of Escondido, San Marcos, Oceanside and Vista — an area known locally as North County. So far, both campaigns have focused their broadcast television ad buys primarily on San Diego stations, with a pro-Von Wilpert super PAC airing some ads in the Los Angeles market (which covers much of Riverside).\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Desmond’s campaign views the geography as a key advantage: While Von Wilpert lives outside the district in the city of San Diego, Desmond served as mayor of San Marcos from 2006 to 2018 and is finishing his second term as county supervisor. Nearly half of the voters in the 48th District are already represented by Desmond on the Board of Supervisors, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan California Target Book. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even as the area has swung towards Democrats in presidential elections, voters in North County have elected members of both parties to the state Legislature. The mayors of Escondido, San Marcos and Vista, though elected in nonpartisan races, are all Republicans.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Politically, I’d say we’re very purple; we’re not strongly leaning in either direction,” said Vista Mayor John Franklin, who has endorsed Desmond. “We think of him as a common-sense leader — he has been very responsive, he’s focused on affordability issues, particularly fighting tax increases.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Desmond declined an interview request for this story. During the campaign, he has emphasized pieces of his platform with bipartisan support — such as assisting first-time homebuyers and banning members of Congress from trading stocks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Jim-Desmond-Getty2-bdd6ebf1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103902\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Jim-Desmond-Getty2-bdd6ebf1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Jim-Desmond-Getty2-bdd6ebf1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Jim-Desmond-Getty2-bdd6ebf1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Supporters of Jim Desmond, candidate for U.S. Congressional District CA 48, stand on stage as he speaks to the crowd during a Republican election night watch party at The U.S. Grant Hotel on June 2, 2026, in downtown San Diego, California. (Luke Johnson/The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I want to make sure that we can have the young families be able to afford a house and bring the cost of energy down,” Desmond \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcsandiego.com/video/videos/politically-speaking-one-on-one-with-jim-desmond/4076178/\">told \u003c/a>NBC 7 in San Diego. “If we can lower the cost of energy, we lower the cost of everything.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Desmond has struggled to distance himself from the most unpopular parts of Trump’s agenda. The president announced his support of Desmond ahead of the June primary, but Trump doesn’t appear on the campaign’s list of endorsements. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Federal immigration enforcement has emerged as another local flashpoint in the race. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Oceanside, Vista and Escondido all rank among the top 40 cities in California for ICE arrest rates since Trump took office last year, according to an \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/california/article/ice-arrest-san-francisco-california-city-22407786.php\">analysis\u003c/a> by the \u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The immigration crackdown has placed newfound scrutiny on the relationship between local governments and ICE. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Escondido, a handful of protesters lined the street outside a Home Depot, waving signs reading “ICE OUT” to passing cars. The group began gathering every week after a series of sweeps in Home Depot parking lots across the region. They are demanding that the city of Escondido end a contract with ICE that allows federal immigration agents to train at a local firing range. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted last month to end similar contracts with ICE and Customs and Border Protection. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Desmond voted in opposition, but acknowledged that “ICE has overreached and overstepped.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Supreshma Riya, a freshman at California State University, San Marcos, said opposition to Trump’s immigration enforcement is the top issue motivating her vote. The San Diego native stopped by a voter registration drive on campus as she prepared to cast a ballot for the first time in November. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think that the way that he’s handling the situation is inhumane,” Riya said. “I think people should be given fair chances and opportunities to make a difference in our country.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Opposition to the Biden administration’s border policy energized Republicans in 2024. But over time, Trump’s aggressive approach to immigration enforcement has chipped away at GOP support in the San Diego area, Kousser said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>North County is the last domino left standing in the region for the GOP. For decades, the area was represented in Congress by conservative stalwarts such as Duke Cunningham, Duncan Hunter and Issa. But a victory by Von Wilpert would give Democrats complete control of the county’s congressional delegation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This race could bring the culmination of the political transition of San Diego,” Kousser said.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Valadao-Villegas Debate and the Fight for Latino Voters in the Central Valley",
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"headTitle": "Valadao-Villegas Debate and the Fight for Latino Voters in the Central Valley | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Central Valley Republican Congressman David Valado and his Democratic challenger, college professor Randy Villegas, faced off in a debate earlier this week. Marisa and Guy talk to one of the moderators, FOX40 anchor Nikki Laurenzo, about the showdown in Bakersfield and what it means for control of Congress. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Then, Republican political consultant Mike Madrid joins them to discuss how Democrats are trying to win back working-class Latino voters. Does progressive Villegas or the more moderate Rep. Adam Gray make a more compelling case?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1752\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2298621300-2fef249e-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103865\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2298621300-2fef249e-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2298621300-2fef249e-2000x1369.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2298621300-2fef249e-160x110.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2298621300-2fef249e-1536x1051.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2298621300-2fef249e-2048x1402.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders stands with Randy Villegas, Democratic candidate for the US House of Representatives in California, during a stop on Sanders’ ‘Fighting Oligarchy: Where We Go From Here’ tour at Bakersfield High School on Oct. 4, 2026 in Bakersfield, California. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Don’t forget to use \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">KQED’s voter guide\u003c/a> when filling out your ballot!\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Plus, check out \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/newsletters/political-breakdown\">Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter\u003c/a>, delivered straight to your inbox.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2298621300-2fef249e-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103865\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders stands with Randy Villegas, Democratic candidate for the US House of Representatives in California, during a stop on Sanders’ ‘Fighting Oligarchy: Where We Go From Here’ tour at Bakersfield High School on Oct. 4, 2026 in Bakersfield, California. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Mario Tama/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Plus, check out \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/newsletters/political-breakdown\">Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter\u003c/a>, delivered straight to your inbox.\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "A Central Valley debate with control of Congress at stake, and a look at whether progressive or moderate Democrats make the stronger pitch to Latino voters.",
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"title": "Valadao-Villegas Debate and the Fight for Latino Voters in the Central Valley | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Central Valley Republican Congressman David Valado and his Democratic challenger, college professor Randy Villegas, faced off in a debate earlier this week. Marisa and Guy talk to one of the moderators, FOX40 anchor Nikki Laurenzo, about the showdown in Bakersfield and what it means for control of Congress. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Then, Republican political consultant Mike Madrid joins them to discuss how Democrats are trying to win back working-class Latino voters. Does progressive Villegas or the more moderate Rep. Adam Gray make a more compelling case?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1752\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2298621300-2fef249e-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103865\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2298621300-2fef249e-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2298621300-2fef249e-2000x1369.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2298621300-2fef249e-160x110.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2298621300-2fef249e-1536x1051.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2298621300-2fef249e-2048x1402.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders stands with Randy Villegas, Democratic candidate for the US House of Representatives in California, during a stop on Sanders’ ‘Fighting Oligarchy: Where We Go From Here’ tour at Bakersfield High School on Oct. 4, 2026 in Bakersfield, California. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Don’t forget to use \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">KQED’s voter guide\u003c/a> when filling out your ballot!\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Plus, check out \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/newsletters/political-breakdown\">Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter\u003c/a>, delivered straight to your inbox.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "dropbox-near-me-san-francisco-bay-area-find-my-polling-place-election-day-voter-guide-california-midterm-elections-2026-vote-for-governor",
"title": "Election 2026: Where Can I Drop Off My Midterm Ballot — or Vote Early?",
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"headTitle": "Election 2026: Where Can I Drop Off My Midterm Ballot — or Vote Early? | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>California voters: \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">the midterm elections are here\u003c/a>. And if you’re registered to vote, your ballot will be on its way in the next few days if it hasn’t already arrived — ahead of Election Day itself on Nov. 3.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wondering where to drop off your completed mail-in ballot in the Bay Area? Or where you can vote in person and find a polling place near you? What about if you prefer to vote on Election Day itself?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Keep reading for everything you need to know about submitting your vote in the California midterm elections. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#ballot-drop-off\">How to find your closest voting location or ballot drop-off\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#in-person\">How to find your polling place on Election Day\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#county\">How to contact your county directly about voting\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you’re concerned you might have made a mistake when filling out your ballot, you can \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103115/california-midterms-elections-2026-vote-for-governor-ballot-signature-how-to-correct-mistake\">read our guide to addressing common errors on your ballot \u003c/a>(\u003cem>before\u003c/em> you mail it) — and find out how to get a fresh ballot or vote in person if you really messed up.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can I drop off my ballot in a drop box or at a voting location?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Once you complete your mail-in ballot, you can drop it off at an official drop box instead of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103028/should-you-use-usps-to-mail-your-midterm-ballot-heres-what-california-election-officials-say\">mailing it via a U.S. Postal Service collection box\u003c/a>. These secure drop boxes will \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/general-election-november-3-2026\">open by Oct.5.\u003c/a> Once you’ve placed your ballot into one of these drop boxes, it’ll then be taken straight to your county elections office.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You can also hand-deliver your ballot to any open voting location. \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/general-election-november-3-2026\">The first vote centers open \u003c/a>Oct. 24 in certain counties, with more early voting locations opening Oct. 31.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/014_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-06c984cf.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103658\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/014_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-06c984cf.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/014_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-06c984cf-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/014_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-06c984cf-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Itzel Diaz drops off her ballot for California’s gubernatorial recall election at a ballot dropbox in Fruitvale on Sept. 9, 2021. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Submitting your ballot by hand this way is the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103028/should-you-use-usps-to-mail-your-midterm-ballot-heres-what-california-election-officials-say\">top recommendation\u003c/a> of Kim Alexander, president and founder of the non-partisan California Voter Foundation. If you live in \u003ca href=\"https://calvoter.org/content/sign-scan-and-go\">one of the California counties\u003c/a> which has adopted the “Sign & Go” system — which in the Bay Area are Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin and Napa — you can complete your ballot at at home, and then bring it to a participating vote center and sign the voter roster under penalty of perjury (just as you would for in-person voting) to submit it in person. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And if you live in a county which has adopted “Sign, Scan & Go”, like San Mateo, you can do all of the above and then scan your ballot yourself to have your vote recorded immediately at the voting site. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You can also, of course, fill your ballot out in-person \u003cem>at \u003c/em>a voting location, and submit it directly there and then. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A few reasons the effort to hand-deliver your completed ballot instead of mailing it might be worth it:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Peace of mind:\u003c/strong> There’s a satisfaction that comes with knowing your ballot should now travel straight to your county elections office rather than going through USPS collection and sorting for delivery\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Timing:\u003c/strong> If it’s Election Day itself, using a drop box or a voting location to drop off your ballot is the best way to be sure it’ll reach your county elections office in time to be counted\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Assistance:\u003c/strong> If you drop off your ballot at a voting location during operating hours and you have a few lingering questions about your ballot or the process, chances are good that you’ll find someone there to help answer them.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Regardless of how you deliver it, you can \u003ca href=\"https://california.ballottrax.net/voter/\">sign up to track your ballot’s progress with the “Where’s My Ballot?” online tool\u003c/a> and be reassured it’s on its way to being counted.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can’t I just mail my ballot through the Postal Service?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yes, you can mail your completed ballot via the U.S. Postal Service at any regular collection box — but it’s best to do this early. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The envelope is postage paid, so it doesn’t require a stamp, and it’ll be counted as long as it’s\u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections\"> postmarked by Election Day and arrives at your county registrar’s office by Nov. 3\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Be aware that when it comes to using USPS, in the last two statewide elections, Secretary of State Shirley Weber and Attorney General Rob Bonta urged any voters planning to mail in their ballots \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-and-secretary-state-weber-sacramento-vote-early-june\">at \u003cem>least \u003c/em>a week before Election Day\u003c/a> — to account for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103028/should-you-use-usps-to-mail-your-midterm-ballot-heres-what-california-election-officials-say\">changes in the way USPS is collected\u003c/a> and postmarked in many areas. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If it’s Election Day itself, for peace of mind that your ballot will reach your county elections office in time to be counted, you should drop off your ballot in an official drop box or voting location instead of using USPS (see above).\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you can’t do that, Weber’s office is recommending you \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/vote-mail\">“get a hand-stamped postmark\u003c/a> from a postal employee inside a United States Post Office” rather than simply dropping it in a USPS collection box on Election Day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And if you really have to use a collection box, be \u003cem>very\u003c/em> sure you don’t miss the last collection time for that specific mailbox (which at many locations is 5 p.m. or earlier). You also shouldn’t drop off your ballot on Election Day at a post office that’s already closed — since doing either of these things will mean your ballot will not be postmarked on Election Day and it won’t be counted when it reaches your county’s election office.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103028/should-you-use-usps-to-mail-your-midterm-ballot-heres-what-california-election-officials-say\">Read more about what California election officials say about using USPS this election season.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"in-person\">Where can I vote in person on Election Day?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Election Day, in-person voting is still available at every county registrar’s office (also known as your county’s elections office) in the Bay Area. If you’re a San Francisco voter, this location will be City Hall. \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices\">Find your county registrar’s office and opening hours.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Check your mail-in ballot to see where you can vote and whether you’ve been assigned a specific polling place.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/004_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-1-b4fd4fcf.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103661\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/004_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-1-b4fd4fcf.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/004_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-1-b4fd4fcf-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/004_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-1-b4fd4fcf-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Porfirio Diaz fills out his mail-in ballot for California’s gubernatorial recall election at his home in Oakland on Sept. 9, 2021. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>If you live in San Francisco, Contra Costa or Solano counties:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You are assigned a specific polling place, though Contra Costa County election officials say they can process your ballot no matter where you show up to vote.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But even if you live in a county that assigns you a particular polling place, you can still vote at \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices\">your county registrar’s office\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>If you live in Alameda, Marin, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Clara or Sonoma counties:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You can vote at any voting location — known as Vote Centers — including your county registrar’s office.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You can \u003ca href=\"https://caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov/\">find your voting location through the state’s lookup tool\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Do I need to bring my ballot with me?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you’d like to cast a ballot in person, it’s a good idea to bring the blank ballot you were mailed, as some counties may require you to vote provisionally if you don’t bring it. If you’re issued a new ballot when you vote in person, any ballot you left at home will be canceled.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Provisional votes are subject to extra checks — confirming that you’re actually registered to vote in California, or that you didn’t already complete and mail your ballot — and this extra layer of confirmation takes time. That means that although your vote will eventually be counted, it might not be tallied on Election Day itself.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I still need to register to vote. What should I do? Can I do this on Election Day?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The official deadline to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/\">register online to vote \u003c/a>is Monday, Oct. 19.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Remember, if you’ve changed your name or want to change the political party choice you previously registered to vote with or you moved address, you’ll need to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/\">re-register\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2121\" height=\"1414\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GettyImages-2042927844.jpg\" alt=\"Two Black women standing and looking at a clipboard over a table and signs that say "Vote" with other people waiting in line behind the woman with the red shirt.\" class=\"wp-image-12010427\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GettyImages-2042927844.jpg 2121w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GettyImages-2042927844-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GettyImages-2042927844-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GettyImages-2042927844-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GettyImages-2042927844-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GettyImages-2042927844-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GettyImages-2042927844-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2121px) 100vw, 2121px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The official deadline to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/\">register online to vote \u003c/a>is Monday, Oct. 19. (Drazen Zigic via iStock/Getty Images Plus)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But if you miss the deadline to register, don’t panic: After Oct. 19, you can still complete the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/same-day-reg/\">same-day voter registration\u003c/a> process (also known as “conditional voting”) and request your ballot in person at your county elections office or polling location. This system enables you to fill out and submit your ballot then and there, up until when polls close at 8 p.m. on Election Day.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In addition to voter registration, many voting locations also offer replacement ballots, accessible voting machines and language assistance.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"ballot-drop-off\">How can I find my voting location or ballot drop-off?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Secure drop boxes \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/general-election-november-3-2026\">open by Oct. 5, and the first vote centers open \u003c/a>Oct. 24 in certain counties, with more early voting locations opening Oct. 31.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Visit the \u003ca href=\"https://caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov/\">state of California lookup tool\u003c/a>, where you can:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>Enter your county (adding your city or ZIP code will give more localized results, but it’s optional)\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Check the “Early Voting” and/or “Drop Off Location” boxes\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Hit “Search” to see all the early voting and drop-off locations in that area.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Remember that in-person voting hours may differ by location, and some locations may not be open every day.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"county\">How can I contact my county directly about voting?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Across the Bay Area, elections officials are encouraging voters to reach out — early — with any questions or concerns. Here’s the contact information for your county:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://acvote.alamedacountyca.gov/index\">\u003cstrong>Alameda\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: For information about voting by mail, registration and polling place lookup, call 510-267-8683\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.contracostavote.gov/elections/\">\u003cstrong>Contra Costa\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 925-335-7800 or email voter.services@vote.cccounty.us\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.marincounty.org/depts/rv\">\u003cstrong>Marin\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 415-473-6456 or go to the Marin County elections webpage to \u003ca href=\"https://www.marincounty.org/depts/rv/contact-us\">send a form email\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.countyofnapa.org/396/Elections\">\u003cstrong>Napa\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 707-253-4321 or email the elections office at elections@countyofnapa.org\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://sfelections.sfgov.org\">\u003cstrong>San Francisco\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 415-554-4375 or email sfvote@sfgov.org\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.smcacre.org/elections\">\u003cstrong>San Mateo\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 888-762-8683 or email registrar@smcacre.org\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sccgov.org/sites/rov/Pages/Registrar-of-Voters.aspx\">\u003cstrong>Santa Clara\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call toll-free at 866-430-VOTE (8683) or email registrar@rov.sccgov.org\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.solanocounty.com/depts/rov/default.asp\">\u003cstrong>Solano\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003cstrong>: \u003c/strong>Call 707-784-6675 or 888-933-VOTE (8683). You can also email elections@solanocounty.com\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/CRA/Registrar-of-Voters/\">\u003cstrong>Sonoma\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 707-565-6800 or toll-free at 800-750-8683\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state also has a full list of \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices/\">every county elections office in California\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California voters: \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">the midterm elections are here\u003c/a>. And if you’re registered to vote, your ballot will be on its way in the next few days if it hasn’t already arrived — ahead of Election Day itself on Nov. 3.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>California voters: \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">the midterm elections are here\u003c/a>. And if you’re registered to vote, your ballot will be on its way in the next few days if it hasn’t already arrived — ahead of Election Day itself on Nov. 3.\u003c/p>\n"
],
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{
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Wondering where to drop off your completed mail-in ballot in the Bay Area? Or where you can vote in person and find a polling place near you? What about if you prefer to vote on Election Day itself?\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Wondering where to drop off your completed mail-in ballot in the Bay Area? Or where you can vote in person and find a polling place near you? What about if you prefer to vote on Election Day itself?\u003c/p>\n"
],
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{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Keep reading for everything you need to know about submitting your vote in the California midterm elections. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Keep reading for everything you need to know about submitting your vote in the California midterm elections. \u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n"
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"How to find your closest voting location or ballot drop-off",
"How to find your polling place on Election Day",
"How to contact your county directly about voting"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#ballot-drop-off\">How to find your closest voting location or ballot drop-off\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#ballot-drop-off\">How to find your closest voting location or ballot drop-off\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#in-person\">How to find your polling place on Election Day\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#in-person\">How to find your polling place on Election Day\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n"
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{
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#county\">How to contact your county directly about voting\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#county\">How to contact your county directly about voting\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If you’re concerned you might have made a mistake when filling out your ballot, you can \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103115/california-midterms-elections-2026-vote-for-governor-ballot-signature-how-to-correct-mistake\">read our guide to addressing common errors on your ballot \u003c/a>(\u003cem>before\u003c/em> you mail it) — and find out how to get a fresh ballot or vote in person if you really messed up.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>If you’re concerned you might have made a mistake when filling out your ballot, you can \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103115/california-midterms-elections-2026-vote-for-governor-ballot-signature-how-to-correct-mistake\">read our guide to addressing common errors on your ballot \u003c/a>(\u003cem>before\u003c/em> you mail it) — and find out how to get a fresh ballot or vote in person if you really messed up.\u003c/p>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Can I drop off my ballot in a drop box or at a voting location?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can I drop off my ballot in a drop box or at a voting location?\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can I drop off my ballot in a drop box or at a voting location?\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Once you complete your mail-in ballot, you can drop it off at an official drop box instead of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103028/should-you-use-usps-to-mail-your-midterm-ballot-heres-what-california-election-officials-say\">mailing it via a U.S. Postal Service collection box\u003c/a>. These secure drop boxes will \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/general-election-november-3-2026\">open by Oct.5.\u003c/a> Once you’ve placed your ballot into one of these drop boxes, it’ll then be taken straight to your county elections office.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Once you complete your mail-in ballot, you can drop it off at an official drop box instead of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103028/should-you-use-usps-to-mail-your-midterm-ballot-heres-what-california-election-officials-say\">mailing it via a U.S. Postal Service collection box\u003c/a>. These secure drop boxes will \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/general-election-november-3-2026\">open by Oct.5.\u003c/a> Once you’ve placed your ballot into one of these drop boxes, it’ll then be taken straight to your county elections office.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>You can also hand-deliver your ballot to any open voting location. \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/general-election-november-3-2026\">The first vote centers open \u003c/a>Oct. 24 in certain counties, with more early voting locations opening Oct. 31.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>You can also hand-deliver your ballot to any open voting location. \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/general-election-november-3-2026\">The first vote centers open \u003c/a>Oct. 24 in certain counties, with more early voting locations opening Oct. 31.\u003c/p>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/014_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-06c984cf.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/014_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-06c984cf-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/014_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-06c984cf-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/014_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-06c984cf.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103658\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/014_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-06c984cf.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/014_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-06c984cf-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/014_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-06c984cf-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Itzel Diaz drops off her ballot for California’s gubernatorial recall election at a ballot dropbox in Fruitvale on Sept. 9, 2021.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/014_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-06c984cf.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103658\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Itzel Diaz drops off her ballot for California’s gubernatorial recall election at a ballot dropbox in Fruitvale on Sept. 9, 2021.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Submitting your ballot by hand this way is the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103028/should-you-use-usps-to-mail-your-midterm-ballot-heres-what-california-election-officials-say\">top recommendation\u003c/a> of Kim Alexander, president and founder of the non-partisan California Voter Foundation. If you live in \u003ca href=\"https://calvoter.org/content/sign-scan-and-go\">one of the California counties\u003c/a> which has adopted the “Sign & Go” system — which in the Bay Area are Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin and Napa — you can complete your ballot at at home, and then bring it to a participating vote center and sign the voter roster under penalty of perjury (just as you would for in-person voting) to submit it in person. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Submitting your ballot by hand this way is the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103028/should-you-use-usps-to-mail-your-midterm-ballot-heres-what-california-election-officials-say\">top recommendation\u003c/a> of Kim Alexander, president and founder of the non-partisan California Voter Foundation. If you live in \u003ca href=\"https://calvoter.org/content/sign-scan-and-go\">one of the California counties\u003c/a> which has adopted the “Sign & Go” system — which in the Bay Area are Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin and Napa — you can complete your ballot at at home, and then bring it to a participating vote center and sign the voter roster under penalty of perjury (just as you would for in-person voting) to submit it in person. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And if you live in a county which has adopted “Sign, Scan & Go”, like San Mateo, you can do all of the above and then scan your ballot yourself to have your vote recorded immediately at the voting site. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>And if you live in a county which has adopted “Sign, Scan & Go”, like San Mateo, you can do all of the above and then scan your ballot yourself to have your vote recorded immediately at the voting site. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>You can also, of course, fill your ballot out in-person \u003cem>at \u003c/em>a voting location, and submit it directly there and then. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>You can also, of course, fill your ballot out in-person \u003cem>at \u003c/em>a voting location, and submit it directly there and then. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A few reasons the effort to hand-deliver your completed ballot instead of mailing it might be worth it:\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A few reasons the effort to hand-deliver your completed ballot instead of mailing it might be worth it:\u003c/p>\n"
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"Peace of mind: There’s a satisfaction that comes with knowing your ballot should now travel straight to your county elections office rather than going through USPS collection and sorting for delivery",
"Timing: If it’s Election Day itself, using a drop box or a voting location to drop off your ballot is the best way to be sure it’ll reach your county elections office in time to be counted",
"Assistance: If you drop off your ballot at a voting location during operating hours and you have a few lingering questions about your ballot or the process, chances are good that you’ll find someone there to help answer them."
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Peace of mind:\u003c/strong> There’s a satisfaction that comes with knowing your ballot should now travel straight to your county elections office rather than going through USPS collection and sorting for delivery\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Peace of mind:\u003c/strong> There’s a satisfaction that comes with knowing your ballot should now travel straight to your county elections office rather than going through USPS collection and sorting for delivery\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Timing:\u003c/strong> If it’s Election Day itself, using a drop box or a voting location to drop off your ballot is the best way to be sure it’ll reach your county elections office in time to be counted\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Timing:\u003c/strong> If it’s Election Day itself, using a drop box or a voting location to drop off your ballot is the best way to be sure it’ll reach your county elections office in time to be counted\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Assistance:\u003c/strong> If you drop off your ballot at a voting location during operating hours and you have a few lingering questions about your ballot or the process, chances are good that you’ll find someone there to help answer them.\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Assistance:\u003c/strong> If you drop off your ballot at a voting location during operating hours and you have a few lingering questions about your ballot or the process, chances are good that you’ll find someone there to help answer them.\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Regardless of how you deliver it, you can \u003ca href=\"https://california.ballottrax.net/voter/\">sign up to track your ballot’s progress with the “Where’s My Ballot?” online tool\u003c/a> and be reassured it’s on its way to being counted.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Regardless of how you deliver it, you can \u003ca href=\"https://california.ballottrax.net/voter/\">sign up to track your ballot’s progress with the “Where’s My Ballot?” online tool\u003c/a> and be reassured it’s on its way to being counted.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Can’t I just mail my ballot through the Postal Service?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Yes, you can mail your completed ballot via the U.S. Postal Service at any regular collection box — but it’s best to do this early. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Yes, you can mail your completed ballot via the U.S. Postal Service at any regular collection box — but it’s best to do this early. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The envelope is postage paid, so it doesn’t require a stamp, and it’ll be counted as long as it’s\u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections\"> postmarked by Election Day and arrives at your county registrar’s office by Nov. 3\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The envelope is postage paid, so it doesn’t require a stamp, and it’ll be counted as long as it’s\u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections\"> postmarked by Election Day and arrives at your county registrar’s office by Nov. 3\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Be aware that when it comes to using USPS, in the last two statewide elections, Secretary of State Shirley Weber and Attorney General Rob Bonta urged any voters planning to mail in their ballots \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-and-secretary-state-weber-sacramento-vote-early-june\">at \u003cem>least \u003c/em>a week before Election Day\u003c/a> — to account for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103028/should-you-use-usps-to-mail-your-midterm-ballot-heres-what-california-election-officials-say\">changes in the way USPS is collected\u003c/a> and postmarked in many areas. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Be aware that when it comes to using USPS, in the last two statewide elections, Secretary of State Shirley Weber and Attorney General Rob Bonta urged any voters planning to mail in their ballots \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-and-secretary-state-weber-sacramento-vote-early-june\">at \u003cem>least \u003c/em>a week before Election Day\u003c/a> — to account for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103028/should-you-use-usps-to-mail-your-midterm-ballot-heres-what-california-election-officials-say\">changes in the way USPS is collected\u003c/a> and postmarked in many areas. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If it’s Election Day itself, for peace of mind that your ballot will reach your county elections office in time to be counted, you should drop off your ballot in an official drop box or voting location instead of using USPS (see above).\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>If it’s Election Day itself, for peace of mind that your ballot will reach your county elections office in time to be counted, you should drop off your ballot in an official drop box or voting location instead of using USPS (see above).\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If you can’t do that, Weber’s office is recommending you \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/vote-mail\">“get a hand-stamped postmark\u003c/a> from a postal employee inside a United States Post Office” rather than simply dropping it in a USPS collection box on Election Day. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>If you can’t do that, Weber’s office is recommending you \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/vote-mail\">“get a hand-stamped postmark\u003c/a> from a postal employee inside a United States Post Office” rather than simply dropping it in a USPS collection box on Election Day. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And if you really have to use a collection box, be \u003cem>very\u003c/em> sure you don’t miss the last collection time for that specific mailbox (which at many locations is 5 p.m. or earlier). You also shouldn’t drop off your ballot on Election Day at a post office that’s already closed — since doing either of these things will mean your ballot will not be postmarked on Election Day and it won’t be counted when it reaches your county’s election office.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>And if you really have to use a collection box, be \u003cem>very\u003c/em> sure you don’t miss the last collection time for that specific mailbox (which at many locations is 5 p.m. or earlier). You also shouldn’t drop off your ballot on Election Day at a post office that’s already closed — since doing either of these things will mean your ballot will not be postmarked on Election Day and it won’t be counted when it reaches your county’s election office.\u003c/p>\n"
],
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103028/should-you-use-usps-to-mail-your-midterm-ballot-heres-what-california-election-officials-say\">Read more about what California election officials say about using USPS this election season.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103028/should-you-use-usps-to-mail-your-midterm-ballot-heres-what-california-election-officials-say\">Read more about what California election officials say about using USPS this election season.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Where can I vote in person on Election Day?",
"level": 2
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"in-person\">Where can I vote in person on Election Day?\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"in-person\">Where can I vote in person on Election Day?\u003c/h2>\n"
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Election Day, in-person voting is still available at every county registrar’s office (also known as your county’s elections office) in the Bay Area. If you’re a San Francisco voter, this location will be City Hall. \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices\">Find your county registrar’s office and opening hours.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>On Election Day, in-person voting is still available at every county registrar’s office (also known as your county’s elections office) in the Bay Area. If you’re a San Francisco voter, this location will be City Hall. \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices\">Find your county registrar’s office and opening hours.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Check your mail-in ballot to see where you can vote and whether you’ve been assigned a specific polling place.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Check your mail-in ballot to see where you can vote and whether you’ve been assigned a specific polling place.\u003c/p>\n"
],
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"attrs": {
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"alt": "",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/004_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-1-b4fd4fcf.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/004_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-1-b4fd4fcf-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/004_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-1-b4fd4fcf-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/004_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-1-b4fd4fcf.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103661\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/004_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-1-b4fd4fcf.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/004_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-1-b4fd4fcf-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/004_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-1-b4fd4fcf-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Porfirio Diaz fills out his mail-in ballot for California’s gubernatorial recall election at his home in Oakland on Sept. 9, 2021.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/004_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-1-b4fd4fcf.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103661\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Porfirio Diaz fills out his mail-in ballot for California’s gubernatorial recall election at his home in Oakland on Sept. 9, 2021.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>If you live in San Francisco, Contra Costa or Solano counties:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>If you live in San Francisco, Contra Costa or Solano counties:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>You are assigned a specific polling place, though Contra Costa County election officials say they can process your ballot no matter where you show up to vote.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>You are assigned a specific polling place, though Contra Costa County election officials say they can process your ballot no matter where you show up to vote.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But even if you live in a county that assigns you a particular polling place, you can still vote at \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices\">your county registrar’s office\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>But even if you live in a county that assigns you a particular polling place, you can still vote at \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices\">your county registrar’s office\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>If you live in Alameda, Marin, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Clara or Sonoma counties:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>If you live in Alameda, Marin, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Clara or Sonoma counties:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>You can vote at any voting location — known as Vote Centers — including your county registrar’s office.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>You can vote at any voting location — known as Vote Centers — including your county registrar’s office.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>You can \u003ca href=\"https://caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov/\">find your voting location through the state’s lookup tool\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>You can \u003ca href=\"https://caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov/\">find your voting location through the state’s lookup tool\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Do I need to bring my ballot with me?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Do I need to bring my ballot with me?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If you’d like to cast a ballot in person, it’s a good idea to bring the blank ballot you were mailed, as some counties may require you to vote provisionally if you don’t bring it. If you’re issued a new ballot when you vote in person, any ballot you left at home will be canceled.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>If you’d like to cast a ballot in person, it’s a good idea to bring the blank ballot you were mailed, as some counties may require you to vote provisionally if you don’t bring it. If you’re issued a new ballot when you vote in person, any ballot you left at home will be canceled.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Provisional votes are subject to extra checks — confirming that you’re actually registered to vote in California, or that you didn’t already complete and mail your ballot — and this extra layer of confirmation takes time. That means that although your vote will eventually be counted, it might not be tallied on Election Day itself.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Provisional votes are subject to extra checks — confirming that you’re actually registered to vote in California, or that you didn’t already complete and mail your ballot — and this extra layer of confirmation takes time. That means that although your vote will eventually be counted, it might not be tallied on Election Day itself.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "I still need to register to vote. What should I do? Can I do this on Election Day?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I still need to register to vote. What should I do? Can I do this on Election Day?\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The official deadline to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/\">register online to vote \u003c/a>is Monday, Oct. 19.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The official deadline to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/\">register online to vote \u003c/a>is Monday, Oct. 19.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Remember, if you’ve changed your name or want to change the political party choice you previously registered to vote with or you moved address, you’ll need to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/\">re-register\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Remember, if you’ve changed your name or want to change the political party choice you previously registered to vote with or you moved address, you’ll need to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/\">re-register\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
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"linkDestination": "none",
"alt": "Two Black women standing and looking at a clipboard over a table and signs that say \"Vote\" with other people waiting in line behind the woman with the red shirt.",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GettyImages-2042927844.jpg 2121w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GettyImages-2042927844-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GettyImages-2042927844-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GettyImages-2042927844-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GettyImages-2042927844-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GettyImages-2042927844-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GettyImages-2042927844-1920x1280.jpg 1920w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GettyImages-2042927844.jpg\" alt=\"Two Black women standing and looking at a clipboard over a table and signs that say "Vote" with other people waiting in line behind the woman with the red shirt.\" class=\"wp-image-12010427\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GettyImages-2042927844.jpg 2121w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GettyImages-2042927844-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GettyImages-2042927844-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GettyImages-2042927844-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GettyImages-2042927844-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GettyImages-2042927844-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GettyImages-2042927844-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The official deadline to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/\">register online to vote \u003c/a>is Monday, Oct. 19.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Drazen Zigic via iStock/Getty Images Plus)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GettyImages-2042927844.jpg\" alt=\"Two Black women standing and looking at a clipboard over a table and signs that say "Vote" with other people waiting in line behind the woman with the red shirt.\" class=\"wp-image-12010427\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The official deadline to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/\">register online to vote \u003c/a>is Monday, Oct. 19.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Drazen Zigic via iStock/Getty Images Plus)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But if you miss the deadline to register, don’t panic: After Oct. 19, you can still complete the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/same-day-reg/\">same-day voter registration\u003c/a> process (also known as “conditional voting”) and request your ballot in person at your county elections office or polling location. This system enables you to fill out and submit your ballot then and there, up until when polls close at 8 p.m. on Election Day.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But if you miss the deadline to register, don’t panic: After Oct. 19, you can still complete the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/same-day-reg/\">same-day voter registration\u003c/a> process (also known as “conditional voting”) and request your ballot in person at your county elections office or polling location. This system enables you to fill out and submit your ballot then and there, up until when polls close at 8 p.m. on Election Day.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In addition to voter registration, many voting locations also offer replacement ballots, accessible voting machines and language assistance.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>In addition to voter registration, many voting locations also offer replacement ballots, accessible voting machines and language assistance.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "How can I find my voting location or ballot drop-off?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Secure drop boxes \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/general-election-november-3-2026\">open by Oct. 5, and the first vote centers open \u003c/a>Oct. 24 in certain counties, with more early voting locations opening Oct. 31.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Secure drop boxes \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/general-election-november-3-2026\">open by Oct. 5, and the first vote centers open \u003c/a>Oct. 24 in certain counties, with more early voting locations opening Oct. 31.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Visit the \u003ca href=\"https://caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov/\">state of California lookup tool\u003c/a>, where you can:\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Visit the \u003ca href=\"https://caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov/\">state of California lookup tool\u003c/a>, where you can:\u003c/p>\n"
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"items": [
"Enter your county (adding your city or ZIP code will give more localized results, but it’s optional)",
"Check the “Early Voting” and/or “Drop Off Location” boxes",
"Hit “Search” to see all the early voting and drop-off locations in that area."
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Enter your county (adding your city or ZIP code will give more localized results, but it’s optional)\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>Enter your county (adding your city or ZIP code will give more localized results, but it’s optional)\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Check the “Early Voting” and/or “Drop Off Location” boxes\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>Check the “Early Voting” and/or “Drop Off Location” boxes\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Hit “Search” to see all the early voting and drop-off locations in that area.\u003c/li>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Remember that in-person voting hours may differ by location, and some locations may not be open every day.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Remember that in-person voting hours may differ by location, and some locations may not be open every day.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "How can I contact my county directly about voting?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"county\">How can I contact my county directly about voting?\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Across the Bay Area, elections officials are encouraging voters to reach out — early — with any questions or concerns. Here’s the contact information for your county:\u003c/p>\n",
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"Alameda: For information about voting by mail, registration and polling place lookup, call 510-267-8683",
"Contra Costa: Call 925-335-7800 or email voter.services@vote.cccounty.us",
"Marin: Call 415-473-6456 or go to the Marin County elections webpage to send a form email",
"Napa: Call 707-253-4321 or email the elections office at elections@countyofnapa.org",
"San Francisco: Call 415-554-4375 or email sfvote@sfgov.org",
"San Mateo: Call 888-762-8683 or email registrar@smcacre.org",
"Santa Clara: Call toll-free at 866-430-VOTE (8683) or email registrar@rov.sccgov.org",
"Solano: Call 707-784-6675 or 888-933-VOTE (8683). You can also email elections@solanocounty.com",
"Sonoma: Call 707-565-6800 or toll-free at 800-750-8683"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://acvote.alamedacountyca.gov/index\">\u003cstrong>Alameda\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: For information about voting by mail, registration and polling place lookup, call 510-267-8683\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://acvote.alamedacountyca.gov/index\">\u003cstrong>Alameda\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: For information about voting by mail, registration and polling place lookup, call 510-267-8683\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.contracostavote.gov/elections/\">\u003cstrong>Contra Costa\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 925-335-7800 or email voter.services@vote.cccounty.us\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.contracostavote.gov/elections/\">\u003cstrong>Contra Costa\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 925-335-7800 or email voter.services@vote.cccounty.us\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.marincounty.org/depts/rv\">\u003cstrong>Marin\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 415-473-6456 or go to the Marin County elections webpage to \u003ca href=\"https://www.marincounty.org/depts/rv/contact-us\">send a form email\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.marincounty.org/depts/rv\">\u003cstrong>Marin\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 415-473-6456 or go to the Marin County elections webpage to \u003ca href=\"https://www.marincounty.org/depts/rv/contact-us\">send a form email\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n"
]
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.countyofnapa.org/396/Elections\">\u003cstrong>Napa\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 707-253-4321 or email the elections office at elections@countyofnapa.org\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.countyofnapa.org/396/Elections\">\u003cstrong>Napa\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 707-253-4321 or email the elections office at elections@countyofnapa.org\u003c/li>\n"
]
},
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://sfelections.sfgov.org\">\u003cstrong>San Francisco\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 415-554-4375 or email sfvote@sfgov.org\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://sfelections.sfgov.org\">\u003cstrong>San Francisco\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 415-554-4375 or email sfvote@sfgov.org\u003c/li>\n"
]
},
{
"blockName": "core/list-item",
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"innerBlocks": [],
"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.smcacre.org/elections\">\u003cstrong>San Mateo\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 888-762-8683 or email registrar@smcacre.org\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.smcacre.org/elections\">\u003cstrong>San Mateo\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 888-762-8683 or email registrar@smcacre.org\u003c/li>\n"
]
},
{
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sccgov.org/sites/rov/Pages/Registrar-of-Voters.aspx\">\u003cstrong>Santa Clara\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call toll-free at 866-430-VOTE (8683) or email registrar@rov.sccgov.org\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sccgov.org/sites/rov/Pages/Registrar-of-Voters.aspx\">\u003cstrong>Santa Clara\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call toll-free at 866-430-VOTE (8683) or email registrar@rov.sccgov.org\u003c/li>\n"
]
},
{
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.solanocounty.com/depts/rov/default.asp\">\u003cstrong>Solano\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003cstrong>: \u003c/strong>Call 707-784-6675 or 888-933-VOTE (8683). You can also email elections@solanocounty.com\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.solanocounty.com/depts/rov/default.asp\">\u003cstrong>Solano\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003cstrong>: \u003c/strong>Call 707-784-6675 or 888-933-VOTE (8683). You can also email elections@solanocounty.com\u003c/li>\n"
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},
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/CRA/Registrar-of-Voters/\">\u003cstrong>Sonoma\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 707-565-6800 or toll-free at 800-750-8683\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/CRA/Registrar-of-Voters/\">\u003cstrong>Sonoma\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 707-565-6800 or toll-free at 800-750-8683\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The state also has a full list of \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices/\">every county elections office in California\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The state also has a full list of \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices/\">every county elections office in California\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Where to find a ballot drop box near you in the Bay Area, whether you should use USPS to mail your primary ballot and how you can vote early.",
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"title": "Election 2026: Where Can I Drop Off My Midterm Ballot — or Vote Early? | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>California voters: \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">the midterm elections are here\u003c/a>. And if you’re registered to vote, your ballot will be on its way in the next few days if it hasn’t already arrived — ahead of Election Day itself on Nov. 3.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wondering where to drop off your completed mail-in ballot in the Bay Area? Or where you can vote in person and find a polling place near you? What about if you prefer to vote on Election Day itself?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Keep reading for everything you need to know about submitting your vote in the California midterm elections. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#ballot-drop-off\">How to find your closest voting location or ballot drop-off\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#in-person\">How to find your polling place on Election Day\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#county\">How to contact your county directly about voting\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you’re concerned you might have made a mistake when filling out your ballot, you can \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103115/california-midterms-elections-2026-vote-for-governor-ballot-signature-how-to-correct-mistake\">read our guide to addressing common errors on your ballot \u003c/a>(\u003cem>before\u003c/em> you mail it) — and find out how to get a fresh ballot or vote in person if you really messed up.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can I drop off my ballot in a drop box or at a voting location?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Once you complete your mail-in ballot, you can drop it off at an official drop box instead of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103028/should-you-use-usps-to-mail-your-midterm-ballot-heres-what-california-election-officials-say\">mailing it via a U.S. Postal Service collection box\u003c/a>. These secure drop boxes will \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/general-election-november-3-2026\">open by Oct.5.\u003c/a> Once you’ve placed your ballot into one of these drop boxes, it’ll then be taken straight to your county elections office.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You can also hand-deliver your ballot to any open voting location. \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/general-election-november-3-2026\">The first vote centers open \u003c/a>Oct. 24 in certain counties, with more early voting locations opening Oct. 31.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/014_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-06c984cf.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103658\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/014_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-06c984cf.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/014_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-06c984cf-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/014_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-06c984cf-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Itzel Diaz drops off her ballot for California’s gubernatorial recall election at a ballot dropbox in Fruitvale on Sept. 9, 2021. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Submitting your ballot by hand this way is the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103028/should-you-use-usps-to-mail-your-midterm-ballot-heres-what-california-election-officials-say\">top recommendation\u003c/a> of Kim Alexander, president and founder of the non-partisan California Voter Foundation. If you live in \u003ca href=\"https://calvoter.org/content/sign-scan-and-go\">one of the California counties\u003c/a> which has adopted the “Sign & Go” system — which in the Bay Area are Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin and Napa — you can complete your ballot at at home, and then bring it to a participating vote center and sign the voter roster under penalty of perjury (just as you would for in-person voting) to submit it in person. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And if you live in a county which has adopted “Sign, Scan & Go”, like San Mateo, you can do all of the above and then scan your ballot yourself to have your vote recorded immediately at the voting site. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You can also, of course, fill your ballot out in-person \u003cem>at \u003c/em>a voting location, and submit it directly there and then. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A few reasons the effort to hand-deliver your completed ballot instead of mailing it might be worth it:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Peace of mind:\u003c/strong> There’s a satisfaction that comes with knowing your ballot should now travel straight to your county elections office rather than going through USPS collection and sorting for delivery\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Timing:\u003c/strong> If it’s Election Day itself, using a drop box or a voting location to drop off your ballot is the best way to be sure it’ll reach your county elections office in time to be counted\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Assistance:\u003c/strong> If you drop off your ballot at a voting location during operating hours and you have a few lingering questions about your ballot or the process, chances are good that you’ll find someone there to help answer them.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Regardless of how you deliver it, you can \u003ca href=\"https://california.ballottrax.net/voter/\">sign up to track your ballot’s progress with the “Where’s My Ballot?” online tool\u003c/a> and be reassured it’s on its way to being counted.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can’t I just mail my ballot through the Postal Service?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yes, you can mail your completed ballot via the U.S. Postal Service at any regular collection box — but it’s best to do this early. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The envelope is postage paid, so it doesn’t require a stamp, and it’ll be counted as long as it’s\u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections\"> postmarked by Election Day and arrives at your county registrar’s office by Nov. 3\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Be aware that when it comes to using USPS, in the last two statewide elections, Secretary of State Shirley Weber and Attorney General Rob Bonta urged any voters planning to mail in their ballots \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-and-secretary-state-weber-sacramento-vote-early-june\">at \u003cem>least \u003c/em>a week before Election Day\u003c/a> — to account for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103028/should-you-use-usps-to-mail-your-midterm-ballot-heres-what-california-election-officials-say\">changes in the way USPS is collected\u003c/a> and postmarked in many areas. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If it’s Election Day itself, for peace of mind that your ballot will reach your county elections office in time to be counted, you should drop off your ballot in an official drop box or voting location instead of using USPS (see above).\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you can’t do that, Weber’s office is recommending you \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/vote-mail\">“get a hand-stamped postmark\u003c/a> from a postal employee inside a United States Post Office” rather than simply dropping it in a USPS collection box on Election Day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And if you really have to use a collection box, be \u003cem>very\u003c/em> sure you don’t miss the last collection time for that specific mailbox (which at many locations is 5 p.m. or earlier). You also shouldn’t drop off your ballot on Election Day at a post office that’s already closed — since doing either of these things will mean your ballot will not be postmarked on Election Day and it won’t be counted when it reaches your county’s election office.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103028/should-you-use-usps-to-mail-your-midterm-ballot-heres-what-california-election-officials-say\">Read more about what California election officials say about using USPS this election season.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"in-person\">Where can I vote in person on Election Day?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Election Day, in-person voting is still available at every county registrar’s office (also known as your county’s elections office) in the Bay Area. If you’re a San Francisco voter, this location will be City Hall. \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices\">Find your county registrar’s office and opening hours.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Check your mail-in ballot to see where you can vote and whether you’ve been assigned a specific polling place.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/004_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-1-b4fd4fcf.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103661\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/004_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-1-b4fd4fcf.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/004_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-1-b4fd4fcf-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/004_Oakland_ItzelDiazandFamily_09092021_qed-1-b4fd4fcf-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Porfirio Diaz fills out his mail-in ballot for California’s gubernatorial recall election at his home in Oakland on Sept. 9, 2021. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>If you live in San Francisco, Contra Costa or Solano counties:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You are assigned a specific polling place, though Contra Costa County election officials say they can process your ballot no matter where you show up to vote.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But even if you live in a county that assigns you a particular polling place, you can still vote at \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices\">your county registrar’s office\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>If you live in Alameda, Marin, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Clara or Sonoma counties:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You can vote at any voting location — known as Vote Centers — including your county registrar’s office.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You can \u003ca href=\"https://caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov/\">find your voting location through the state’s lookup tool\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Do I need to bring my ballot with me?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you’d like to cast a ballot in person, it’s a good idea to bring the blank ballot you were mailed, as some counties may require you to vote provisionally if you don’t bring it. If you’re issued a new ballot when you vote in person, any ballot you left at home will be canceled.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Provisional votes are subject to extra checks — confirming that you’re actually registered to vote in California, or that you didn’t already complete and mail your ballot — and this extra layer of confirmation takes time. That means that although your vote will eventually be counted, it might not be tallied on Election Day itself.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I still need to register to vote. What should I do? Can I do this on Election Day?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The official deadline to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/\">register online to vote \u003c/a>is Monday, Oct. 19.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Remember, if you’ve changed your name or want to change the political party choice you previously registered to vote with or you moved address, you’ll need to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/\">re-register\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2121\" height=\"1414\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GettyImages-2042927844.jpg\" alt=\"Two Black women standing and looking at a clipboard over a table and signs that say "Vote" with other people waiting in line behind the woman with the red shirt.\" class=\"wp-image-12010427\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GettyImages-2042927844.jpg 2121w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GettyImages-2042927844-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GettyImages-2042927844-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GettyImages-2042927844-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GettyImages-2042927844-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GettyImages-2042927844-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/GettyImages-2042927844-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2121px) 100vw, 2121px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The official deadline to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/\">register online to vote \u003c/a>is Monday, Oct. 19. (Drazen Zigic via iStock/Getty Images Plus)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But if you miss the deadline to register, don’t panic: After Oct. 19, you can still complete the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/same-day-reg/\">same-day voter registration\u003c/a> process (also known as “conditional voting”) and request your ballot in person at your county elections office or polling location. This system enables you to fill out and submit your ballot then and there, up until when polls close at 8 p.m. on Election Day.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In addition to voter registration, many voting locations also offer replacement ballots, accessible voting machines and language assistance.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"ballot-drop-off\">How can I find my voting location or ballot drop-off?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Secure drop boxes \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/general-election-november-3-2026\">open by Oct. 5, and the first vote centers open \u003c/a>Oct. 24 in certain counties, with more early voting locations opening Oct. 31.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Visit the \u003ca href=\"https://caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov/\">state of California lookup tool\u003c/a>, where you can:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>Enter your county (adding your city or ZIP code will give more localized results, but it’s optional)\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Check the “Early Voting” and/or “Drop Off Location” boxes\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Hit “Search” to see all the early voting and drop-off locations in that area.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Remember that in-person voting hours may differ by location, and some locations may not be open every day.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"county\">How can I contact my county directly about voting?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Across the Bay Area, elections officials are encouraging voters to reach out — early — with any questions or concerns. Here’s the contact information for your county:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://acvote.alamedacountyca.gov/index\">\u003cstrong>Alameda\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: For information about voting by mail, registration and polling place lookup, call 510-267-8683\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.contracostavote.gov/elections/\">\u003cstrong>Contra Costa\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 925-335-7800 or email voter.services@vote.cccounty.us\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.marincounty.org/depts/rv\">\u003cstrong>Marin\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 415-473-6456 or go to the Marin County elections webpage to \u003ca href=\"https://www.marincounty.org/depts/rv/contact-us\">send a form email\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.countyofnapa.org/396/Elections\">\u003cstrong>Napa\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 707-253-4321 or email the elections office at elections@countyofnapa.org\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://sfelections.sfgov.org\">\u003cstrong>San Francisco\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 415-554-4375 or email sfvote@sfgov.org\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.smcacre.org/elections\">\u003cstrong>San Mateo\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 888-762-8683 or email registrar@smcacre.org\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sccgov.org/sites/rov/Pages/Registrar-of-Voters.aspx\">\u003cstrong>Santa Clara\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call toll-free at 866-430-VOTE (8683) or email registrar@rov.sccgov.org\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.solanocounty.com/depts/rov/default.asp\">\u003cstrong>Solano\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003cstrong>: \u003c/strong>Call 707-784-6675 or 888-933-VOTE (8683). You can also email elections@solanocounty.com\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/CRA/Registrar-of-Voters/\">\u003cstrong>Sonoma\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 707-565-6800 or toll-free at 800-750-8683\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state also has a full list of \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices/\">every county elections office in California\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Congressman Adam Gray Defends One of California’s Last Swing Districts After Redistricting",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Democratic Congressman Adam Gray won his seat two years ago by just 187 votes. After last year’s partisan redistricting war, the 13th Congressional District is slightly more favorable to him, but Gray is still considered to be in a tough fight to hold on to his seat. He faces former Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln II. Marisa sits down with Gray at his campaign office in Merced to discuss why the moderate Democrat thinks both parties need to turn down the temperature. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Don’t forget to use \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">KQED’s voter guide\u003c/a> when filling out your ballot!\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Plus, check out \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/newsletters/political-breakdown\">Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter\u003c/a>, delivered straight to your inbox.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Democratic Congressman Adam Gray won his seat two years ago by just 187 votes. After last year’s partisan redistricting war, the 13th Congressional District is slightly more favorable to him, but Gray is still considered to be in a tough fight to hold on to his seat. He faces former Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln II. Marisa sits down with Gray at his campaign office in Merced to discuss why the moderate Democrat thinks both parties need to turn down the temperature. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Democratic Congressman Adam Gray won his seat two years ago by just 187 votes. After last year’s partisan redistricting war, the 13th Congressional District is slightly more favorable to him, but Gray is still considered to be in a tough fight to hold on to his seat. He faces former Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln II. Marisa sits down with Gray at his campaign office in Merced to discuss why the moderate Democrat thinks both parties need to turn down the temperature. \u003c/p>\n"
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"\n\u003cp>Don’t forget to use \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">KQED’s voter guide\u003c/a> when filling out your ballot!\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "A moderate Democratic Congressman who won his seat by a razor-thin margin has a theory of how his party can win in a swing district. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Democratic Congressman Adam Gray won his seat two years ago by just 187 votes. After last year’s partisan redistricting war, the 13th Congressional District is slightly more favorable to him, but Gray is still considered to be in a tough fight to hold on to his seat. He faces former Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln II. Marisa sits down with Gray at his campaign office in Merced to discuss why the moderate Democrat thinks both parties need to turn down the temperature. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Don’t forget to use \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">KQED’s voter guide\u003c/a> when filling out your ballot!\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Plus, check out \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/newsletters/political-breakdown\">Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter\u003c/a>, delivered straight to your inbox.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "SF Voters: Did Your Midterm Ballot Arrive Torn? Here’s What to Do",
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"headTitle": "SF Voters: Did Your Midterm Ballot Arrive Torn? Here’s What to Do | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Counties began sending \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/\">midterm election ballots\u003c/a> to every registered Bay Area voter this week — but some San Franciscans are \u003ca href=\"https://missionlocal.org/2026/10/san-francisco-ballot-torn-envelope/\">reporting \u003c/a>their ballots have arrived in envelopes that are torn or damaged.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/news-the-department-of-elections-provides-guidance-on-vote-by-mail-ballot-envelopes-for-the-november-3-2026-consolidated-general-election\">a public advisory\u003c/a>, posted Wednesday to the San Francisco Department of Elections website, the agency’s director John Arntz told voters that “tears in the outer mailing envelopes” wouldn’t affect their ability to use their ballots to vote in the Nov. 3 election, “as long as all four ballot cards and the ballot return envelope are intact.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, some voters in the city are reporting that the ballot cards inside their envelopes have also arrived damaged. One of them, KQED News reporter \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/sjohnson\">Sydney Johnson\u003c/a>, said she and her partner had received ballots that were torn on both the outer envelopes, and her internal return envelope was also ripped.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you’re concerned your San Francisco ballot materials have also been damaged, \u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#what-to-do\">jump to what you should do now\u003c/a>.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What happened to these ballots?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Arntz attributed the damage to issues at the United States Postal Service, “which indicated that the tears occurred as some envelopes moved through its processing equipment.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In an email to KQED, USPS spokesperson Kristina Uppal said that the damage to some San Francisco ballot envelopes was due to their “thickness,” meaning a “small number of envelopes may have experienced damage during machine processing.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261008-SF-Ballot-Damaged-02-KQED-9e84a5a9.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103502\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261008-SF-Ballot-Damaged-02-KQED-9e84a5a9.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261008-SF-Ballot-Damaged-02-KQED-9e84a5a9-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261008-SF-Ballot-Damaged-02-KQED-9e84a5a9-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A damaged San Francisco midterm ballot that was delivered to KQED reporter Sydney Johnson this week. (Sydney Johnson/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Upon observing the issue, USPS switched to manual processing for the remaining vote-by-mail packets,” Arntz said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused and remain fully committed to delivering every election mail piece safely and on time,” Uppal said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Election officials have sent out \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/news-the-department-of-elections-mails-vote-by-mail-ballots-to-locally-registered-voters-for-the-november-3-2026-consolidated-general-election\">more than 500,000 vote-by-mail ballots \u003c/a>to San Francisco voters, although it’s not yet clear just how many have been affected. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-to-do\">If you’re a San Francisco voter who’s worried about your ballot, here’s what to do\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">First, check your ballot envelope and the contents inside \u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Arntz said that if you spot any tearing in your San Francisco ballot envelope, you should (carefully) open the envelope to check it contains the following:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>All four ballot cards\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>A ballot return envelope\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>An insert with voting instructions\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095745\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A voter is given a sticker after dropping his ballot at City Hall in San Francisco on Oct. 30, 2025, ahead of the statewide special election. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If all four ballot cards and the ballot return envelope are intact, voters can mark their ballots and return them using the ballot return envelope provided,” Arntz said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Elsewhere, Arntz has \u003ca href=\"https://www.kron4.com/news/politics/sf-voters-receive-damaged-ballot-envelopes-officials-offer-simple-explanation/\">described \u003c/a>the outer envelope as “just a package to give the ballot to people.” In other words, once your ballot has arrived, you don’t actually use that outer envelope again in any of the voting process — which is why its damage won’t stop you from voting.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Was anything damaged inside? Get a new ballot\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If the \u003cem>contents \u003c/em>of your ballot show any sign of damage, you can request a new ballot from the San Francisco Department of Elections.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>People across all Bay Area counties request new ballots all the time, often because they’ve made a mistake (or just spilled coffee on them), so there’s already a process to request yours. You can do that by:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>Calling the SF Department of Elections at 415-558-6100\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Emailing them at \u003ca href=\"mailto:sfvote@sfgov.org\">sfvote@sfgov.org\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Logging into the SF Elections \u003ca href=\"https://sfelections.org/tools/portal/\">Voter Portal\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Going to the SF Department of Elections in person during opening hours (located in Room 48 at San Francisco City Hall, open Mon-Fri 8 a.m—5 p.m., closed weekends and on Oct. 12)\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You can also take your damaged ballot to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/vote-in-person\">your assigned polling place\u003c/a> on Election Day, Nov. 3, and vote in person at any time until 8 p.m.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Should I be worried about mail-in voting this election season?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The issues with some San Francisco ballots arrive on the heels of President Donald Trump’s multiple attacks on voting by mail this year — a system which he has claimed, without evidence, is rife with fraud. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Trump administration’s efforts to limit voting by mail include an \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/03/ensuring-citizenship-verification-and-integrity-in-federal-elections/\">executive order \u003c/a>attempting to give USPS the role of deciding who receives mail ballots, to a push for Congress to require photo identification at the polls.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And while these moves have failed so far, and are not in place this election season, USPS has also made some new changes to its mail collection process. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>These changes have resulted in slower service that particularly affects voters in rural areas, who will have their mail picked up later — with big consequences for ballots, which must be postmarked by Election Day itself in order to be counted. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103028/should-you-use-usps-to-mail-your-midterm-ballot-heres-what-california-election-officials-say\">Read more about these changes to USPS services.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the last two statewide elections, Secretary of State Shirley Weber and Attorney General Rob Bonta urged voters planning to use USPS to mail in their ballots \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-and-secretary-state-weber-sacramento-vote-early-june\">at least a week before Election Day\u003c/a>, to account for those USPS changes — and to get a \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/vote-mail\">hand-stamped postmark\u003c/a> from an employee inside a post office, if mailing their ballot on Election Day itself is their only option, rather than simply dropping it in a USPS collection box.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some election officials are steering voters away from using USPS entirely, including Sonoma County’s registrar of voters Evelyn Mendez, who told KQED that the county was “not really encouraging people to use the USPS to get their ballot here.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Instead, Mendez said, voters should use secure county collection boxes, which are now open 24/7 through 8 p.m. on Election Day and bypass USPS entirely, making sure ballots reach the county’s election offices directly.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103028/should-you-use-usps-to-mail-your-midterm-ballot-heres-what-california-election-officials-say\">Read more about how to ensure your mail-in ballot is counted this election season.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ibloom\">\u003cem>Izzy Bloom\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Counties began sending \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/\">midterm election ballots\u003c/a> to every registered Bay Area voter this week — but some San Franciscans are \u003ca href=\"https://missionlocal.org/2026/10/san-francisco-ballot-torn-envelope/\">reporting \u003c/a>their ballots have arrived in envelopes that are torn or damaged.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/news-the-department-of-elections-provides-guidance-on-vote-by-mail-ballot-envelopes-for-the-november-3-2026-consolidated-general-election\">a public advisory\u003c/a>, posted Wednesday to the San Francisco Department of Elections website, the agency’s director John Arntz told voters that “tears in the outer mailing envelopes” wouldn’t affect their ability to use their ballots to vote in the Nov. 3 election, “as long as all four ballot cards and the ballot return envelope are intact.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/news-the-department-of-elections-provides-guidance-on-vote-by-mail-ballot-envelopes-for-the-november-3-2026-consolidated-general-election\">a public advisory\u003c/a>, posted Wednesday to the San Francisco Department of Elections website, the agency’s director John Arntz told voters that “tears in the outer mailing envelopes” wouldn’t affect their ability to use their ballots to vote in the Nov. 3 election, “as long as all four ballot cards and the ballot return envelope are intact.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>However, some voters in the city are reporting that the ballot cards inside their envelopes have also arrived damaged. One of them, KQED News reporter \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/sjohnson\">Sydney Johnson\u003c/a>, said she and her partner had received ballots that were torn on both the outer envelopes, and her internal return envelope was also ripped.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>However, some voters in the city are reporting that the ballot cards inside their envelopes have also arrived damaged. One of them, KQED News reporter \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/sjohnson\">Sydney Johnson\u003c/a>, said she and her partner had received ballots that were torn on both the outer envelopes, and her internal return envelope was also ripped.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If you’re concerned your San Francisco ballot materials have also been damaged, \u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#what-to-do\">jump to what you should do now\u003c/a>.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If you’re concerned your San Francisco ballot materials have also been damaged, \u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#what-to-do\">jump to what you should do now\u003c/a>.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Arntz attributed the damage to issues at the United States Postal Service, “which indicated that the tears occurred as some envelopes moved through its processing equipment.” \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Arntz attributed the damage to issues at the United States Postal Service, “which indicated that the tears occurred as some envelopes moved through its processing equipment.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In an email to KQED, USPS spokesperson Kristina Uppal said that the damage to some San Francisco ballot envelopes was due to their “thickness,” meaning a “small number of envelopes may have experienced damage during machine processing.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>In an email to KQED, USPS spokesperson Kristina Uppal said that the damage to some San Francisco ballot envelopes was due to their “thickness,” meaning a “small number of envelopes may have experienced damage during machine processing.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261008-SF-Ballot-Damaged-02-KQED-9e84a5a9.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103502\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261008-SF-Ballot-Damaged-02-KQED-9e84a5a9.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261008-SF-Ballot-Damaged-02-KQED-9e84a5a9-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261008-SF-Ballot-Damaged-02-KQED-9e84a5a9-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A damaged San Francisco midterm ballot that was delivered to KQED reporter Sydney Johnson this week.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Sydney Johnson/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261008-SF-Ballot-Damaged-02-KQED-9e84a5a9.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103502\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A damaged San Francisco midterm ballot that was delivered to KQED reporter Sydney Johnson this week.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Sydney Johnson/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Upon observing the issue, USPS switched to manual processing for the remaining vote-by-mail packets,” Arntz said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Upon observing the issue, USPS switched to manual processing for the remaining vote-by-mail packets,” Arntz said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused and remain fully committed to delivering every election mail piece safely and on time,” Uppal said.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused and remain fully committed to delivering every election mail piece safely and on time,” Uppal said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Election officials have sent out \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/news-the-department-of-elections-mails-vote-by-mail-ballots-to-locally-registered-voters-for-the-november-3-2026-consolidated-general-election\">more than 500,000 vote-by-mail ballots \u003c/a>to San Francisco voters, although it’s not yet clear just how many have been affected. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Election officials have sent out \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/news-the-department-of-elections-mails-vote-by-mail-ballots-to-locally-registered-voters-for-the-november-3-2026-consolidated-general-election\">more than 500,000 vote-by-mail ballots \u003c/a>to San Francisco voters, although it’s not yet clear just how many have been affected. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Arntz said that if you spot any tearing in your San Francisco ballot envelope, you should (carefully) open the envelope to check it contains the following:\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Arntz said that if you spot any tearing in your San Francisco ballot envelope, you should (carefully) open the envelope to check it contains the following:\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095745\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A voter is given a sticker after dropping his ballot at City Hall in San Francisco on Oct. 30, 2025, ahead of the statewide special election.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095745\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A voter is given a sticker after dropping his ballot at City Hall in San Francisco on Oct. 30, 2025, ahead of the statewide special election.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If all four ballot cards and the ballot return envelope are intact, voters can mark their ballots and return them using the ballot return envelope provided,” Arntz said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“If all four ballot cards and the ballot return envelope are intact, voters can mark their ballots and return them using the ballot return envelope provided,” Arntz said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Elsewhere, Arntz has \u003ca href=\"https://www.kron4.com/news/politics/sf-voters-receive-damaged-ballot-envelopes-officials-offer-simple-explanation/\">described \u003c/a>the outer envelope as “just a package to give the ballot to people.” In other words, once your ballot has arrived, you don’t actually use that outer envelope again in any of the voting process — which is why its damage won’t stop you from voting.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Elsewhere, Arntz has \u003ca href=\"https://www.kron4.com/news/politics/sf-voters-receive-damaged-ballot-envelopes-officials-offer-simple-explanation/\">described \u003c/a>the outer envelope as “just a package to give the ballot to people.” In other words, once your ballot has arrived, you don’t actually use that outer envelope again in any of the voting process — which is why its damage won’t stop you from voting.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Was anything damaged inside? Get a new ballot"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Was anything damaged inside? Get a new ballot\u003c/h3>\n",
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"\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Was anything damaged inside? Get a new ballot\u003c/h3>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If the \u003cem>contents \u003c/em>of your ballot show any sign of damage, you can request a new ballot from the San Francisco Department of Elections.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If the \u003cem>contents \u003c/em>of your ballot show any sign of damage, you can request a new ballot from the San Francisco Department of Elections.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>People across all Bay Area counties request new ballots all the time, often because they’ve made a mistake (or just spilled coffee on them), so there’s already a process to request yours. You can do that by:\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>People across all Bay Area counties request new ballots all the time, often because they’ve made a mistake (or just spilled coffee on them), so there’s already a process to request yours. You can do that by:\u003c/p>\n"
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"Calling the SF Department of Elections at 415-558-6100",
"Emailing them at sfvote@sfgov.org",
"Logging into the SF Elections Voter Portal",
"Going to the SF Department of Elections in person during opening hours (located in Room 48 at San Francisco City Hall, open Mon-Fri 8 a.m—5 p.m., closed weekends and on Oct. 12)"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Calling the SF Department of Elections at 415-558-6100\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>Calling the SF Department of Elections at 415-558-6100\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Emailing them at \u003ca href=\"mailto:sfvote@sfgov.org\">sfvote@sfgov.org\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>Emailing them at \u003ca href=\"mailto:sfvote@sfgov.org\">sfvote@sfgov.org\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Logging into the SF Elections \u003ca href=\"https://sfelections.org/tools/portal/\">Voter Portal\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Going to the SF Department of Elections in person during opening hours (located in Room 48 at San Francisco City Hall, open Mon-Fri 8 a.m—5 p.m., closed weekends and on Oct. 12)\u003c/li>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>You can also take your damaged ballot to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/vote-in-person\">your assigned polling place\u003c/a> on Election Day, Nov. 3, and vote in person at any time until 8 p.m.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>You can also take your damaged ballot to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/vote-in-person\">your assigned polling place\u003c/a> on Election Day, Nov. 3, and vote in person at any time until 8 p.m.\u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
"text": "Should I be worried about mail-in voting this election season?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The issues with some San Francisco ballots arrive on the heels of President Donald Trump’s multiple attacks on voting by mail this year — a system which he has claimed, without evidence, is rife with fraud. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The issues with some San Francisco ballots arrive on the heels of President Donald Trump’s multiple attacks on voting by mail this year — a system which he has claimed, without evidence, is rife with fraud. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Trump administration’s efforts to limit voting by mail include an \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/03/ensuring-citizenship-verification-and-integrity-in-federal-elections/\">executive order \u003c/a>attempting to give USPS the role of deciding who receives mail ballots, to a push for Congress to require photo identification at the polls.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Trump administration’s efforts to limit voting by mail include an \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/03/ensuring-citizenship-verification-and-integrity-in-federal-elections/\">executive order \u003c/a>attempting to give USPS the role of deciding who receives mail ballots, to a push for Congress to require photo identification at the polls.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And while these moves have failed so far, and are not in place this election season, USPS has also made some new changes to its mail collection process. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>And while these moves have failed so far, and are not in place this election season, USPS has also made some new changes to its mail collection process. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>These changes have resulted in slower service that particularly affects voters in rural areas, who will have their mail picked up later — with big consequences for ballots, which must be postmarked by Election Day itself in order to be counted. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103028/should-you-use-usps-to-mail-your-midterm-ballot-heres-what-california-election-officials-say\">Read more about these changes to USPS services.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>These changes have resulted in slower service that particularly affects voters in rural areas, who will have their mail picked up later — with big consequences for ballots, which must be postmarked by Election Day itself in order to be counted. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103028/should-you-use-usps-to-mail-your-midterm-ballot-heres-what-california-election-officials-say\">Read more about these changes to USPS services.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the last two statewide elections, Secretary of State Shirley Weber and Attorney General Rob Bonta urged voters planning to use USPS to mail in their ballots \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-and-secretary-state-weber-sacramento-vote-early-june\">at least a week before Election Day\u003c/a>, to account for those USPS changes — and to get a \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/vote-mail\">hand-stamped postmark\u003c/a> from an employee inside a post office, if mailing their ballot on Election Day itself is their only option, rather than simply dropping it in a USPS collection box.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the last two statewide elections, Secretary of State Shirley Weber and Attorney General Rob Bonta urged voters planning to use USPS to mail in their ballots \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-and-secretary-state-weber-sacramento-vote-early-june\">at least a week before Election Day\u003c/a>, to account for those USPS changes — and to get a \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/vote-mail\">hand-stamped postmark\u003c/a> from an employee inside a post office, if mailing their ballot on Election Day itself is their only option, rather than simply dropping it in a USPS collection box.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Some election officials are steering voters away from using USPS entirely, including Sonoma County’s registrar of voters Evelyn Mendez, who told KQED that the county was “not really encouraging people to use the USPS to get their ballot here.” \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Some election officials are steering voters away from using USPS entirely, including Sonoma County’s registrar of voters Evelyn Mendez, who told KQED that the county was “not really encouraging people to use the USPS to get their ballot here.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Instead, Mendez said, voters should use secure county collection boxes, which are now open 24/7 through 8 p.m. on Election Day and bypass USPS entirely, making sure ballots reach the county’s election offices directly.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Instead, Mendez said, voters should use secure county collection boxes, which are now open 24/7 through 8 p.m. on Election Day and bypass USPS entirely, making sure ballots reach the county’s election offices directly.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103028/should-you-use-usps-to-mail-your-midterm-ballot-heres-what-california-election-officials-say\">Read more about how to ensure your mail-in ballot is counted this election season.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103028/should-you-use-usps-to-mail-your-midterm-ballot-heres-what-california-election-officials-say\">Read more about how to ensure your mail-in ballot is counted this election season.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ibloom\">\u003cem>Izzy Bloom\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ibloom\">\u003cem>Izzy Bloom\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "If you’re one of the San Francisco voters whose ballot arrived ripped, here’s how to know if it’s still usable — and when you need a new one.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Counties began sending \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/\">midterm election ballots\u003c/a> to every registered Bay Area voter this week — but some San Franciscans are \u003ca href=\"https://missionlocal.org/2026/10/san-francisco-ballot-torn-envelope/\">reporting \u003c/a>their ballots have arrived in envelopes that are torn or damaged.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/news-the-department-of-elections-provides-guidance-on-vote-by-mail-ballot-envelopes-for-the-november-3-2026-consolidated-general-election\">a public advisory\u003c/a>, posted Wednesday to the San Francisco Department of Elections website, the agency’s director John Arntz told voters that “tears in the outer mailing envelopes” wouldn’t affect their ability to use their ballots to vote in the Nov. 3 election, “as long as all four ballot cards and the ballot return envelope are intact.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, some voters in the city are reporting that the ballot cards inside their envelopes have also arrived damaged. One of them, KQED News reporter \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/sjohnson\">Sydney Johnson\u003c/a>, said she and her partner had received ballots that were torn on both the outer envelopes, and her internal return envelope was also ripped.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you’re concerned your San Francisco ballot materials have also been damaged, \u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#what-to-do\">jump to what you should do now\u003c/a>.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What happened to these ballots?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Arntz attributed the damage to issues at the United States Postal Service, “which indicated that the tears occurred as some envelopes moved through its processing equipment.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In an email to KQED, USPS spokesperson Kristina Uppal said that the damage to some San Francisco ballot envelopes was due to their “thickness,” meaning a “small number of envelopes may have experienced damage during machine processing.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261008-SF-Ballot-Damaged-02-KQED-9e84a5a9.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103502\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261008-SF-Ballot-Damaged-02-KQED-9e84a5a9.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261008-SF-Ballot-Damaged-02-KQED-9e84a5a9-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261008-SF-Ballot-Damaged-02-KQED-9e84a5a9-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A damaged San Francisco midterm ballot that was delivered to KQED reporter Sydney Johnson this week. (Sydney Johnson/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Upon observing the issue, USPS switched to manual processing for the remaining vote-by-mail packets,” Arntz said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused and remain fully committed to delivering every election mail piece safely and on time,” Uppal said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Election officials have sent out \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/news-the-department-of-elections-mails-vote-by-mail-ballots-to-locally-registered-voters-for-the-november-3-2026-consolidated-general-election\">more than 500,000 vote-by-mail ballots \u003c/a>to San Francisco voters, although it’s not yet clear just how many have been affected. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-to-do\">If you’re a San Francisco voter who’s worried about your ballot, here’s what to do\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">First, check your ballot envelope and the contents inside \u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Arntz said that if you spot any tearing in your San Francisco ballot envelope, you should (carefully) open the envelope to check it contains the following:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>All four ballot cards\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>A ballot return envelope\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>An insert with voting instructions\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095745\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A voter is given a sticker after dropping his ballot at City Hall in San Francisco on Oct. 30, 2025, ahead of the statewide special election. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If all four ballot cards and the ballot return envelope are intact, voters can mark their ballots and return them using the ballot return envelope provided,” Arntz said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Elsewhere, Arntz has \u003ca href=\"https://www.kron4.com/news/politics/sf-voters-receive-damaged-ballot-envelopes-officials-offer-simple-explanation/\">described \u003c/a>the outer envelope as “just a package to give the ballot to people.” In other words, once your ballot has arrived, you don’t actually use that outer envelope again in any of the voting process — which is why its damage won’t stop you from voting.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Was anything damaged inside? Get a new ballot\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If the \u003cem>contents \u003c/em>of your ballot show any sign of damage, you can request a new ballot from the San Francisco Department of Elections.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>People across all Bay Area counties request new ballots all the time, often because they’ve made a mistake (or just spilled coffee on them), so there’s already a process to request yours. You can do that by:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>Calling the SF Department of Elections at 415-558-6100\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Emailing them at \u003ca href=\"mailto:sfvote@sfgov.org\">sfvote@sfgov.org\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Logging into the SF Elections \u003ca href=\"https://sfelections.org/tools/portal/\">Voter Portal\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Going to the SF Department of Elections in person during opening hours (located in Room 48 at San Francisco City Hall, open Mon-Fri 8 a.m—5 p.m., closed weekends and on Oct. 12)\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You can also take your damaged ballot to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sf.gov/vote-in-person\">your assigned polling place\u003c/a> on Election Day, Nov. 3, and vote in person at any time until 8 p.m.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Should I be worried about mail-in voting this election season?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The issues with some San Francisco ballots arrive on the heels of President Donald Trump’s multiple attacks on voting by mail this year — a system which he has claimed, without evidence, is rife with fraud. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Trump administration’s efforts to limit voting by mail include an \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/03/ensuring-citizenship-verification-and-integrity-in-federal-elections/\">executive order \u003c/a>attempting to give USPS the role of deciding who receives mail ballots, to a push for Congress to require photo identification at the polls.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And while these moves have failed so far, and are not in place this election season, USPS has also made some new changes to its mail collection process. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>These changes have resulted in slower service that particularly affects voters in rural areas, who will have their mail picked up later — with big consequences for ballots, which must be postmarked by Election Day itself in order to be counted. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103028/should-you-use-usps-to-mail-your-midterm-ballot-heres-what-california-election-officials-say\">Read more about these changes to USPS services.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the last two statewide elections, Secretary of State Shirley Weber and Attorney General Rob Bonta urged voters planning to use USPS to mail in their ballots \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-and-secretary-state-weber-sacramento-vote-early-june\">at least a week before Election Day\u003c/a>, to account for those USPS changes — and to get a \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/vote-mail\">hand-stamped postmark\u003c/a> from an employee inside a post office, if mailing their ballot on Election Day itself is their only option, rather than simply dropping it in a USPS collection box.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some election officials are steering voters away from using USPS entirely, including Sonoma County’s registrar of voters Evelyn Mendez, who told KQED that the county was “not really encouraging people to use the USPS to get their ballot here.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Instead, Mendez said, voters should use secure county collection boxes, which are now open 24/7 through 8 p.m. on Election Day and bypass USPS entirely, making sure ballots reach the county’s election offices directly.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103028/should-you-use-usps-to-mail-your-midterm-ballot-heres-what-california-election-officials-say\">Read more about how to ensure your mail-in ballot is counted this election season.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ibloom\">\u003cem>Izzy Bloom\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "california-midterms-elections-2026-vote-for-governor-ballot-signature-how-to-correct-mistake",
"title": "Midterms 2026: Read This Before You Fill Out Your California Ballot (or Need to Correct a Mistake)",
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"headTitle": "Midterms 2026: Read This Before You Fill Out Your California Ballot (or Need to Correct a Mistake) | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>It’s time to vote in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> 2026 midterm election — which includes your chance to decide who’ll be the state’s next governor. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you’re a registered California voter, your ballot is on its way in the next few days, if it hasn’t already arrived. Your last day to vote will be Election Day itself, Nov. 3.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But what if you’re unsure of how to fill that ballot out according to how you want to vote? Or what to do if you’ve made a mistake on it?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Read on to learn how to fill out your ballot when it arrives, how important your signature is, and your options if you need to start again with a fresh ballot.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump to: \u003ca href=\"#mistake\">I messed up my ballot. What should I do? \u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">First of all: Am I registered to vote?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The official deadline to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/\">register online to vote \u003c/a>is Monday, Oct. 19.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So if you’re unsure whether you’re already registered to vote or can’t remember which party preference you already have, \u003ca href=\"https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/\">check your voter registration details\u003c/a> ASAP.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1275\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/YouthVoterGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102009\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/YouthVoterGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/YouthVoterGetty-160x102.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/YouthVoterGetty-1536x979.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Potential young voters get information at a voter registration desk at Voter Fest 2024, an event designed to engage young voters and historically underserved communities on Oct. 22, 2024, at Cal State Los Angeles. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Remember, if you’ve changed your name or want to change the political party choice you previously registered to vote with, or you’ve moved address, you’ll need to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/\">re-register\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Making sure you’re registered — and to the right address — is crucial for getting your ballot on time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And if you miss the deadline to register, don’t panic: That’s the last day to do it \u003cem>online\u003c/em>. After Oct. 19, you can still complete the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/same-day-reg/\">same-day voter registration\u003c/a> process (also known as “conditional voting”) and receive your ballot in person at your county elections office or polling location, all the way up to 8 p.m. on Election Day itself.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What’s on my 2026 midterm elections ballot?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Depending on which county you live in, your California ballot will present you with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">a mix of races\u003c/a> to vote on.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The races for statewide offices include:\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california/governor\">Governor\u003c/a>: Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton face off in a race to succeed Governor Gavin Newsom.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california/insurance-commissioner\">Insurance commissioner\u003c/a>: Wildfires and inflation have thrown California into an insurance crisis. Two Democrats, Ben Allen and Jane Kim, are running to become the insurance industry’s chief regulator.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12078808\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/SteveHiltonAP.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12078808\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/SteveHiltonAP.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/SteveHiltonAP-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/SteveHiltonAP-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Steve Hilton speaks during the California gubernatorial candidate debate on Feb. 3, 2026, in San Francisco. (Laure Andrillon/AP Photo)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12086476\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Xavier-Becerra-Getty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12086476\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Xavier-Becerra-Getty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Xavier-Becerra-Getty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Xavier-Becerra-Getty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Xavier Becerra, a candidate for governor, speaks to supporters on election night on June 2, 2026. (David Crane/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A number of statewide propositions, including:\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california/proposition-1\">Prop. 1\u003c/a>: Should California issue $11.25 billion in general obligation bonds for affordable housing, homebuying opportunities and veterans and homelessness programs?\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california/proposition-39\">Prop 39\u003c/a>: Should Californians be required to show ID for in-person and mail-in voting? \u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california/proposition-40\">Prop 40: \u003c/a>Should California tax the wealth of billionaires to fund health care services?\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Local measures and races \u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>These will depend on your Bay Area county or district. See \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">the KQED Voter Guide for more information\u003c/a> on what’s on your ballot this election season.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How do I return my ballot when I’ve completed it?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Drop off your ballot in a secure ballot drop box\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>These drop boxes \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/general-election-november-3-2026\">open by Oct. 5\u003c/a>, and once submitted, your ballot will be taken straight to your local county elections office.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some elections officials strongly recommend using these drop boxes over using USPS. “We’re not really encouraging people to use the USPS to get their ballot here,” said Evelyn Mendez, Sonoma County’s registrar of voters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Instead, Mendez tells voters to use county collection boxes because they skip the Postal Service altogether.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Return your ballot through the Postal Service \u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The return postage is already paid for you. Keep in mind that the Postal Service must postmark your ballot envelope by the end of Election Day for your vote to count — and the last collection at many mailboxes is 5 p.m. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, in the last two statewide elections, Secretary of State Shirley Weber and Attorney General Rob Bonta urged any voters planning to use USPS to mail in their ballots \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-and-secretary-state-weber-sacramento-vote-early-june\">at \u003cem>least \u003c/em>a week before Election Day\u003c/a> — to account for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103028/should-you-use-usps-to-mail-your-midterm-ballot-heres-what-california-election-officials-say\">changes in the way USPS is collected\u003c/a> and postmarked in many areas. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And if you’re mailing your midterm ballot on Election Day itself, Weber’s office is recommending you \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/vote-mail\">“get a hand-stamped postmark\u003c/a> from a postal employee inside a United States Post Office” rather than simply dropping it in a USPS collection box.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Drop off your ballot in an open voting location\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/general-election-november-3-2026\">The first vote centers open \u003c/a>Oct. 24 in certain counties, with more early voting locations opening Oct. 31.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Submitting your ballot by hand this way is the top recommendation of Kim Alexander, president and founder of the non-partisan California Voter Foundation. You can fill your ballot out in-person at a voting location, and submit it directly there and then. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Or, if you live in \u003ca href=\"https://calvoter.org/content/sign-scan-and-go\">one of the California counties\u003c/a> which has adopted the “Sign & Go” system — in the Bay Area, that’s Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin and Napa — you can complete your ballot at your convenience at home, and then bring it to a participating vote center and sign the voter roster under penalty of perjury (just as you would for in-person voting) to submit it in person. And if you live in a county which has adopted “Sign, Scan & Go”, like San Mateo, you can do all of the above and then scan your ballot yourself to have your vote recorded immediately at the voting site. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Do I \u003cem>have\u003c/em> to vote by mail?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>No. \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/vote-mail\">If you’re registered to vote, you’ll be receiving a mail-in ballot by default\u003c/a> for the 2026 midterms, without requesting it. But voting by mail is still just one option that’s open to you.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You can still vote in person, either at an early voting location before Election Day or on Election Day, Nov. 3, itself. \u003ca href=\"https://caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov/\">Early voting locations will open starting Oct. 24.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/20241102_EARLYVOTINGMARIN_GC-5-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A person puts a yellow ballot envelope in a ballot drop box.\" class=\"wp-image-12012711\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/20241102_EARLYVOTINGMARIN_GC-5-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/20241102_EARLYVOTINGMARIN_GC-5-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/20241102_EARLYVOTINGMARIN_GC-5-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/20241102_EARLYVOTINGMARIN_GC-5-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/20241102_EARLYVOTINGMARIN_GC-5-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/20241102_EARLYVOTINGMARIN_GC-5-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A voter drops off their mail-in ballot at a drop box outside of Novato City Hall on Nov. 2, 2024. (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How do I fix a mistake on my ballot?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s important to note that each county is slightly different in how they’d prefer you to address a mistake on your ballot, and will often provide specific details about corrections \u003cem>on\u003c/em> the ballot itself. If you have a specific question about your ballot that isn’t answered here, you can always contact your local registrar of voters for advice and instructions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What if I have problems with my signature?\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When you’re done filling out your ballot, you must sign the envelope. But two big mistakes people make with their signatures are:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>Forgetting to sign their ballot entirely.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Making a signature that doesn’t match the signature they made when they registered to vote.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Why \u003cem>wouldn’t\u003c/em> your signature match the one on file? If you registered to vote at a young age, maybe your signature has changed over time. Or perhaps you registered to vote at the DMV and provided your signature on a screen with a stylus, which doesn’t quite replicate how you’d make your signature with a pen on paper.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251104-SCCVOTE-JG-05_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088632\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251104-SCCVOTE-JG-05_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251104-SCCVOTE-JG-05_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251104-SCCVOTE-JG-05_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Edgardo Domingo fills out a ballot at a voting booth at the Vietnamese American Cultural Center in San José on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>If you registered this way, one simple way to avoid any signature problems is to take a quick glance at the signature that’s on your driver’s license or state ID — because that’s the one you want your ballot signature to match.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even if you didn’t register at the DMV, that signature on your most recent license or state ID is still very likely the one to emulate. That’s because when you register to vote online, your county elections office electronically requests a copy of the signature the DMV \u003cem>currently\u003c/em> has for you, and this information is regularly updated.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To further set your mind at rest, know that California isn’t an “exact match” state, and doesn’t demand voters’ signatures 100% replicate the signature that’s on file.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What if I just don’t know my ‘correct’ signature I’m registered to vote with?\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you’re \u003cem>really\u003c/em> worried about the signature on your envelope not matching the signature you’re registered to vote with, there are two good solutions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One: If it’s on or before Oct. 19, you can \u003ca href=\"https://registertovote.ca.gov/\">reregister to vote with your current signature\u003c/a>, to be sure that the state now has your most recent one on file. If you are reregistering after Oct. 19, you’d need to complete the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/same-day-reg/\">same-day voter registration\u003c/a> process (also known as “conditional voting”) and request your ballot in person at your county elections office or polling location.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2021, the California Voter Foundation’s Alexander, told us there’s another solution if you’re worried about your signature: Go vote in person, if you’re able.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That’s because the signature goes only on your ballot’s \u003cem>envelope\u003c/em> — and if you’re voting in person, there’s no envelope, because that ballot then goes straight into the ballot box without needing that envelope at all.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“So if you want that satisfaction of seeing your ballot drop in the box and know that it’s not going to get held up because of some signature issue, you can go and vote in person,” said Alexander.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I already mailed my ballot, but now I’m paranoid about my signature. What if I messed it up?\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rest assured: There’s a whole system in place to help you correct your mistake.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If your county’s election office detects a signature mismatch on your ballot, they’ll reach out to you via mail to verify and work with you to correct it, so that your ballot can be counted after all. It’s called “curing” a ballot.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This system is also applied when it looks like a member of a voter’s family might have signed their ballot, instead of the voter. This happens a \u003cem>surprising\u003c/em> amount when one household has several voters who all receive a ballot in the mail.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One way to get peace of mind: \u003ca href=\"https://california.ballottrax.net/voter/\">Sign up to track your ballot\u003c/a>, and you’ll find out about any issues with your ballot or your signature quickly.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"mistake\">I made a mistake on my ballot. How do I fix it?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>First, don’t panic. People make mistakes on ballots and find good ways to correct them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Counties give different directions to voters about what to do if they make a mistake (remember: Read the instructions!), but you can usually simply X out the choice you didn’t intend.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-20-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12085889\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-20-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-20-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-20-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Voters cast their ballots at UC Davis in Davis on June 2, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>The job of county elections officials — once they’ve verified your signature — is to make sure your ballot can be read correctly. If that means that your corrections on your ballot have resulted in readability issues, officials working in teams of two will actually remake it for you according to the intent you’ve signaled with your corrections.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some counties, like Alameda, ask that you actually contact them first if you make a serious mistake — including voting for the wrong candidate — so they can send you a replacement ballot. So, wherever you live, it’s a good idea to check with your local elections office first to see what \u003cem>they\u003c/em> recommend if you made a mistake.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And remember, there’s always this option …\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What if I just want a new ballot?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you’ve made a big mistake on your ballot — too big to fix — your best plan of action may be to focus on getting a new one. And that’s totally OK. You can:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>Call your county elections office and ask them to cancel that ballot and issue a new one to you.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Go to your county elections office with your spoiled ballot during business hours and vote right there at the counter.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Take advantage of the early voting options available in many counties.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Go to a voting site on Election Day, Nov. 3, turn in your spoiled ballot there and get a new ballot.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You can also do this if you’ve accidentally damaged your ballot in some way (coffee spills happen).\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I think I put the wrong date on my envelope\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>First off, that date should be the date you signed your envelope — not your date of birth. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But if you’re worried you messed up the date, don’t worry. Elections officials say that the date they’re \u003cem>really\u003c/em> looking for is the date that the ballot is postmarked, to make sure it was submitted on time.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_Election2020_MailinBallot_10122020_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099795\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_Election2020_MailinBallot_10122020_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_Election2020_MailinBallot_10122020_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_Election2020_MailinBallot_10122020_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A San Francisco official mail-in ballot for the Nov. 3, 2020 election. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Election officials will only truly scrutinize the date you’ve written if they receive your ballot \u003cem>after\u003c/em> Election Day.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And if you haven’t mailed your envelope yet, it’s an easy fix: Just clearly cross out the incorrect date on the envelope and write in the correct one above it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What if I use assistive technology to complete forms?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Getting physical assistance with filling out your ballot from someone you trust is always fine, whether you’re voting at home or at a voting site. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You just need to make sure your signature is your own and matches the one you’re registered to vote with.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251030-BAYAREAVOTERS-32-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12062371\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251030-BAYAREAVOTERS-32-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251030-BAYAREAVOTERS-32-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251030-BAYAREAVOTERS-32-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tessa King drops off a ballot at the City Hall Voting Center in San Francisco on Oct. 30, 2025, ahead of the statewide special election. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Disabled voters can also choose to use the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/remote-accessible-vote-mail\">Remote Accessible Vote-by-Mail\u003c/a> system to vote privately and independently at home, using their usual assistive device on their home computer to fill out the ballot on their screen and then print and mail it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Every voting location in California is also equipped with an accessible voting unit. Here, voters with blindness or low vision or who have a disability that limits their dexterity, will be able to use the assistive device of their choice that allows them to vote privately and independently.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How can I make sure my mail-in ballot gets there on time? \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Remember, one big reason that ballots get disqualified in elections is that voters mail them too late: either too late on Election Day itself (after U.S. Postal Service mailboxes have already been collected), or after Election Day.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To be counted in this election, your ballot must be postmarked on Election Day, Nov. 3, at the latest. Your ballot has seven days to reach your county elections office.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So in this election, it’s as crucial as ever to make sure you have a plan for voting on time. And if you’re not voting in person, that means making sure you get your ballot into a USPS mailbox or into a secure voting drop box, at a polling location or your county elections office, by the time polls close on Nov. 3.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Read more about why \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103028/should-you-use-usps-to-mail-your-midterm-ballot-heres-what-california-election-officials-say\">California election officials are urging voters to make sure their ballot arrives on time\u003c/a> – and why they’re urging caution around using USPS too close to Election Day.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A few other common ballot mistakes to watch out for …\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Make sure you’re filling out and signing the ballot and envelope with \u003cem>your\u003c/em> name on it: \u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s common to see partners or roommates accidentally mix up their ballots. So make sure you’re signing the document that bears your name.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Make sure you use a black or blue pen: \u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It reads better, and it doesn’t slow workers down when they have to check to see what voter intent was. (Don’t use a felt-tip or a Sharpie that bleeds through the paper and marks other pages on your ballot.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/003_KQED_SanFrancisco_Election2020_TanyaYule_10092020_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12084638\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/003_KQED_SanFrancisco_Election2020_TanyaYule_10092020_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/003_KQED_SanFrancisco_Election2020_TanyaYule_10092020_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/003_KQED_SanFrancisco_Election2020_TanyaYule_10092020_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tanya Yule looks over a voting guide at her home in San Francisco on Oct. 9, 2020. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Don’t mail an empty envelope: \u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It does happen. Keeping your envelope and your ballot together in your home might be a helpful way of avoiding this problem. And of course, when you’re ready to mail your ballot, make sure it’s actually inside the envelope before you seal it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Don’t bother with a stamp: \u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Your ballot envelope is postage-paid. You don’t need it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">My ballot is missing or hasn’t arrived. What should I do?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you’re reading this and you’re worried that your ballot hasn’t arrived yet, make sure you’re not worrying \u003cem>too \u003c/em>early, as the deadline for counties to \u003cem>start \u003c/em>sending out ballots is only Oct. 5.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But if it gets to late October and your ballot still hasn’t materialized, don’t panic: You have options. Here’s what to do:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Check that you’re actually registered to vote — and to the right address\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/\">Input your details on the secretary of state’s voter status page\u003c/a> to check your registration status. This will show whether you’re actually registered to vote, and to which address. It should also show whether your ballot was mailed out.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You can also use \u003ca href=\"https://california.ballottrax.net/voter/\">the Where’s My Ballot? tool\u003c/a> to check whether your ballot has been sent.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095745\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A voter is given a sticker after dropping his ballot at City Hall in San Francisco on Oct. 30, 2025, ahead of the statewide special election. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If you’re registered to the wrong address, you can update it before Oct. 19 \u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you update your voter registration and address using \u003ca href=\"https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/\">the secretary of state’s voter status page\u003c/a> before the Oct. 19 deadline to register online, your county will cancel the ballot that went to your old address and send you a new one.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And if it turns out your ballot \u003cem>was \u003c/em>missing because your voter registration wasn’t updated, don’t feel bad — people move all the time and forget to update their registrations accordingly.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The California Voter Foundation’s Alexander confirmed to KQED in 2021 that updating your address at the post office doesn’t, in fact, update your voter registration. The DMV, on the other hand, \u003cem>will\u003c/em> update your voter registration details if you update your address with them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If your voter registration address was correct but your ballot never showed up, you still have options\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If it’s more than six days before Election Day, you can call your county elections office and ask them to send a new ballot. Find your county elections office in our contact list (below). \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Your county elections office won’t mail you a ballot six days or less before Election Day, because it can’t be sure it’ll reach you in time. So if you’re trying to get a ballot in the immediate run-up to Election Day, go to your county elections office in person and request one at the counter.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1353\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/CaliforniaElection2026Getty-e1781204236548.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12087079\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An election worker processes mail-in ballots for the California state primary election at the Los Angeles County Ballot Processing Center on June 5, 2026, in City of Industry, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>From Oct. 5, your county elections office will be open for early voting through Nov. 3, so you could also go there in person during opening hours and vote right there at the counter. More early voting locations will be opening throughout October.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And remember, if you’re \u003cem>not\u003c/em> actually registered to vote, you always have the option of \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/same-day-reg\">same-day voter registration\u003c/a>, also known as conditional voter registration, at a voting location, where you can then fill out and submit your ballot, too.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Contact your county directly\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Across the Bay Area, elections officials are encouraging voters to reach out — early — with any questions or concerns. Here’s the contact information for your county:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://acvote.alamedacountyca.gov/index\">\u003cstrong>Alameda\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: For information about voting by mail, registration and polling place lookup, call 510-267-8683\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.contracostavote.gov/elections/\">\u003cstrong>Contra Costa\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 925-335-7800 or email voter.services@vote.cccounty.us\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.marincounty.org/depts/rv\">\u003cstrong>Marin\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 415-473-6456 or go to the Marin County elections webpage to \u003ca href=\"https://www.marincounty.org/depts/rv/contact-us\">send a form email\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.countyofnapa.org/396/Elections\">\u003cstrong>Napa\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 707-253-4321 or email the elections office at elections@countyofnapa.org\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://sfelections.sfgov.org\">\u003cstrong>San Francisco\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 415-554-4375 or email sfvote@sfgov.org\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.smcacre.org/elections\">\u003cstrong>San Mateo\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 888- 762-8683 or email registrar@smcacre.org\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sccgov.org/sites/rov/Pages/Registrar-of-Voters.aspx\">\u003cstrong>Santa Clara\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call toll-free at 866-430-VOTE (8683) or email registrar@rov.sccgov.org\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.solanocounty.com/depts/rov/default.asp\">\u003cstrong>Solano\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003cstrong>: \u003c/strong>Call 707-784-6675 or (888) 933-VOTE (8683). You can also email elections@solanocounty.com\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/CRA/Registrar-of-Voters/\">\u003cstrong>Sonoma\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 707-565-6800 or toll-free at 800-750-8683\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state also has a full list of \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices/\">every county elections office in California\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It’s time to vote in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> 2026 midterm election — which includes your chance to decide who’ll be the state’s next governor. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>It’s time to vote in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> 2026 midterm election — which includes your chance to decide who’ll be the state’s next governor. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If you’re a registered California voter, your ballot is on its way in the next few days, if it hasn’t already arrived. Your last day to vote will be Election Day itself, Nov. 3.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>If you’re a registered California voter, your ballot is on its way in the next few days, if it hasn’t already arrived. Your last day to vote will be Election Day itself, Nov. 3.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But what if you’re unsure of how to fill that ballot out according to how you want to vote? Or what to do if you’ve made a mistake on it?\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>But what if you’re unsure of how to fill that ballot out according to how you want to vote? Or what to do if you’ve made a mistake on it?\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Read on to learn how to fill out your ballot when it arrives, how important your signature is, and your options if you need to start again with a fresh ballot.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Read on to learn how to fill out your ballot when it arrives, how important your signature is, and your options if you need to start again with a fresh ballot.\u003c/p>\n"
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"Jump to: I messed up my ballot. What should I do? "
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump to: \u003ca href=\"#mistake\">I messed up my ballot. What should I do? \u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump to: \u003ca href=\"#mistake\">I messed up my ballot. What should I do? \u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "First of all: Am I registered to vote?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">First of all: Am I registered to vote?\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The official deadline to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/\">register online to vote \u003c/a>is Monday, Oct. 19.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The official deadline to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/\">register online to vote \u003c/a>is Monday, Oct. 19.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>So if you’re unsure whether you’re already registered to vote or can’t remember which party preference you already have, \u003ca href=\"https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/\">check your voter registration details\u003c/a> ASAP.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>So if you’re unsure whether you’re already registered to vote or can’t remember which party preference you already have, \u003ca href=\"https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/\">check your voter registration details\u003c/a> ASAP.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/YouthVoterGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102009\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/YouthVoterGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/YouthVoterGetty-160x102.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/YouthVoterGetty-1536x979.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Potential young voters get information at a voter registration desk at Voter Fest 2024, an event designed to engage young voters and historically underserved communities on Oct. 22, 2024, at Cal State Los Angeles.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/YouthVoterGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102009\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Potential young voters get information at a voter registration desk at Voter Fest 2024, an event designed to engage young voters and historically underserved communities on Oct. 22, 2024, at Cal State Los Angeles.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Remember, if you’ve changed your name or want to change the political party choice you previously registered to vote with, or you’ve moved address, you’ll need to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/\">re-register\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Remember, if you’ve changed your name or want to change the political party choice you previously registered to vote with, or you’ve moved address, you’ll need to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/\">re-register\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Making sure you’re registered — and to the right address — is crucial for getting your ballot on time. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Making sure you’re registered — and to the right address — is crucial for getting your ballot on time. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And if you miss the deadline to register, don’t panic: That’s the last day to do it \u003cem>online\u003c/em>. After Oct. 19, you can still complete the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/same-day-reg/\">same-day voter registration\u003c/a> process (also known as “conditional voting”) and receive your ballot in person at your county elections office or polling location, all the way up to 8 p.m. on Election Day itself.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>And if you miss the deadline to register, don’t panic: That’s the last day to do it \u003cem>online\u003c/em>. After Oct. 19, you can still complete the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/same-day-reg/\">same-day voter registration\u003c/a> process (also known as “conditional voting”) and receive your ballot in person at your county elections office or polling location, all the way up to 8 p.m. on Election Day itself.\u003c/p>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "What’s on my 2026 midterm elections ballot?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What’s on my 2026 midterm elections ballot?\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What’s on my 2026 midterm elections ballot?\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Depending on which county you live in, your California ballot will present you with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">a mix of races\u003c/a> to vote on.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Depending on which county you live in, your California ballot will present you with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">a mix of races\u003c/a> to vote on.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "The races for statewide offices include:"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The races for statewide offices include:\u003c/h3>\n",
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"Governor: Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton face off in a race to succeed Governor Gavin Newsom.",
"Insurance commissioner: Wildfires and inflation have thrown California into an insurance crisis. Two Democrats, Ben Allen and Jane Kim, are running to become the insurance industry’s chief regulator."
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california/governor\">Governor\u003c/a>: Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton face off in a race to succeed Governor Gavin Newsom.\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california/governor\">Governor\u003c/a>: Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton face off in a race to succeed Governor Gavin Newsom.\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california/insurance-commissioner\">Insurance commissioner\u003c/a>: Wildfires and inflation have thrown California into an insurance crisis. Two Democrats, Ben Allen and Jane Kim, are running to become the insurance industry’s chief regulator.\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california/insurance-commissioner\">Insurance commissioner\u003c/a>: Wildfires and inflation have thrown California into an insurance crisis. Two Democrats, Ben Allen and Jane Kim, are running to become the insurance industry’s chief regulator.\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped\">\n\n\u003c/figure>\n",
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null,
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null,
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/SteveHiltonAP.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12078808\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Steve Hilton speaks during the California gubernatorial candidate debate on Feb. 3, 2026, in San Francisco.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/SteveHiltonAP.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12078808\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Steve Hilton speaks during the California gubernatorial candidate debate on Feb. 3, 2026, in San Francisco.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Xavier-Becerra-Getty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12086476\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Xavier Becerra, a candidate for governor, speaks to supporters on election night on June 2, 2026. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Xavier-Becerra-Getty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12086476\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Xavier Becerra, a candidate for governor, speaks to supporters on election night on June 2, 2026. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
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"text": "A number of statewide propositions, including:"
},
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"\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A number of statewide propositions, including:\u003c/h3>\n"
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"Prop. 1: Should California issue $11.25 billion in general obligation bonds for affordable housing, homebuying opportunities and veterans and homelessness programs?",
"Prop 39: Should Californians be required to show ID for in-person and mail-in voting? ",
"Prop 40: Should California tax the wealth of billionaires to fund health care services?"
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null,
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california/proposition-1\">Prop. 1\u003c/a>: Should California issue $11.25 billion in general obligation bonds for affordable housing, homebuying opportunities and veterans and homelessness programs?\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california/proposition-1\">Prop. 1\u003c/a>: Should California issue $11.25 billion in general obligation bonds for affordable housing, homebuying opportunities and veterans and homelessness programs?\u003c/li>\n"
]
},
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california/proposition-39\">Prop 39\u003c/a>: Should Californians be required to show ID for in-person and mail-in voting? \u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california/proposition-39\">Prop 39\u003c/a>: Should Californians be required to show ID for in-person and mail-in voting? \u003c/li>\n"
]
},
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california/proposition-40\">Prop 40: \u003c/a>Should California tax the wealth of billionaires to fund health care services?\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california/proposition-40\">Prop 40: \u003c/a>Should California tax the wealth of billionaires to fund health care services?\u003c/li>\n"
]
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},
{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"level": 3,
"text": "Local measures and races "
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Local measures and races \u003c/h3>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Local measures and races \u003c/h3>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>These will depend on your Bay Area county or district. See \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">the KQED Voter Guide for more information\u003c/a> on what’s on your ballot this election season.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>These will depend on your Bay Area county or district. See \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">the KQED Voter Guide for more information\u003c/a> on what’s on your ballot this election season.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "How do I return my ballot when I’ve completed it?",
"level": 2
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How do I return my ballot when I’ve completed it?\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"level": 3,
"text": "Drop off your ballot in a secure ballot drop box"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Drop off your ballot in a secure ballot drop box\u003c/h3>\n",
"innerContent": [
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>These drop boxes \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/general-election-november-3-2026\">open by Oct. 5\u003c/a>, and once submitted, your ballot will be taken straight to your local county elections office.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>These drop boxes \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/general-election-november-3-2026\">open by Oct. 5\u003c/a>, and once submitted, your ballot will be taken straight to your local county elections office.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Some elections officials strongly recommend using these drop boxes over using USPS. “We’re not really encouraging people to use the USPS to get their ballot here,” said Evelyn Mendez, Sonoma County’s registrar of voters. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Some elections officials strongly recommend using these drop boxes over using USPS. “We’re not really encouraging people to use the USPS to get their ballot here,” said Evelyn Mendez, Sonoma County’s registrar of voters. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Instead, Mendez tells voters to use county collection boxes because they skip the Postal Service altogether.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Instead, Mendez tells voters to use county collection boxes because they skip the Postal Service altogether.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
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"text": "Return your ballot through the Postal Service "
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The return postage is already paid for you. Keep in mind that the Postal Service must postmark your ballot envelope by the end of Election Day for your vote to count — and the last collection at many mailboxes is 5 p.m. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The return postage is already paid for you. Keep in mind that the Postal Service must postmark your ballot envelope by the end of Election Day for your vote to count — and the last collection at many mailboxes is 5 p.m. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>However, in the last two statewide elections, Secretary of State Shirley Weber and Attorney General Rob Bonta urged any voters planning to use USPS to mail in their ballots \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-and-secretary-state-weber-sacramento-vote-early-june\">at \u003cem>least \u003c/em>a week before Election Day\u003c/a> — to account for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103028/should-you-use-usps-to-mail-your-midterm-ballot-heres-what-california-election-officials-say\">changes in the way USPS is collected\u003c/a> and postmarked in many areas. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>However, in the last two statewide elections, Secretary of State Shirley Weber and Attorney General Rob Bonta urged any voters planning to use USPS to mail in their ballots \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-and-secretary-state-weber-sacramento-vote-early-june\">at \u003cem>least \u003c/em>a week before Election Day\u003c/a> — to account for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103028/should-you-use-usps-to-mail-your-midterm-ballot-heres-what-california-election-officials-say\">changes in the way USPS is collected\u003c/a> and postmarked in many areas. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And if you’re mailing your midterm ballot on Election Day itself, Weber’s office is recommending you \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/vote-mail\">“get a hand-stamped postmark\u003c/a> from a postal employee inside a United States Post Office” rather than simply dropping it in a USPS collection box.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>And if you’re mailing your midterm ballot on Election Day itself, Weber’s office is recommending you \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/vote-mail\">“get a hand-stamped postmark\u003c/a> from a postal employee inside a United States Post Office” rather than simply dropping it in a USPS collection box.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
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"text": "Drop off your ballot in an open voting location"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Drop off your ballot in an open voting location\u003c/h3>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/general-election-november-3-2026\">The first vote centers open \u003c/a>Oct. 24 in certain counties, with more early voting locations opening Oct. 31.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/general-election-november-3-2026\">The first vote centers open \u003c/a>Oct. 24 in certain counties, with more early voting locations opening Oct. 31.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Submitting your ballot by hand this way is the top recommendation of Kim Alexander, president and founder of the non-partisan California Voter Foundation. You can fill your ballot out in-person at a voting location, and submit it directly there and then. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Submitting your ballot by hand this way is the top recommendation of Kim Alexander, president and founder of the non-partisan California Voter Foundation. You can fill your ballot out in-person at a voting location, and submit it directly there and then. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Or, if you live in \u003ca href=\"https://calvoter.org/content/sign-scan-and-go\">one of the California counties\u003c/a> which has adopted the “Sign & Go” system — in the Bay Area, that’s Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin and Napa — you can complete your ballot at your convenience at home, and then bring it to a participating vote center and sign the voter roster under penalty of perjury (just as you would for in-person voting) to submit it in person. And if you live in a county which has adopted “Sign, Scan & Go”, like San Mateo, you can do all of the above and then scan your ballot yourself to have your vote recorded immediately at the voting site. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Or, if you live in \u003ca href=\"https://calvoter.org/content/sign-scan-and-go\">one of the California counties\u003c/a> which has adopted the “Sign & Go” system — in the Bay Area, that’s Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin and Napa — you can complete your ballot at your convenience at home, and then bring it to a participating vote center and sign the voter roster under penalty of perjury (just as you would for in-person voting) to submit it in person. And if you live in a county which has adopted “Sign, Scan & Go”, like San Mateo, you can do all of the above and then scan your ballot yourself to have your vote recorded immediately at the voting site. \u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Do I have to vote by mail?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Do I \u003cem>have\u003c/em> to vote by mail?\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>No. \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/vote-mail\">If you’re registered to vote, you’ll be receiving a mail-in ballot by default\u003c/a> for the 2026 midterms, without requesting it. But voting by mail is still just one option that’s open to you.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>No. \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/vote-mail\">If you’re registered to vote, you’ll be receiving a mail-in ballot by default\u003c/a> for the 2026 midterms, without requesting it. But voting by mail is still just one option that’s open to you.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>You can still vote in person, either at an early voting location before Election Day or on Election Day, Nov. 3, itself. \u003ca href=\"https://caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov/\">Early voting locations will open starting Oct. 24.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>You can still vote in person, either at an early voting location before Election Day or on Election Day, Nov. 3, itself. \u003ca href=\"https://caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov/\">Early voting locations will open starting Oct. 24.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/20241102_EARLYVOTINGMARIN_GC-5-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A person puts a yellow ballot envelope in a ballot drop box.\" class=\"wp-image-12012711\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/20241102_EARLYVOTINGMARIN_GC-5-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/20241102_EARLYVOTINGMARIN_GC-5-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/20241102_EARLYVOTINGMARIN_GC-5-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/20241102_EARLYVOTINGMARIN_GC-5-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/20241102_EARLYVOTINGMARIN_GC-5-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/20241102_EARLYVOTINGMARIN_GC-5-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A voter drops off their mail-in ballot at a drop box outside of Novato City Hall on Nov. 2, 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/20241102_EARLYVOTINGMARIN_GC-5-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A person puts a yellow ballot envelope in a ballot drop box.\" class=\"wp-image-12012711\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A voter drops off their mail-in ballot at a drop box outside of Novato City Hall on Nov. 2, 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "How do I fix a mistake on my ballot?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How do I fix a mistake on my ballot?\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How do I fix a mistake on my ballot?\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It’s important to note that each county is slightly different in how they’d prefer you to address a mistake on your ballot, and will often provide specific details about corrections \u003cem>on\u003c/em> the ballot itself. If you have a specific question about your ballot that isn’t answered here, you can always contact your local registrar of voters for advice and instructions.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>It’s important to note that each county is slightly different in how they’d prefer you to address a mistake on your ballot, and will often provide specific details about corrections \u003cem>on\u003c/em> the ballot itself. If you have a specific question about your ballot that isn’t answered here, you can always contact your local registrar of voters for advice and instructions.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
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"text": "What if I have problems with my signature?"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What if I have problems with my signature?\u003c/h3>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What if I have problems with my signature?\u003c/h3>\n"
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When you’re done filling out your ballot, you must sign the envelope. But two big mistakes people make with their signatures are:\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>When you’re done filling out your ballot, you must sign the envelope. But two big mistakes people make with their signatures are:\u003c/p>\n"
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"items": [
"Forgetting to sign their ballot entirely.",
"Making a signature that doesn’t match the signature they made when they registered to vote."
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\n\u003c/ul>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Forgetting to sign their ballot entirely.\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>Forgetting to sign their ballot entirely.\u003c/li>\n"
]
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{
"blockName": "core/list-item",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Making a signature that doesn’t match the signature they made when they registered to vote.\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>Making a signature that doesn’t match the signature they made when they registered to vote.\u003c/li>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Why \u003cem>wouldn’t\u003c/em> your signature match the one on file? If you registered to vote at a young age, maybe your signature has changed over time. Or perhaps you registered to vote at the DMV and provided your signature on a screen with a stylus, which doesn’t quite replicate how you’d make your signature with a pen on paper.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Why \u003cem>wouldn’t\u003c/em> your signature match the one on file? If you registered to vote at a young age, maybe your signature has changed over time. Or perhaps you registered to vote at the DMV and provided your signature on a screen with a stylus, which doesn’t quite replicate how you’d make your signature with a pen on paper.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251104-SCCVOTE-JG-05_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088632\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251104-SCCVOTE-JG-05_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251104-SCCVOTE-JG-05_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251104-SCCVOTE-JG-05_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Edgardo Domingo fills out a ballot at a voting booth at the Vietnamese American Cultural Center in San José on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251104-SCCVOTE-JG-05_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088632\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Edgardo Domingo fills out a ballot at a voting booth at the Vietnamese American Cultural Center in San José on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If you registered this way, one simple way to avoid any signature problems is to take a quick glance at the signature that’s on your driver’s license or state ID — because that’s the one you want your ballot signature to match.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>If you registered this way, one simple way to avoid any signature problems is to take a quick glance at the signature that’s on your driver’s license or state ID — because that’s the one you want your ballot signature to match.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Even if you didn’t register at the DMV, that signature on your most recent license or state ID is still very likely the one to emulate. That’s because when you register to vote online, your county elections office electronically requests a copy of the signature the DMV \u003cem>currently\u003c/em> has for you, and this information is regularly updated.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Even if you didn’t register at the DMV, that signature on your most recent license or state ID is still very likely the one to emulate. That’s because when you register to vote online, your county elections office electronically requests a copy of the signature the DMV \u003cem>currently\u003c/em> has for you, and this information is regularly updated.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>To further set your mind at rest, know that California isn’t an “exact match” state, and doesn’t demand voters’ signatures 100% replicate the signature that’s on file.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>To further set your mind at rest, know that California isn’t an “exact match” state, and doesn’t demand voters’ signatures 100% replicate the signature that’s on file.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"level": 3,
"text": "What if I just don’t know my ‘correct’ signature I’m registered to vote with?"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What if I just don’t know my ‘correct’ signature I’m registered to vote with?\u003c/h3>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What if I just don’t know my ‘correct’ signature I’m registered to vote with?\u003c/h3>\n"
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If you’re \u003cem>really\u003c/em> worried about the signature on your envelope not matching the signature you’re registered to vote with, there are two good solutions.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>If you’re \u003cem>really\u003c/em> worried about the signature on your envelope not matching the signature you’re registered to vote with, there are two good solutions.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One: If it’s on or before Oct. 19, you can \u003ca href=\"https://registertovote.ca.gov/\">reregister to vote with your current signature\u003c/a>, to be sure that the state now has your most recent one on file. If you are reregistering after Oct. 19, you’d need to complete the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/same-day-reg/\">same-day voter registration\u003c/a> process (also known as “conditional voting”) and request your ballot in person at your county elections office or polling location.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>One: If it’s on or before Oct. 19, you can \u003ca href=\"https://registertovote.ca.gov/\">reregister to vote with your current signature\u003c/a>, to be sure that the state now has your most recent one on file. If you are reregistering after Oct. 19, you’d need to complete the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/same-day-reg/\">same-day voter registration\u003c/a> process (also known as “conditional voting”) and request your ballot in person at your county elections office or polling location.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "kqed-v2/related-articles",
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"label": "2026 California Voter Guide",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In 2021, the California Voter Foundation’s Alexander, told us there’s another solution if you’re worried about your signature: Go vote in person, if you’re able.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>In 2021, the California Voter Foundation’s Alexander, told us there’s another solution if you’re worried about your signature: Go vote in person, if you’re able.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That’s because the signature goes only on your ballot’s \u003cem>envelope\u003c/em> — and if you’re voting in person, there’s no envelope, because that ballot then goes straight into the ballot box without needing that envelope at all.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>That’s because the signature goes only on your ballot’s \u003cem>envelope\u003c/em> — and if you’re voting in person, there’s no envelope, because that ballot then goes straight into the ballot box without needing that envelope at all.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“So if you want that satisfaction of seeing your ballot drop in the box and know that it’s not going to get held up because of some signature issue, you can go and vote in person,” said Alexander.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“So if you want that satisfaction of seeing your ballot drop in the box and know that it’s not going to get held up because of some signature issue, you can go and vote in person,” said Alexander.\u003c/p>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"level": 3,
"text": "I already mailed my ballot, but now I’m paranoid about my signature. What if I messed it up?"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I already mailed my ballot, but now I’m paranoid about my signature. What if I messed it up?\u003c/h3>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I already mailed my ballot, but now I’m paranoid about my signature. What if I messed it up?\u003c/h3>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rest assured: There’s a whole system in place to help you correct your mistake.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Rest assured: There’s a whole system in place to help you correct your mistake.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If your county’s election office detects a signature mismatch on your ballot, they’ll reach out to you via mail to verify and work with you to correct it, so that your ballot can be counted after all. It’s called “curing” a ballot.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>If your county’s election office detects a signature mismatch on your ballot, they’ll reach out to you via mail to verify and work with you to correct it, so that your ballot can be counted after all. It’s called “curing” a ballot.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This system is also applied when it looks like a member of a voter’s family might have signed their ballot, instead of the voter. This happens a \u003cem>surprising\u003c/em> amount when one household has several voters who all receive a ballot in the mail.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>This system is also applied when it looks like a member of a voter’s family might have signed their ballot, instead of the voter. This happens a \u003cem>surprising\u003c/em> amount when one household has several voters who all receive a ballot in the mail.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One way to get peace of mind: \u003ca href=\"https://california.ballottrax.net/voter/\">Sign up to track your ballot\u003c/a>, and you’ll find out about any issues with your ballot or your signature quickly.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>One way to get peace of mind: \u003ca href=\"https://california.ballottrax.net/voter/\">Sign up to track your ballot\u003c/a>, and you’ll find out about any issues with your ballot or your signature quickly.\u003c/p>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "I made a mistake on my ballot. How do I fix it?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"mistake\">I made a mistake on my ballot. How do I fix it?\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"mistake\">I made a mistake on my ballot. How do I fix it?\u003c/h2>\n"
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"blockName": "core/paragraph",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>First, don’t panic. People make mistakes on ballots and find good ways to correct them.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>First, don’t panic. People make mistakes on ballots and find good ways to correct them.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Counties give different directions to voters about what to do if they make a mistake (remember: Read the instructions!), but you can usually simply X out the choice you didn’t intend.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Counties give different directions to voters about what to do if they make a mistake (remember: Read the instructions!), but you can usually simply X out the choice you didn’t intend.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-20-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12085889\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-20-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-20-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-20-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Voters cast their ballots at UC Davis in Davis on June 2, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-20-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12085889\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Voters cast their ballots at UC Davis in Davis on June 2, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The job of county elections officials — once they’ve verified your signature — is to make sure your ballot can be read correctly. If that means that your corrections on your ballot have resulted in readability issues, officials working in teams of two will actually remake it for you according to the intent you’ve signaled with your corrections.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The job of county elections officials — once they’ve verified your signature — is to make sure your ballot can be read correctly. If that means that your corrections on your ballot have resulted in readability issues, officials working in teams of two will actually remake it for you according to the intent you’ve signaled with your corrections.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Some counties, like Alameda, ask that you actually contact them first if you make a serious mistake — including voting for the wrong candidate — so they can send you a replacement ballot. So, wherever you live, it’s a good idea to check with your local elections office first to see what \u003cem>they\u003c/em> recommend if you made a mistake.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Some counties, like Alameda, ask that you actually contact them first if you make a serious mistake — including voting for the wrong candidate — so they can send you a replacement ballot. So, wherever you live, it’s a good idea to check with your local elections office first to see what \u003cem>they\u003c/em> recommend if you made a mistake.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And remember, there’s always this option …\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>And remember, there’s always this option …\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "What if I just want a new ballot?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What if I just want a new ballot?\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If you’ve made a big mistake on your ballot — too big to fix — your best plan of action may be to focus on getting a new one. And that’s totally OK. You can:\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>If you’ve made a big mistake on your ballot — too big to fix — your best plan of action may be to focus on getting a new one. And that’s totally OK. You can:\u003c/p>\n"
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"Call your county elections office and ask them to cancel that ballot and issue a new one to you.",
"Go to your county elections office with your spoiled ballot during business hours and vote right there at the counter.",
"Take advantage of the early voting options available in many counties.",
"Go to a voting site on Election Day, Nov. 3, turn in your spoiled ballot there and get a new ballot."
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003c/ul>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Call your county elections office and ask them to cancel that ballot and issue a new one to you.\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>Call your county elections office and ask them to cancel that ballot and issue a new one to you.\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Go to your county elections office with your spoiled ballot during business hours and vote right there at the counter.\u003c/li>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Take advantage of the early voting options available in many counties.\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>Take advantage of the early voting options available in many counties.\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Go to a voting site on Election Day, Nov. 3, turn in your spoiled ballot there and get a new ballot.\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>Go to a voting site on Election Day, Nov. 3, turn in your spoiled ballot there and get a new ballot.\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>You can also do this if you’ve accidentally damaged your ballot in some way (coffee spills happen).\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>You can also do this if you’ve accidentally damaged your ballot in some way (coffee spills happen).\u003c/p>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "I think I put the wrong date on my envelope",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I think I put the wrong date on my envelope\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I think I put the wrong date on my envelope\u003c/h2>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>First off, that date should be the date you signed your envelope — not your date of birth. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>First off, that date should be the date you signed your envelope — not your date of birth. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But if you’re worried you messed up the date, don’t worry. Elections officials say that the date they’re \u003cem>really\u003c/em> looking for is the date that the ballot is postmarked, to make sure it was submitted on time.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>But if you’re worried you messed up the date, don’t worry. Elections officials say that the date they’re \u003cem>really\u003c/em> looking for is the date that the ballot is postmarked, to make sure it was submitted on time.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_Election2020_MailinBallot_10122020_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099795\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_Election2020_MailinBallot_10122020_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_Election2020_MailinBallot_10122020_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_Election2020_MailinBallot_10122020_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A San Francisco official mail-in ballot for the Nov. 3, 2020 election.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_Election2020_MailinBallot_10122020_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099795\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A San Francisco official mail-in ballot for the Nov. 3, 2020 election.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Election officials will only truly scrutinize the date you’ve written if they receive your ballot \u003cem>after\u003c/em> Election Day.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Election officials will only truly scrutinize the date you’ve written if they receive your ballot \u003cem>after\u003c/em> Election Day.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And if you haven’t mailed your envelope yet, it’s an easy fix: Just clearly cross out the incorrect date on the envelope and write in the correct one above it.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>And if you haven’t mailed your envelope yet, it’s an easy fix: Just clearly cross out the incorrect date on the envelope and write in the correct one above it.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "What if I use assistive technology to complete forms?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What if I use assistive technology to complete forms?\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Getting physical assistance with filling out your ballot from someone you trust is always fine, whether you’re voting at home or at a voting site. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Getting physical assistance with filling out your ballot from someone you trust is always fine, whether you’re voting at home or at a voting site. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>You just need to make sure your signature is your own and matches the one you’re registered to vote with.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>You just need to make sure your signature is your own and matches the one you’re registered to vote with.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251030-BAYAREAVOTERS-32-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12062371\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251030-BAYAREAVOTERS-32-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251030-BAYAREAVOTERS-32-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251030-BAYAREAVOTERS-32-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tessa King drops off a ballot at the City Hall Voting Center in San Francisco on Oct. 30, 2025, ahead of the statewide special election.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251030-BAYAREAVOTERS-32-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12062371\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tessa King drops off a ballot at the City Hall Voting Center in San Francisco on Oct. 30, 2025, ahead of the statewide special election.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Disabled voters can also choose to use the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/remote-accessible-vote-mail\">Remote Accessible Vote-by-Mail\u003c/a> system to vote privately and independently at home, using their usual assistive device on their home computer to fill out the ballot on their screen and then print and mail it.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Disabled voters can also choose to use the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/remote-accessible-vote-mail\">Remote Accessible Vote-by-Mail\u003c/a> system to vote privately and independently at home, using their usual assistive device on their home computer to fill out the ballot on their screen and then print and mail it.\u003c/p>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Every voting location in California is also equipped with an accessible voting unit. Here, voters with blindness or low vision or who have a disability that limits their dexterity, will be able to use the assistive device of their choice that allows them to vote privately and independently.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Every voting location in California is also equipped with an accessible voting unit. Here, voters with blindness or low vision or who have a disability that limits their dexterity, will be able to use the assistive device of their choice that allows them to vote privately and independently.\u003c/p>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "How can I make sure my mail-in ballot gets there on time? ",
"level": 2
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How can I make sure my mail-in ballot gets there on time? \u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How can I make sure my mail-in ballot gets there on time? \u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Remember, one big reason that ballots get disqualified in elections is that voters mail them too late: either too late on Election Day itself (after U.S. Postal Service mailboxes have already been collected), or after Election Day.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Remember, one big reason that ballots get disqualified in elections is that voters mail them too late: either too late on Election Day itself (after U.S. Postal Service mailboxes have already been collected), or after Election Day.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>To be counted in this election, your ballot must be postmarked on Election Day, Nov. 3, at the latest. Your ballot has seven days to reach your county elections office.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>To be counted in this election, your ballot must be postmarked on Election Day, Nov. 3, at the latest. Your ballot has seven days to reach your county elections office.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>So in this election, it’s as crucial as ever to make sure you have a plan for voting on time. And if you’re not voting in person, that means making sure you get your ballot into a USPS mailbox or into a secure voting drop box, at a polling location or your county elections office, by the time polls close on Nov. 3.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>So in this election, it’s as crucial as ever to make sure you have a plan for voting on time. And if you’re not voting in person, that means making sure you get your ballot into a USPS mailbox or into a secure voting drop box, at a polling location or your county elections office, by the time polls close on Nov. 3.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Read more about why \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103028/should-you-use-usps-to-mail-your-midterm-ballot-heres-what-california-election-officials-say\">California election officials are urging voters to make sure their ballot arrives on time\u003c/a> – and why they’re urging caution around using USPS too close to Election Day.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Read more about why \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103028/should-you-use-usps-to-mail-your-midterm-ballot-heres-what-california-election-officials-say\">California election officials are urging voters to make sure their ballot arrives on time\u003c/a> – and why they’re urging caution around using USPS too close to Election Day.\u003c/p>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "A few other common ballot mistakes to watch out for …",
"level": 2
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A few other common ballot mistakes to watch out for …\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A few other common ballot mistakes to watch out for …\u003c/h2>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"level": 3,
"text": "Make sure you’re filling out and signing the ballot and envelope with your name on it:"
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Make sure you’re filling out and signing the ballot and envelope with \u003cem>your\u003c/em> name on it: \u003c/h3>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Make sure you’re filling out and signing the ballot and envelope with \u003cem>your\u003c/em> name on it: \u003c/h3>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It’s common to see partners or roommates accidentally mix up their ballots. So make sure you’re signing the document that bears your name.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>It’s common to see partners or roommates accidentally mix up their ballots. So make sure you’re signing the document that bears your name.\u003c/p>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"level": 3,
"text": "Make sure you use a black or blue pen:"
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Make sure you use a black or blue pen: \u003c/h3>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Make sure you use a black or blue pen: \u003c/h3>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It reads better, and it doesn’t slow workers down when they have to check to see what voter intent was. (Don’t use a felt-tip or a Sharpie that bleeds through the paper and marks other pages on your ballot.)\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>It reads better, and it doesn’t slow workers down when they have to check to see what voter intent was. (Don’t use a felt-tip or a Sharpie that bleeds through the paper and marks other pages on your ballot.)\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
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{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 12084638,
"sizeSlug": "full",
"linkDestination": "none",
"align": "center",
"alt": "",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/003_KQED_SanFrancisco_Election2020_TanyaYule_10092020_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/003_KQED_SanFrancisco_Election2020_TanyaYule_10092020_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/003_KQED_SanFrancisco_Election2020_TanyaYule_10092020_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/003_KQED_SanFrancisco_Election2020_TanyaYule_10092020_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12084638\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/003_KQED_SanFrancisco_Election2020_TanyaYule_10092020_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/003_KQED_SanFrancisco_Election2020_TanyaYule_10092020_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/003_KQED_SanFrancisco_Election2020_TanyaYule_10092020_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tanya Yule looks over a voting guide at her home in San Francisco on Oct. 9, 2020.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/003_KQED_SanFrancisco_Election2020_TanyaYule_10092020_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12084638\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tanya Yule looks over a voting guide at her home in San Francisco on Oct. 9, 2020.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"level": 3,
"text": "Don’t mail an empty envelope:"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Don’t mail an empty envelope: \u003c/h3>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Don’t mail an empty envelope: \u003c/h3>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It does happen. Keeping your envelope and your ballot together in your home might be a helpful way of avoiding this problem. And of course, when you’re ready to mail your ballot, make sure it’s actually inside the envelope before you seal it.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>It does happen. Keeping your envelope and your ballot together in your home might be a helpful way of avoiding this problem. And of course, when you’re ready to mail your ballot, make sure it’s actually inside the envelope before you seal it.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"level": 3,
"text": "Don’t bother with a stamp:"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Don’t bother with a stamp: \u003c/h3>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Don’t bother with a stamp: \u003c/h3>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Your ballot envelope is postage-paid. You don’t need it.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Your ballot envelope is postage-paid. You don’t need it.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "My ballot is missing or hasn’t arrived. What should I do?",
"level": 2
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">My ballot is missing or hasn’t arrived. What should I do?\u003c/h2>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">My ballot is missing or hasn’t arrived. What should I do?\u003c/h2>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If you’re reading this and you’re worried that your ballot hasn’t arrived yet, make sure you’re not worrying \u003cem>too \u003c/em>early, as the deadline for counties to \u003cem>start \u003c/em>sending out ballots is only Oct. 5.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>If you’re reading this and you’re worried that your ballot hasn’t arrived yet, make sure you’re not worrying \u003cem>too \u003c/em>early, as the deadline for counties to \u003cem>start \u003c/em>sending out ballots is only Oct. 5.\u003c/p>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But if it gets to late October and your ballot still hasn’t materialized, don’t panic: You have options. Here’s what to do:\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>But if it gets to late October and your ballot still hasn’t materialized, don’t panic: You have options. Here’s what to do:\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"level": 3,
"text": "Check that you’re actually registered to vote — and to the right address"
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Check that you’re actually registered to vote — and to the right address\u003c/h3>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Check that you’re actually registered to vote — and to the right address\u003c/h3>\n"
],
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},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/\">Input your details on the secretary of state’s voter status page\u003c/a> to check your registration status. This will show whether you’re actually registered to vote, and to which address. It should also show whether your ballot was mailed out.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/\">Input your details on the secretary of state’s voter status page\u003c/a> to check your registration status. This will show whether you’re actually registered to vote, and to which address. It should also show whether your ballot was mailed out.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>You can also use \u003ca href=\"https://california.ballottrax.net/voter/\">the Where’s My Ballot? tool\u003c/a> to check whether your ballot has been sent.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>You can also use \u003ca href=\"https://california.ballottrax.net/voter/\">the Where’s My Ballot? tool\u003c/a> to check whether your ballot has been sent.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 12095745,
"sizeSlug": "full",
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"alt": "",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095745\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A voter is given a sticker after dropping his ballot at City Hall in San Francisco on Oct. 30, 2025, ahead of the statewide special election.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095745\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A voter is given a sticker after dropping his ballot at City Hall in San Francisco on Oct. 30, 2025, ahead of the statewide special election.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"level": 3,
"text": "If you’re registered to the wrong address, you can update it before Oct. 19 "
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If you’re registered to the wrong address, you can update it before Oct. 19 \u003c/h3>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If you’re registered to the wrong address, you can update it before Oct. 19 \u003c/h3>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If you update your voter registration and address using \u003ca href=\"https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/\">the secretary of state’s voter status page\u003c/a> before the Oct. 19 deadline to register online, your county will cancel the ballot that went to your old address and send you a new one.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>If you update your voter registration and address using \u003ca href=\"https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/\">the secretary of state’s voter status page\u003c/a> before the Oct. 19 deadline to register online, your county will cancel the ballot that went to your old address and send you a new one.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And if it turns out your ballot \u003cem>was \u003c/em>missing because your voter registration wasn’t updated, don’t feel bad — people move all the time and forget to update their registrations accordingly.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>And if it turns out your ballot \u003cem>was \u003c/em>missing because your voter registration wasn’t updated, don’t feel bad — people move all the time and forget to update their registrations accordingly.\u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
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{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The California Voter Foundation’s Alexander confirmed to KQED in 2021 that updating your address at the post office doesn’t, in fact, update your voter registration. The DMV, on the other hand, \u003cem>will\u003c/em> update your voter registration details if you update your address with them.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The California Voter Foundation’s Alexander confirmed to KQED in 2021 that updating your address at the post office doesn’t, in fact, update your voter registration. The DMV, on the other hand, \u003cem>will\u003c/em> update your voter registration details if you update your address with them.\u003c/p>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"level": 3,
"text": "If your voter registration address was correct but your ballot never showed up, you still have options"
},
"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If your voter registration address was correct but your ballot never showed up, you still have options\u003c/h3>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If your voter registration address was correct but your ballot never showed up, you still have options\u003c/h3>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
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{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
"dropCap": false
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If it’s more than six days before Election Day, you can call your county elections office and ask them to send a new ballot. Find your county elections office in our contact list (below). \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>If it’s more than six days before Election Day, you can call your county elections office and ask them to send a new ballot. Find your county elections office in our contact list (below). \u003c/p>\n"
],
"innerBlocks": []
},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Your county elections office won’t mail you a ballot six days or less before Election Day, because it can’t be sure it’ll reach you in time. So if you’re trying to get a ballot in the immediate run-up to Election Day, go to your county elections office in person and request one at the counter.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Your county elections office won’t mail you a ballot six days or less before Election Day, because it can’t be sure it’ll reach you in time. So if you’re trying to get a ballot in the immediate run-up to Election Day, go to your county elections office in person and request one at the counter.\u003c/p>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/image",
"attrs": {
"id": 12087079,
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"linkDestination": "none",
"align": "center",
"alt": ""
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/CaliforniaElection2026Getty-e1781204236548.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12087079\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An election worker processes mail-in ballots for the California state primary election at the Los Angeles County Ballot Processing Center on June 5, 2026, in City of Industry, California.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/CaliforniaElection2026Getty-e1781204236548.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12087079\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An election worker processes mail-in ballots for the California state primary election at the Los Angeles County Ballot Processing Center on June 5, 2026, in City of Industry, California.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
],
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},
{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>From Oct. 5, your county elections office will be open for early voting through Nov. 3, so you could also go there in person during opening hours and vote right there at the counter. More early voting locations will be opening throughout October.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>From Oct. 5, your county elections office will be open for early voting through Nov. 3, so you could also go there in person during opening hours and vote right there at the counter. More early voting locations will be opening throughout October.\u003c/p>\n"
],
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{
"blockName": "core/paragraph",
"attrs": {
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And remember, if you’re \u003cem>not\u003c/em> actually registered to vote, you always have the option of \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/same-day-reg\">same-day voter registration\u003c/a>, also known as conditional voter registration, at a voting location, where you can then fill out and submit your ballot, too.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>And remember, if you’re \u003cem>not\u003c/em> actually registered to vote, you always have the option of \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/same-day-reg\">same-day voter registration\u003c/a>, also known as conditional voter registration, at a voting location, where you can then fill out and submit your ballot, too.\u003c/p>\n"
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{
"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Contact your county directly",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Contact your county directly\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Across the Bay Area, elections officials are encouraging voters to reach out — early — with any questions or concerns. Here’s the contact information for your county:\u003c/p>\n",
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"Alameda: For information about voting by mail, registration and polling place lookup, call 510-267-8683",
"Contra Costa: Call 925-335-7800 or email voter.services@vote.cccounty.us",
"Marin: Call 415-473-6456 or go to the Marin County elections webpage to send a form email",
"Napa: Call 707-253-4321 or email the elections office at elections@countyofnapa.org",
"San Francisco: Call 415-554-4375 or email sfvote@sfgov.org",
"San Mateo: Call 888- 762-8683 or email registrar@smcacre.org",
"Santa Clara: Call toll-free at 866-430-VOTE (8683) or email registrar@rov.sccgov.org",
"Solano: Call 707-784-6675 or (888) 933-VOTE (8683). You can also email elections@solanocounty.com",
"Sonoma: Call 707-565-6800 or toll-free at 800-750-8683"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://acvote.alamedacountyca.gov/index\">\u003cstrong>Alameda\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: For information about voting by mail, registration and polling place lookup, call 510-267-8683\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://acvote.alamedacountyca.gov/index\">\u003cstrong>Alameda\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: For information about voting by mail, registration and polling place lookup, call 510-267-8683\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.contracostavote.gov/elections/\">\u003cstrong>Contra Costa\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 925-335-7800 or email voter.services@vote.cccounty.us\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.contracostavote.gov/elections/\">\u003cstrong>Contra Costa\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 925-335-7800 or email voter.services@vote.cccounty.us\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.marincounty.org/depts/rv\">\u003cstrong>Marin\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 415-473-6456 or go to the Marin County elections webpage to \u003ca href=\"https://www.marincounty.org/depts/rv/contact-us\">send a form email\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.marincounty.org/depts/rv\">\u003cstrong>Marin\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 415-473-6456 or go to the Marin County elections webpage to \u003ca href=\"https://www.marincounty.org/depts/rv/contact-us\">send a form email\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.countyofnapa.org/396/Elections\">\u003cstrong>Napa\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 707-253-4321 or email the elections office at elections@countyofnapa.org\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.countyofnapa.org/396/Elections\">\u003cstrong>Napa\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 707-253-4321 or email the elections office at elections@countyofnapa.org\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://sfelections.sfgov.org\">\u003cstrong>San Francisco\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 415-554-4375 or email sfvote@sfgov.org\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://sfelections.sfgov.org\">\u003cstrong>San Francisco\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 415-554-4375 or email sfvote@sfgov.org\u003c/li>\n"
]
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.smcacre.org/elections\">\u003cstrong>San Mateo\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 888- 762-8683 or email registrar@smcacre.org\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.smcacre.org/elections\">\u003cstrong>San Mateo\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 888- 762-8683 or email registrar@smcacre.org\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sccgov.org/sites/rov/Pages/Registrar-of-Voters.aspx\">\u003cstrong>Santa Clara\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call toll-free at 866-430-VOTE (8683) or email registrar@rov.sccgov.org\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sccgov.org/sites/rov/Pages/Registrar-of-Voters.aspx\">\u003cstrong>Santa Clara\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call toll-free at 866-430-VOTE (8683) or email registrar@rov.sccgov.org\u003c/li>\n"
]
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.solanocounty.com/depts/rov/default.asp\">\u003cstrong>Solano\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003cstrong>: \u003c/strong>Call 707-784-6675 or (888) 933-VOTE (8683). You can also email elections@solanocounty.com\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.solanocounty.com/depts/rov/default.asp\">\u003cstrong>Solano\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003cstrong>: \u003c/strong>Call 707-784-6675 or (888) 933-VOTE (8683). You can also email elections@solanocounty.com\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/CRA/Registrar-of-Voters/\">\u003cstrong>Sonoma\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 707-565-6800 or toll-free at 800-750-8683\u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/CRA/Registrar-of-Voters/\">\u003cstrong>Sonoma\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 707-565-6800 or toll-free at 800-750-8683\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The state also has a full list of \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices/\">every county elections office in California\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The state also has a full list of \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices/\">every county elections office in California\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "From the signature on your envelope to what happens if you make a mistake on your ballot, here's how to correctly cast your vote in the 2026 California midterm elections.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>It’s time to vote in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> 2026 midterm election — which includes your chance to decide who’ll be the state’s next governor. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you’re a registered California voter, your ballot is on its way in the next few days, if it hasn’t already arrived. Your last day to vote will be Election Day itself, Nov. 3.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But what if you’re unsure of how to fill that ballot out according to how you want to vote? Or what to do if you’ve made a mistake on it?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Read on to learn how to fill out your ballot when it arrives, how important your signature is, and your options if you need to start again with a fresh ballot.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump to: \u003ca href=\"#mistake\">I messed up my ballot. What should I do? \u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">First of all: Am I registered to vote?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The official deadline to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/\">register online to vote \u003c/a>is Monday, Oct. 19.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So if you’re unsure whether you’re already registered to vote or can’t remember which party preference you already have, \u003ca href=\"https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/\">check your voter registration details\u003c/a> ASAP.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1275\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/YouthVoterGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102009\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/YouthVoterGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/YouthVoterGetty-160x102.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/YouthVoterGetty-1536x979.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Potential young voters get information at a voter registration desk at Voter Fest 2024, an event designed to engage young voters and historically underserved communities on Oct. 22, 2024, at Cal State Los Angeles. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Remember, if you’ve changed your name or want to change the political party choice you previously registered to vote with, or you’ve moved address, you’ll need to \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/\">re-register\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Making sure you’re registered — and to the right address — is crucial for getting your ballot on time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And if you miss the deadline to register, don’t panic: That’s the last day to do it \u003cem>online\u003c/em>. After Oct. 19, you can still complete the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/same-day-reg/\">same-day voter registration\u003c/a> process (also known as “conditional voting”) and receive your ballot in person at your county elections office or polling location, all the way up to 8 p.m. on Election Day itself.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What’s on my 2026 midterm elections ballot?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Depending on which county you live in, your California ballot will present you with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">a mix of races\u003c/a> to vote on.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The races for statewide offices include:\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california/governor\">Governor\u003c/a>: Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton face off in a race to succeed Governor Gavin Newsom.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california/insurance-commissioner\">Insurance commissioner\u003c/a>: Wildfires and inflation have thrown California into an insurance crisis. Two Democrats, Ben Allen and Jane Kim, are running to become the insurance industry’s chief regulator.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12078808\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/SteveHiltonAP.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12078808\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/SteveHiltonAP.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/SteveHiltonAP-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/SteveHiltonAP-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Steve Hilton speaks during the California gubernatorial candidate debate on Feb. 3, 2026, in San Francisco. (Laure Andrillon/AP Photo)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12086476\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Xavier-Becerra-Getty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12086476\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Xavier-Becerra-Getty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Xavier-Becerra-Getty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/Xavier-Becerra-Getty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Xavier Becerra, a candidate for governor, speaks to supporters on election night on June 2, 2026. (David Crane/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A number of statewide propositions, including:\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california/proposition-1\">Prop. 1\u003c/a>: Should California issue $11.25 billion in general obligation bonds for affordable housing, homebuying opportunities and veterans and homelessness programs?\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california/proposition-39\">Prop 39\u003c/a>: Should Californians be required to show ID for in-person and mail-in voting? \u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california/proposition-40\">Prop 40: \u003c/a>Should California tax the wealth of billionaires to fund health care services?\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Local measures and races \u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>These will depend on your Bay Area county or district. See \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">the KQED Voter Guide for more information\u003c/a> on what’s on your ballot this election season.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How do I return my ballot when I’ve completed it?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Drop off your ballot in a secure ballot drop box\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>These drop boxes \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/general-election-november-3-2026\">open by Oct. 5\u003c/a>, and once submitted, your ballot will be taken straight to your local county elections office.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some elections officials strongly recommend using these drop boxes over using USPS. “We’re not really encouraging people to use the USPS to get their ballot here,” said Evelyn Mendez, Sonoma County’s registrar of voters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Instead, Mendez tells voters to use county collection boxes because they skip the Postal Service altogether.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Return your ballot through the Postal Service \u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The return postage is already paid for you. Keep in mind that the Postal Service must postmark your ballot envelope by the end of Election Day for your vote to count — and the last collection at many mailboxes is 5 p.m. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, in the last two statewide elections, Secretary of State Shirley Weber and Attorney General Rob Bonta urged any voters planning to use USPS to mail in their ballots \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-and-secretary-state-weber-sacramento-vote-early-june\">at \u003cem>least \u003c/em>a week before Election Day\u003c/a> — to account for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103028/should-you-use-usps-to-mail-your-midterm-ballot-heres-what-california-election-officials-say\">changes in the way USPS is collected\u003c/a> and postmarked in many areas. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And if you’re mailing your midterm ballot on Election Day itself, Weber’s office is recommending you \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/vote-mail\">“get a hand-stamped postmark\u003c/a> from a postal employee inside a United States Post Office” rather than simply dropping it in a USPS collection box.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Drop off your ballot in an open voting location\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/general-election-november-3-2026\">The first vote centers open \u003c/a>Oct. 24 in certain counties, with more early voting locations opening Oct. 31.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Submitting your ballot by hand this way is the top recommendation of Kim Alexander, president and founder of the non-partisan California Voter Foundation. You can fill your ballot out in-person at a voting location, and submit it directly there and then. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Or, if you live in \u003ca href=\"https://calvoter.org/content/sign-scan-and-go\">one of the California counties\u003c/a> which has adopted the “Sign & Go” system — in the Bay Area, that’s Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin and Napa — you can complete your ballot at your convenience at home, and then bring it to a participating vote center and sign the voter roster under penalty of perjury (just as you would for in-person voting) to submit it in person. And if you live in a county which has adopted “Sign, Scan & Go”, like San Mateo, you can do all of the above and then scan your ballot yourself to have your vote recorded immediately at the voting site. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Do I \u003cem>have\u003c/em> to vote by mail?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>No. \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/vote-mail\">If you’re registered to vote, you’ll be receiving a mail-in ballot by default\u003c/a> for the 2026 midterms, without requesting it. But voting by mail is still just one option that’s open to you.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You can still vote in person, either at an early voting location before Election Day or on Election Day, Nov. 3, itself. \u003ca href=\"https://caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov/\">Early voting locations will open starting Oct. 24.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/20241102_EARLYVOTINGMARIN_GC-5-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A person puts a yellow ballot envelope in a ballot drop box.\" class=\"wp-image-12012711\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/20241102_EARLYVOTINGMARIN_GC-5-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/20241102_EARLYVOTINGMARIN_GC-5-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/20241102_EARLYVOTINGMARIN_GC-5-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/20241102_EARLYVOTINGMARIN_GC-5-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/20241102_EARLYVOTINGMARIN_GC-5-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/20241102_EARLYVOTINGMARIN_GC-5-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A voter drops off their mail-in ballot at a drop box outside of Novato City Hall on Nov. 2, 2024. (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How do I fix a mistake on my ballot?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s important to note that each county is slightly different in how they’d prefer you to address a mistake on your ballot, and will often provide specific details about corrections \u003cem>on\u003c/em> the ballot itself. If you have a specific question about your ballot that isn’t answered here, you can always contact your local registrar of voters for advice and instructions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What if I have problems with my signature?\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When you’re done filling out your ballot, you must sign the envelope. But two big mistakes people make with their signatures are:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>Forgetting to sign their ballot entirely.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Making a signature that doesn’t match the signature they made when they registered to vote.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Why \u003cem>wouldn’t\u003c/em> your signature match the one on file? If you registered to vote at a young age, maybe your signature has changed over time. Or perhaps you registered to vote at the DMV and provided your signature on a screen with a stylus, which doesn’t quite replicate how you’d make your signature with a pen on paper.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251104-SCCVOTE-JG-05_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088632\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251104-SCCVOTE-JG-05_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251104-SCCVOTE-JG-05_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251104-SCCVOTE-JG-05_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Edgardo Domingo fills out a ballot at a voting booth at the Vietnamese American Cultural Center in San José on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>If you registered this way, one simple way to avoid any signature problems is to take a quick glance at the signature that’s on your driver’s license or state ID — because that’s the one you want your ballot signature to match.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even if you didn’t register at the DMV, that signature on your most recent license or state ID is still very likely the one to emulate. That’s because when you register to vote online, your county elections office electronically requests a copy of the signature the DMV \u003cem>currently\u003c/em> has for you, and this information is regularly updated.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To further set your mind at rest, know that California isn’t an “exact match” state, and doesn’t demand voters’ signatures 100% replicate the signature that’s on file.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What if I just don’t know my ‘correct’ signature I’m registered to vote with?\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you’re \u003cem>really\u003c/em> worried about the signature on your envelope not matching the signature you’re registered to vote with, there are two good solutions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One: If it’s on or before Oct. 19, you can \u003ca href=\"https://registertovote.ca.gov/\">reregister to vote with your current signature\u003c/a>, to be sure that the state now has your most recent one on file. If you are reregistering after Oct. 19, you’d need to complete the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/same-day-reg/\">same-day voter registration\u003c/a> process (also known as “conditional voting”) and request your ballot in person at your county elections office or polling location.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2021, the California Voter Foundation’s Alexander, told us there’s another solution if you’re worried about your signature: Go vote in person, if you’re able.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That’s because the signature goes only on your ballot’s \u003cem>envelope\u003c/em> — and if you’re voting in person, there’s no envelope, because that ballot then goes straight into the ballot box without needing that envelope at all.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“So if you want that satisfaction of seeing your ballot drop in the box and know that it’s not going to get held up because of some signature issue, you can go and vote in person,” said Alexander.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I already mailed my ballot, but now I’m paranoid about my signature. What if I messed it up?\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rest assured: There’s a whole system in place to help you correct your mistake.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If your county’s election office detects a signature mismatch on your ballot, they’ll reach out to you via mail to verify and work with you to correct it, so that your ballot can be counted after all. It’s called “curing” a ballot.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This system is also applied when it looks like a member of a voter’s family might have signed their ballot, instead of the voter. This happens a \u003cem>surprising\u003c/em> amount when one household has several voters who all receive a ballot in the mail.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One way to get peace of mind: \u003ca href=\"https://california.ballottrax.net/voter/\">Sign up to track your ballot\u003c/a>, and you’ll find out about any issues with your ballot or your signature quickly.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"mistake\">I made a mistake on my ballot. How do I fix it?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>First, don’t panic. People make mistakes on ballots and find good ways to correct them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Counties give different directions to voters about what to do if they make a mistake (remember: Read the instructions!), but you can usually simply X out the choice you didn’t intend.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-20-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12085889\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-20-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-20-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-20-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Voters cast their ballots at UC Davis in Davis on June 2, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>The job of county elections officials — once they’ve verified your signature — is to make sure your ballot can be read correctly. If that means that your corrections on your ballot have resulted in readability issues, officials working in teams of two will actually remake it for you according to the intent you’ve signaled with your corrections.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some counties, like Alameda, ask that you actually contact them first if you make a serious mistake — including voting for the wrong candidate — so they can send you a replacement ballot. So, wherever you live, it’s a good idea to check with your local elections office first to see what \u003cem>they\u003c/em> recommend if you made a mistake.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And remember, there’s always this option …\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What if I just want a new ballot?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you’ve made a big mistake on your ballot — too big to fix — your best plan of action may be to focus on getting a new one. And that’s totally OK. You can:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>Call your county elections office and ask them to cancel that ballot and issue a new one to you.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Go to your county elections office with your spoiled ballot during business hours and vote right there at the counter.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Take advantage of the early voting options available in many counties.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Go to a voting site on Election Day, Nov. 3, turn in your spoiled ballot there and get a new ballot.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You can also do this if you’ve accidentally damaged your ballot in some way (coffee spills happen).\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I think I put the wrong date on my envelope\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>First off, that date should be the date you signed your envelope — not your date of birth. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But if you’re worried you messed up the date, don’t worry. Elections officials say that the date they’re \u003cem>really\u003c/em> looking for is the date that the ballot is postmarked, to make sure it was submitted on time.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_Election2020_MailinBallot_10122020_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099795\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_Election2020_MailinBallot_10122020_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_Election2020_MailinBallot_10122020_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/002_KQED_SanFrancisco_Election2020_MailinBallot_10122020_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A San Francisco official mail-in ballot for the Nov. 3, 2020 election. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Election officials will only truly scrutinize the date you’ve written if they receive your ballot \u003cem>after\u003c/em> Election Day.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And if you haven’t mailed your envelope yet, it’s an easy fix: Just clearly cross out the incorrect date on the envelope and write in the correct one above it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What if I use assistive technology to complete forms?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Getting physical assistance with filling out your ballot from someone you trust is always fine, whether you’re voting at home or at a voting site. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You just need to make sure your signature is your own and matches the one you’re registered to vote with.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251030-BAYAREAVOTERS-32-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12062371\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251030-BAYAREAVOTERS-32-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251030-BAYAREAVOTERS-32-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251030-BAYAREAVOTERS-32-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tessa King drops off a ballot at the City Hall Voting Center in San Francisco on Oct. 30, 2025, ahead of the statewide special election. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Disabled voters can also choose to use the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/remote-accessible-vote-mail\">Remote Accessible Vote-by-Mail\u003c/a> system to vote privately and independently at home, using their usual assistive device on their home computer to fill out the ballot on their screen and then print and mail it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Every voting location in California is also equipped with an accessible voting unit. Here, voters with blindness or low vision or who have a disability that limits their dexterity, will be able to use the assistive device of their choice that allows them to vote privately and independently.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How can I make sure my mail-in ballot gets there on time? \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Remember, one big reason that ballots get disqualified in elections is that voters mail them too late: either too late on Election Day itself (after U.S. Postal Service mailboxes have already been collected), or after Election Day.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To be counted in this election, your ballot must be postmarked on Election Day, Nov. 3, at the latest. Your ballot has seven days to reach your county elections office.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So in this election, it’s as crucial as ever to make sure you have a plan for voting on time. And if you’re not voting in person, that means making sure you get your ballot into a USPS mailbox or into a secure voting drop box, at a polling location or your county elections office, by the time polls close on Nov. 3.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Read more about why \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103028/should-you-use-usps-to-mail-your-midterm-ballot-heres-what-california-election-officials-say\">California election officials are urging voters to make sure their ballot arrives on time\u003c/a> – and why they’re urging caution around using USPS too close to Election Day.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A few other common ballot mistakes to watch out for …\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Make sure you’re filling out and signing the ballot and envelope with \u003cem>your\u003c/em> name on it: \u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s common to see partners or roommates accidentally mix up their ballots. So make sure you’re signing the document that bears your name.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Make sure you use a black or blue pen: \u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It reads better, and it doesn’t slow workers down when they have to check to see what voter intent was. (Don’t use a felt-tip or a Sharpie that bleeds through the paper and marks other pages on your ballot.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/003_KQED_SanFrancisco_Election2020_TanyaYule_10092020_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12084638\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/003_KQED_SanFrancisco_Election2020_TanyaYule_10092020_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/003_KQED_SanFrancisco_Election2020_TanyaYule_10092020_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/003_KQED_SanFrancisco_Election2020_TanyaYule_10092020_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tanya Yule looks over a voting guide at her home in San Francisco on Oct. 9, 2020. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Don’t mail an empty envelope: \u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It does happen. Keeping your envelope and your ballot together in your home might be a helpful way of avoiding this problem. And of course, when you’re ready to mail your ballot, make sure it’s actually inside the envelope before you seal it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Don’t bother with a stamp: \u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Your ballot envelope is postage-paid. You don’t need it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">My ballot is missing or hasn’t arrived. What should I do?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you’re reading this and you’re worried that your ballot hasn’t arrived yet, make sure you’re not worrying \u003cem>too \u003c/em>early, as the deadline for counties to \u003cem>start \u003c/em>sending out ballots is only Oct. 5.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But if it gets to late October and your ballot still hasn’t materialized, don’t panic: You have options. Here’s what to do:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Check that you’re actually registered to vote — and to the right address\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/\">Input your details on the secretary of state’s voter status page\u003c/a> to check your registration status. This will show whether you’re actually registered to vote, and to which address. It should also show whether your ballot was mailed out.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>You can also use \u003ca href=\"https://california.ballottrax.net/voter/\">the Where’s My Ballot? tool\u003c/a> to check whether your ballot has been sent.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095745\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A voter is given a sticker after dropping his ballot at City Hall in San Francisco on Oct. 30, 2025, ahead of the statewide special election. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If you’re registered to the wrong address, you can update it before Oct. 19 \u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If you update your voter registration and address using \u003ca href=\"https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/\">the secretary of state’s voter status page\u003c/a> before the Oct. 19 deadline to register online, your county will cancel the ballot that went to your old address and send you a new one.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And if it turns out your ballot \u003cem>was \u003c/em>missing because your voter registration wasn’t updated, don’t feel bad — people move all the time and forget to update their registrations accordingly.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The California Voter Foundation’s Alexander confirmed to KQED in 2021 that updating your address at the post office doesn’t, in fact, update your voter registration. The DMV, on the other hand, \u003cem>will\u003c/em> update your voter registration details if you update your address with them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If your voter registration address was correct but your ballot never showed up, you still have options\u003c/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If it’s more than six days before Election Day, you can call your county elections office and ask them to send a new ballot. Find your county elections office in our contact list (below). \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Your county elections office won’t mail you a ballot six days or less before Election Day, because it can’t be sure it’ll reach you in time. So if you’re trying to get a ballot in the immediate run-up to Election Day, go to your county elections office in person and request one at the counter.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1353\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/CaliforniaElection2026Getty-e1781204236548.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12087079\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An election worker processes mail-in ballots for the California state primary election at the Los Angeles County Ballot Processing Center on June 5, 2026, in City of Industry, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>From Oct. 5, your county elections office will be open for early voting through Nov. 3, so you could also go there in person during opening hours and vote right there at the counter. More early voting locations will be opening throughout October.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And remember, if you’re \u003cem>not\u003c/em> actually registered to vote, you always have the option of \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/same-day-reg\">same-day voter registration\u003c/a>, also known as conditional voter registration, at a voting location, where you can then fill out and submit your ballot, too.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Contact your county directly\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Across the Bay Area, elections officials are encouraging voters to reach out — early — with any questions or concerns. Here’s the contact information for your county:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://acvote.alamedacountyca.gov/index\">\u003cstrong>Alameda\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: For information about voting by mail, registration and polling place lookup, call 510-267-8683\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.contracostavote.gov/elections/\">\u003cstrong>Contra Costa\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 925-335-7800 or email voter.services@vote.cccounty.us\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.marincounty.org/depts/rv\">\u003cstrong>Marin\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 415-473-6456 or go to the Marin County elections webpage to \u003ca href=\"https://www.marincounty.org/depts/rv/contact-us\">send a form email\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.countyofnapa.org/396/Elections\">\u003cstrong>Napa\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 707-253-4321 or email the elections office at elections@countyofnapa.org\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://sfelections.sfgov.org\">\u003cstrong>San Francisco\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 415-554-4375 or email sfvote@sfgov.org\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.smcacre.org/elections\">\u003cstrong>San Mateo\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 888- 762-8683 or email registrar@smcacre.org\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sccgov.org/sites/rov/Pages/Registrar-of-Voters.aspx\">\u003cstrong>Santa Clara\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call toll-free at 866-430-VOTE (8683) or email registrar@rov.sccgov.org\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.solanocounty.com/depts/rov/default.asp\">\u003cstrong>Solano\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003cstrong>: \u003c/strong>Call 707-784-6675 or (888) 933-VOTE (8683). You can also email elections@solanocounty.com\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/CRA/Registrar-of-Voters/\">\u003cstrong>Sonoma\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>: Call 707-565-6800 or toll-free at 800-750-8683\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state also has a full list of \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/county-elections-offices/\">every county elections office in California\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "ex-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-is-going-on-trial-for-bribery-heres-what-you-need-to-know",
"title": "Ex-Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao Is Going on Trial for Bribery: Here’s What You Need to Know",
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"headTitle": "Ex-Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao Is Going on Trial for Bribery: Here’s What You Need to Know | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>As former Oakland Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a> prepares to go to trial next week — accused of participating in an alleged bribery scheme with the owners of Oakland’s recycling contractor — a key debate is expected to loom over the proceedings: whether the prosecution’s star witness is telling the truth or if the government built its case on the claims of an unreliable informant. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao, 41, her longtime partner, Andre Jones, 55, California Waste Solutions CEO David Duong, 68, and his son, Andy Duong, 37, face charges of bribery, conspiracy, and fraud. Andy Duong has also been charged with lying to the FBI. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege Thao pledged favorable treatment to the Duongs’ businesses in exchange for a promise of $300,000 paid to Jones and negative political mailers in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Each defendant has pleaded \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12022612/ex-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-3-others-charged-with-bribery-sprawling-corruption-probe\">not guilty\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say they have copious evidence to prove the alleged scheme, including text messages, emails, Apple notes, taped phone calls and video recordings. But they’ll also be relying on the testimony of a key cooperating witness whose checkered past has become a primary focus of the defense. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-11.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098349\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-11.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-11-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-11-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sheng Thao stands next to her attorney, Jeff Tsai, as he makes a statement outside the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>The witness, Oakland businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, co-founded a housing company with the Duongs that’s at the center of the alleged conspiracy. He became an informant in the FBI’s investigation after a falling out with the family and has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged scheme. He’s expected to testify about his relationships with the defendants, as well as his role in the housing company. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys have raised questions about Juarez’s credibility and what they’ve described as his “decadeslong history of fraud” — including instances where they say he falsely accused business partners of illegal activity in an effort to escape liability for his own actions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While primarily focused on the Duongs and their relationship with Thao, the prosecution has also exposed behind-the-scenes interactions between the family and other elected officials. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A list of high-profile politicians has been named as potential witnesses who could testify in the trial — including Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, Oakland City Councilmember Kevin Jenkins and former Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Another elected official, former San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo, has pleaded guilty to accepting bribes in a related case and is expected to take the stand as a government witness.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jury selection begins Oct. 13 with opening statements planned immediately after. The trial is estimated to last around six weeks, wrapping up around Thanksgiving. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The alleged quid pro quo\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege that in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election, Thao, Jones and the Duongs began discussing a deal that would help get Thao elected and benefit the Duongs’ companies. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the fall of 2022, the Duongs had recently gone into business with Juarez on Evolutionary Homes, a company that aimed to convert shipping containers into housing for people experiencing homelessness. The plan was to market the container units to local Bay Area governments. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao at the time was an Oakland City Council member running for mayor. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-5 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" data-id=\"12103337\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103337\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Evolutionary Homes’ rendering of a proposed container home unit for people who are exiting homelessness. (Courtesy of Evolutionary Homes)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1805\" height=\"889\" data-id=\"12103161\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103161\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022.jpg 1805w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022-160x79.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022-1536x757.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1805px) 100vw, 1805px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A screenshot from the website Mario Juarez allegedly created to attack Oakland mayoral candidate Loren Taylor, accessed by the Wayback Machine on Nov. 7, 2022. (Courtesy of Wayback Machine)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege the Duongs agreed to finance campaign mailers that negatively portrayed Thao’s opponents in the race, Loren Taylor and Ignacio de la Fuente, and pay her longtime partner Jones $300,000 through a no-show job at Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In exchange, they say, Thao committed the city of Oakland to purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes and agreed to help appoint people hand-picked by the Duongs and Juarez to director-level city positions if she won the election. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Duongs’ recycling company, California Waste Solutions, already had a contract with Oakland to provide curbside recycling services, and Thao allegedly agreed that as mayor, she would also extend it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When it became evident that Thao was going to win, prosecutors say Juarez texted Andy Duong, “So we may go to jail … But we are $100 million richer.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Andy Duong allegedly replied, “Money buys everything.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"alignleft size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"758\" height=\"577\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/indictment-texts-6651ab1e.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103464\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/indictment-texts-6651ab1e.png 758w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/indictment-texts-6651ab1e-160x122.png 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 758px) 100vw, 758px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A text message exchange between Andy Duong and Mario Juarez, identified as Co-Conspirator 1, according to the federal indictment against former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao. (Courtesy of U.S. District Court)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>In the months that followed, prosecutors say Juarez began paying Jones, together with money from David and Andy Duong. And they say the defendants began discussing how to expand their deal, with Jones being paid as much as $3 million if the city purchased 300 housing units from Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At one meeting, Thao allegedly proposed using Oakland’s emergency powers to make it easier for the city to buy the container houses outside of a typical competitive bidding process. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In March 2023, Juarez and Andy Duong began discussing Larry Gallegos as a potential candidate to serve in the city’s Department of Housing and Community Development — a position prosecutors say they believed would help further the Duongs’ businesses. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At their behest, prosecutors say Thao pressured the interim city administrator to appoint Gallegos. Despite the city administrator believing Gallegos didn’t have enough experience for the job, prosecutors say he appointed him interim deputy director of the department the following day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr />\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/timeline3/latest/embed/index.html?source=v2%3A2PACX-1vTRnkCBK8-xyeC_U6_qwyM9Es3WzLEpRhXB-1oELWuROivaP70Gkh-ll0Dw4g8nEJIEUkVN774ITfpE&font=Default&lang=en&initial_zoom=2&width=100%25&height=650\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But prosecutors say Thao’s relationship with the Duongs began taking a turn after she went on a trade delegation to Vietnam in late July and early August 2023 that was sponsored by a business association chaired by David Duong, and a reporter began asking questions about Azevedo’s suspected drug use and activity involving prostitutes on the trip. Thao’s staffers are expected to testify they heard her telling David Duong that if a story came out about inappropriate conduct on the trip, she could no longer work with him. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Several weeks later, prosecutors allege, David Duong, Andy Duong and Juarez met with an associate of the reporter at a restaurant in Livermore and gave the associate a check for $10,000, drawn from California Waste Solutions’ bank account, to kill the story. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>By late November 2023, David Duong told his son and Juarez that Thao wasn’t ready to purchase the container homes and was waiting for another city or county government to order them first, prosecutors say. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-6 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12103404\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_004_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103404\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_004_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_004_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_004_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong attends a private screening of The King of Trash on Jan. 10, 2026, at Regal Jack London in Oakland. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12103403\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_003_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103403\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_003_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_003_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_003_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Duong talks with attendees after a private screening of The King of Trash on Jan. 10, 2026, at Regal Jack London in Oakland. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Then, in May 2024, the relationship between Juarez and the Duongs imploded. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Juarez’s version of events, he told police that a group of ten men at California Waste Solutions’ offices beat him up in an attack ordered by the Duongs. In the Duongs’ version, Juarez had failed to deliver on his end of the deal and had shown up at the office, demanding more money and “holding them for hours.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A little more than a month later, Juarez sat down for an interview with the FBI. Agents executed search warrants at Thao’s, David Duong’s and Andy Duong’s homes two weeks later. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The defense’s case\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys are expected to work to undermine Juarez’s credibility as a witness by pointing to what they have described as “a steady pattern of dishonesty and fraud.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In motions filed last year, defense attorneys argued that the FBI had relied heavily on Juarez’s claims to secure search warrants of their client’s property, without providing the full details of Juarez’s background to the judges who signed off on them. Evidence seized should be suppressed, they argued. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The attorneys wrote that Juarez had been sued approximately 33 times between 1992 and 2022, including numerous fraud cases involving former business partners.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103158\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">FBI agents raid a home on Maiden Lane where Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao allegedly lives in Oakland on Thursday, June 20, 2024.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>They also described a documented “counter-attack history” — instances where Juarez alleged misconduct by others in response to accusations or lawsuits lodged against him. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Juarez, they said, “has repeatedly falsely accused business partners of crimes and other wrongdoing in efforts to escape liability for his own actions — just as he did here.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In one example cited by attorneys, Juarez filed a restraining order against a man who sued him in August 2011, claiming Juarez shorted him and his wife out of $220,000 they loaned him. A year earlier, Juarez filed a different restraining order against an attorney following an altercation inside a property in Oakland’s Fruitvale district. The attorney was representing Juarez’s landlord, who was trying to evict him and others from the property.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chief District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers denied the motions. But in a hearing several months later, she cautioned prosecutors that questions about Juarez’s credibility could pose a major issue for their case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You could have as your main witness someone who himself is a liar. That is the problem,” she said at the hearing in September. “What I can tell you is it is a huge mess, and if in fact there is fire where there’s so much smoke, then the jury gets to hear about the credibility of this individual.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">High-profile officials caught in defendants’ orbit\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While only one other elected official has been charged with participating in a related Evolutionary Homes bribery scheme to date, prosecutors have listed several high-profile East Bay politicians as potential witnesses in Thao’s case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say they plan to introduce evidence at trial showing that Juarez and Andy Duong also bribed former San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo. In February, Azevedo \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073176/former-san-leandro-city-councilmember-pleads-guilty-in-federal-bribery-case\">pleaded guilty\u003c/a> in a related case that involved promises of kickback payments in exchange for ensuring the city of San Leandro purchased container home units from Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/250902_SanLeandroCityHall_GH-2_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103155\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/250902_SanLeandroCityHall_GH-2_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/250902_SanLeandroCityHall_GH-2_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/250902_SanLeandroCityHall_GH-2_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bryan Azevedo, San Leandro City Council member for District 2, during a council meeting on Aug. 2, 2025. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Government attorneys say they intend to show documents, recordings and witness testimony demonstrating that Andy Duong and Juarez had discussions with Oakland City Councilmembers Kevin Jenkins, Rebecca Kaplan, and Nikki Fortunato Bas — now an Alameda County supervisor — as well as Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley, in furtherance of the charged conspiracy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Juarez, prosecutors say, will testify that he and Andy Duong discussed potential bribery deals with other city council members in San Leandro, Berkeley and Alameda. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Juarez is also expected to testify that Andy Duong told him he took photos and recorded videos of politicians so he could later use them as leverage or blackmail. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241107-AttorneyGeneralBonta-09-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103409\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241107-AttorneyGeneralBonta-09-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241107-AttorneyGeneralBonta-09-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241107-AttorneyGeneralBonta-09-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Attorney General Rob Bonta speaks with KQED politics reporters Marisa Lagos and Scott Shafer for Political Breakdown at the KQED offices in San Francisco on Nov. 7, 2024. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/11/20/ag-rob-bonta-told-he-was-in-compromising-video-amid-east-bay-corruption-probe/\">May 2024 letter\u003c/a> to California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Juarez claimed Andy Duong had a recording of Bonta in “a compromising situation.” Court records show the FBI interviewed Bonta in September 2024 as part of the investigation into Thao and the Duongs. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065004/california-ag-rob-bonta-wont-rule-out-a-run-for-governor-amid-campaign-fund-questions\">Bonta told KQED\u003c/a> he spent $468,000 in legal fees so an attorney could guide him through that process.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Over a year ago, maybe 14 months ago, the federal government reached out to me and said that they thought I may have information that would be relevant to the investigation,” Bonta said. “Having never done this before, I wanted to make sure I had an attorney who could guide me through the process and ensure that I provided everything that could be helpful.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When asked about the letter, Bonta told KQED he had received it, but said that “the reference to any video is absolutely not true. It’s false, and there is no video.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bonta has not been listed as a potential witness in the trial. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have filed transcripts, videos and audio recordings of phone calls with elected officials that FBI agents seized from Andy Duong’s phone, which appear to have been recorded \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101387/sheng-thao-case-recordings-reveal-taped-phone-calls-fbi-informant-appearing-to-describe-bribes\">without the politicians’ knowledge\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Two of them capture candid conversations in 2024 between Andy Duong and Jenkins, as well as with Bas, when she was president of the Oakland City Council. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Both politicians are included on the government’s list of potential witnesses. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Also on the witness list is former Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson, who Thao directed to tour Evolutionary Homes’ showroom in January 2024, according to the indictment. Johnson \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091317/oakland-councilmember-proposes-a-409000-severance-for-former-city-administrator\">resigned from his position with the city in May \u003c/a>amid a text messaging scandal that prosecutors attempted, unsuccessfully, to bar defense attorneys from asking about during the trial. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other high-profile staffers who could be called to testify are Oakland’s current interim city administrator, Betsy Lake; former interim city administrators Harold Duffey and Steven Falk; Thao’s former chiefs of staff, Renia Webb and Leigh Hanson, as well as Brandon Harami, a former mayoral staffer who also worked on Thao’s 2022 campaign for mayor. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Other allegations \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Court filings in the case have described other alleged bribery beyond the specific scheme that prosecutors hope to prove at trial. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The jury will be permitted to view two October 2022 cell phone videos of what appears to be Juarez toasting the formation of Evolutionary Homes. Sitting in the California Waste Solutions conference room are members of the Duong family. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In one of the videos, Juarez appears to describe payments the Duongs made in 2014 after winning the company’s recycling contract with the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQfb9Mw6Qsc\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The day after you won the city of Oakland contract, you were there, paying everybody,” Juarez can be heard saying in the video. “I was in your office. And — $50,000, $100,000 — whatever it was. And you said, ‘What do you want?’ I said, ‘I just want to do business with you.’” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the video, members of the Duong family do not correct Juarez when he mentions payments. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a July court filing, prosecutors described the video, saying that Juarez is expected to testify that his comments were in reference to bribes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The government expects Juarez to testify that this statement refers to the Duongs giving cash to multiple public officials in exchange for their assistance in helping CWS [California Waste Solutions] secure the Oakland recycling contract in 2014,” the filing reads. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys either declined or did not respond to KQED’s requests for comment on the video. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Further allegations Juarez has made to the FBI about the Duongs paying elected officials are summarized in an August motion filed by attorneys representing David Duong. According to the filing, Juarez also told FBI investigators he had seen the Duongs delete evidence from a security system and that the family used vague consultant contracts to launder money to various individuals.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys attempted to have those allegations excluded from the trial. That motion was denied.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to the filing, Juarez said he saw a “line of people” at California Waste Solutions’ office “waiting to be paid cash” by David Duong.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[Individual 1] was paid $300,000 in cash in a black gym bag. Juarez knew the amount of cash because Juarez helped count the money,” the filing reads. “The cash to [Individual 1] was definitely for his help in obtaining the CWS contract; D. Duong told [Individual 1] something to the effect of ‘Congratulations, we got the contract, here is your money.’”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As former Oakland Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a> prepares to go to trial next week — accused of participating in an alleged bribery scheme with the owners of Oakland’s recycling contractor — a key debate is expected to loom over the proceedings: whether the prosecution’s star witness is telling the truth or if the government built its case on the claims of an unreliable informant. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As former Oakland Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a> prepares to go to trial next week — accused of participating in an alleged bribery scheme with the owners of Oakland’s recycling contractor — a key debate is expected to loom over the proceedings: whether the prosecution’s star witness is telling the truth or if the government built its case on the claims of an unreliable informant. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao, 41, her longtime partner, Andre Jones, 55, California Waste Solutions CEO David Duong, 68, and his son, Andy Duong, 37, face charges of bribery, conspiracy, and fraud. Andy Duong has also been charged with lying to the FBI. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Thao, 41, her longtime partner, Andre Jones, 55, California Waste Solutions CEO David Duong, 68, and his son, Andy Duong, 37, face charges of bribery, conspiracy, and fraud. Andy Duong has also been charged with lying to the FBI. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege Thao pledged favorable treatment to the Duongs’ businesses in exchange for a promise of $300,000 paid to Jones and negative political mailers in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege Thao pledged favorable treatment to the Duongs’ businesses in exchange for a promise of $300,000 paid to Jones and negative political mailers in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Each defendant has pleaded \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12022612/ex-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-3-others-charged-with-bribery-sprawling-corruption-probe\">not guilty\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Each defendant has pleaded \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12022612/ex-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-3-others-charged-with-bribery-sprawling-corruption-probe\">not guilty\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say they have copious evidence to prove the alleged scheme, including text messages, emails, Apple notes, taped phone calls and video recordings. But they’ll also be relying on the testimony of a key cooperating witness whose checkered past has become a primary focus of the defense. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say they have copious evidence to prove the alleged scheme, including text messages, emails, Apple notes, taped phone calls and video recordings. But they’ll also be relying on the testimony of a key cooperating witness whose checkered past has become a primary focus of the defense. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-11.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098349\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-11.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-11-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-11-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sheng Thao stands next to her attorney, Jeff Tsai, as he makes a statement outside the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-11.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098349\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sheng Thao stands next to her attorney, Jeff Tsai, as he makes a statement outside the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The witness, Oakland businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, co-founded a housing company with the Duongs that’s at the center of the alleged conspiracy. He became an informant in the FBI’s investigation after a falling out with the family and has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged scheme. He’s expected to testify about his relationships with the defendants, as well as his role in the housing company. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The witness, Oakland businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, co-founded a housing company with the Duongs that’s at the center of the alleged conspiracy. He became an informant in the FBI’s investigation after a falling out with the family and has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged scheme. He’s expected to testify about his relationships with the defendants, as well as his role in the housing company. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys have raised questions about Juarez’s credibility and what they’ve described as his “decadeslong history of fraud” — including instances where they say he falsely accused business partners of illegal activity in an effort to escape liability for his own actions.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys have raised questions about Juarez’s credibility and what they’ve described as his “decadeslong history of fraud” — including instances where they say he falsely accused business partners of illegal activity in an effort to escape liability for his own actions.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While primarily focused on the Duongs and their relationship with Thao, the prosecution has also exposed behind-the-scenes interactions between the family and other elected officials. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A list of high-profile politicians has been named as potential witnesses who could testify in the trial — including Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, Oakland City Councilmember Kevin Jenkins and former Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A list of high-profile politicians has been named as potential witnesses who could testify in the trial — including Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, Oakland City Councilmember Kevin Jenkins and former Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Another elected official, former San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo, has pleaded guilty to accepting bribes in a related case and is expected to take the stand as a government witness.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Another elected official, former San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo, has pleaded guilty to accepting bribes in a related case and is expected to take the stand as a government witness.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jury selection begins Oct. 13 with opening statements planned immediately after. The trial is estimated to last around six weeks, wrapping up around Thanksgiving. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Jury selection begins Oct. 13 with opening statements planned immediately after. The trial is estimated to last around six weeks, wrapping up around Thanksgiving. \u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "The alleged quid pro quo",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The alleged quid pro quo\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The alleged quid pro quo\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege that in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election, Thao, Jones and the Duongs began discussing a deal that would help get Thao elected and benefit the Duongs’ companies. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege that in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election, Thao, Jones and the Duongs began discussing a deal that would help get Thao elected and benefit the Duongs’ companies. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the fall of 2022, the Duongs had recently gone into business with Juarez on Evolutionary Homes, a company that aimed to convert shipping containers into housing for people experiencing homelessness. The plan was to market the container units to local Bay Area governments. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the fall of 2022, the Duongs had recently gone into business with Juarez on Evolutionary Homes, a company that aimed to convert shipping containers into housing for people experiencing homelessness. The plan was to market the container units to local Bay Area governments. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao at the time was an Oakland City Council member running for mayor. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Thao at the time was an Oakland City Council member running for mayor. \u003c/p>\n"
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null,
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103337\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Evolutionary Homes’ rendering of a proposed container home unit for people who are exiting homelessness. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103337\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Evolutionary Homes’ rendering of a proposed container home unit for people who are exiting homelessness. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103161\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A screenshot from the website Mario Juarez allegedly created to attack Oakland mayoral candidate Loren Taylor, accessed by the Wayback Machine on Nov. 7, 2022. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103161\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A screenshot from the website Mario Juarez allegedly created to attack Oakland mayoral candidate Loren Taylor, accessed by the Wayback Machine on Nov. 7, 2022. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege the Duongs agreed to finance campaign mailers that negatively portrayed Thao’s opponents in the race, Loren Taylor and Ignacio de la Fuente, and pay her longtime partner Jones $300,000 through a no-show job at Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege the Duongs agreed to finance campaign mailers that negatively portrayed Thao’s opponents in the race, Loren Taylor and Ignacio de la Fuente, and pay her longtime partner Jones $300,000 through a no-show job at Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In exchange, they say, Thao committed the city of Oakland to purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes and agreed to help appoint people hand-picked by the Duongs and Juarez to director-level city positions if she won the election. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In exchange, they say, Thao committed the city of Oakland to purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes and agreed to help appoint people hand-picked by the Duongs and Juarez to director-level city positions if she won the election. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Duongs’ recycling company, California Waste Solutions, already had a contract with Oakland to provide curbside recycling services, and Thao allegedly agreed that as mayor, she would also extend it. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When it became evident that Thao was going to win, prosecutors say Juarez texted Andy Duong, “So we may go to jail … But we are $100 million richer.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the months that followed, prosecutors say Juarez began paying Jones, together with money from David and Andy Duong. And they say the defendants began discussing how to expand their deal, with Jones being paid as much as $3 million if the city purchased 300 housing units from Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At one meeting, Thao allegedly proposed using Oakland’s emergency powers to make it easier for the city to buy the container houses outside of a typical competitive bidding process. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In March 2023, Juarez and Andy Duong began discussing Larry Gallegos as a potential candidate to serve in the city’s Department of Housing and Community Development — a position prosecutors say they believed would help further the Duongs’ businesses. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But prosecutors say Thao’s relationship with the Duongs began taking a turn after she went on a trade delegation to Vietnam in late July and early August 2023 that was sponsored by a business association chaired by David Duong, and a reporter began asking questions about Azevedo’s suspected drug use and activity involving prostitutes on the trip. Thao’s staffers are expected to testify they heard her telling David Duong that if a story came out about inappropriate conduct on the trip, she could no longer work with him. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>By late November 2023, David Duong told his son and Juarez that Thao wasn’t ready to purchase the container homes and was waiting for another city or county government to order them first, prosecutors say. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_004_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103404\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong attends a private screening of The King of Trash on Jan. 10, 2026, at Regal Jack London in Oakland.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Then, in May 2024, the relationship between Juarez and the Duongs imploded. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In Juarez’s version of events, he told police that a group of ten men at California Waste Solutions’ offices beat him up in an attack ordered by the Duongs. In the Duongs’ version, Juarez had failed to deliver on his end of the deal and had shown up at the office, demanding more money and “holding them for hours.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A little more than a month later, Juarez sat down for an interview with the FBI. Agents executed search warrants at Thao’s, David Duong’s and Andy Duong’s homes two weeks later. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys are expected to work to undermine Juarez’s credibility as a witness by pointing to what they have described as “a steady pattern of dishonesty and fraud.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In motions filed last year, defense attorneys argued that the FBI had relied heavily on Juarez’s claims to secure search warrants of their client’s property, without providing the full details of Juarez’s background to the judges who signed off on them. Evidence seized should be suppressed, they argued. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In motions filed last year, defense attorneys argued that the FBI had relied heavily on Juarez’s claims to secure search warrants of their client’s property, without providing the full details of Juarez’s background to the judges who signed off on them. Evidence seized should be suppressed, they argued. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The attorneys wrote that Juarez had been sued approximately 33 times between 1992 and 2022, including numerous fraud cases involving former business partners.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103158\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">FBI agents raid a home on Maiden Lane where Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao allegedly lives in Oakland on Thursday, June 20, 2024.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>They also described a documented “counter-attack history” — instances where Juarez alleged misconduct by others in response to accusations or lawsuits lodged against him. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez, they said, “has repeatedly falsely accused business partners of crimes and other wrongdoing in efforts to escape liability for his own actions — just as he did here.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In one example cited by attorneys, Juarez filed a restraining order against a man who sued him in August 2011, claiming Juarez shorted him and his wife out of $220,000 they loaned him. A year earlier, Juarez filed a different restraining order against an attorney following an altercation inside a property in Oakland’s Fruitvale district. The attorney was representing Juarez’s landlord, who was trying to evict him and others from the property.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Chief District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers denied the motions. But in a hearing several months later, she cautioned prosecutors that questions about Juarez’s credibility could pose a major issue for their case. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You could have as your main witness someone who himself is a liar. That is the problem,” she said at the hearing in September. “What I can tell you is it is a huge mess, and if in fact there is fire where there’s so much smoke, then the jury gets to hear about the credibility of this individual.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While only one other elected official has been charged with participating in a related Evolutionary Homes bribery scheme to date, prosecutors have listed several high-profile East Bay politicians as potential witnesses in Thao’s case. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say they plan to introduce evidence at trial showing that Juarez and Andy Duong also bribed former San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo. In February, Azevedo \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073176/former-san-leandro-city-councilmember-pleads-guilty-in-federal-bribery-case\">pleaded guilty\u003c/a> in a related case that involved promises of kickback payments in exchange for ensuring the city of San Leandro purchased container home units from Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Government attorneys say they intend to show documents, recordings and witness testimony demonstrating that Andy Duong and Juarez had discussions with Oakland City Councilmembers Kevin Jenkins, Rebecca Kaplan, and Nikki Fortunato Bas — now an Alameda County supervisor — as well as Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley, in furtherance of the charged conspiracy. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Government attorneys say they intend to show documents, recordings and witness testimony demonstrating that Andy Duong and Juarez had discussions with Oakland City Councilmembers Kevin Jenkins, Rebecca Kaplan, and Nikki Fortunato Bas — now an Alameda County supervisor — as well as Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley, in furtherance of the charged conspiracy. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez, prosecutors say, will testify that he and Andy Duong discussed potential bribery deals with other city council members in San Leandro, Berkeley and Alameda. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez is also expected to testify that Andy Duong told him he took photos and recorded videos of politicians so he could later use them as leverage or blackmail. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/11/20/ag-rob-bonta-told-he-was-in-compromising-video-amid-east-bay-corruption-probe/\">May 2024 letter\u003c/a> to California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Juarez claimed Andy Duong had a recording of Bonta in “a compromising situation.” Court records show the FBI interviewed Bonta in September 2024 as part of the investigation into Thao and the Duongs. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065004/california-ag-rob-bonta-wont-rule-out-a-run-for-governor-amid-campaign-fund-questions\">Bonta told KQED\u003c/a> he spent $468,000 in legal fees so an attorney could guide him through that process.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Over a year ago, maybe 14 months ago, the federal government reached out to me and said that they thought I may have information that would be relevant to the investigation,” Bonta said. “Having never done this before, I wanted to make sure I had an attorney who could guide me through the process and ensure that I provided everything that could be helpful.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When asked about the letter, Bonta told KQED he had received it, but said that “the reference to any video is absolutely not true. It’s false, and there is no video.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have filed transcripts, videos and audio recordings of phone calls with elected officials that FBI agents seized from Andy Duong’s phone, which appear to have been recorded \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101387/sheng-thao-case-recordings-reveal-taped-phone-calls-fbi-informant-appearing-to-describe-bribes\">without the politicians’ knowledge\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Two of them capture candid conversations in 2024 between Andy Duong and Jenkins, as well as with Bas, when she was president of the Oakland City Council. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Also on the witness list is former Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson, who Thao directed to tour Evolutionary Homes’ showroom in January 2024, according to the indictment. Johnson \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091317/oakland-councilmember-proposes-a-409000-severance-for-former-city-administrator\">resigned from his position with the city in May \u003c/a>amid a text messaging scandal that prosecutors attempted, unsuccessfully, to bar defense attorneys from asking about during the trial. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Also on the witness list is former Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson, who Thao directed to tour Evolutionary Homes’ showroom in January 2024, according to the indictment. Johnson \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091317/oakland-councilmember-proposes-a-409000-severance-for-former-city-administrator\">resigned from his position with the city in May \u003c/a>amid a text messaging scandal that prosecutors attempted, unsuccessfully, to bar defense attorneys from asking about during the trial. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Other high-profile staffers who could be called to testify are Oakland’s current interim city administrator, Betsy Lake; former interim city administrators Harold Duffey and Steven Falk; Thao’s former chiefs of staff, Renia Webb and Leigh Hanson, as well as Brandon Harami, a former mayoral staffer who also worked on Thao’s 2022 campaign for mayor. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Court filings in the case have described other alleged bribery beyond the specific scheme that prosecutors hope to prove at trial. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The jury will be permitted to view two October 2022 cell phone videos of what appears to be Juarez toasting the formation of Evolutionary Homes. Sitting in the California Waste Solutions conference room are members of the Duong family. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In one of the videos, Juarez appears to describe payments the Duongs made in 2014 after winning the company’s recycling contract with the city. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The day after you won the city of Oakland contract, you were there, paying everybody,” Juarez can be heard saying in the video. “I was in your office. And — $50,000, $100,000 — whatever it was. And you said, ‘What do you want?’ I said, ‘I just want to do business with you.’” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a July court filing, prosecutors described the video, saying that Juarez is expected to testify that his comments were in reference to bribes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The government expects Juarez to testify that this statement refers to the Duongs giving cash to multiple public officials in exchange for their assistance in helping CWS [California Waste Solutions] secure the Oakland recycling contract in 2014,” the filing reads. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Further allegations Juarez has made to the FBI about the Duongs paying elected officials are summarized in an August motion filed by attorneys representing David Duong. According to the filing, Juarez also told FBI investigators he had seen the Duongs delete evidence from a security system and that the family used vague consultant contracts to launder money to various individuals.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“[Individual 1] was paid $300,000 in cash in a black gym bag. Juarez knew the amount of cash because Juarez helped count the money,” the filing reads. “The cash to [Individual 1] was definitely for his help in obtaining the CWS contract; D. Duong told [Individual 1] something to the effect of ‘Congratulations, we got the contract, here is your money.’”\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Prosecutors say Thao used her position to benefit the city’s recycling contractor in exchange for money and negative political mailers.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>As former Oakland Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a> prepares to go to trial next week — accused of participating in an alleged bribery scheme with the owners of Oakland’s recycling contractor — a key debate is expected to loom over the proceedings: whether the prosecution’s star witness is telling the truth or if the government built its case on the claims of an unreliable informant. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao, 41, her longtime partner, Andre Jones, 55, California Waste Solutions CEO David Duong, 68, and his son, Andy Duong, 37, face charges of bribery, conspiracy, and fraud. Andy Duong has also been charged with lying to the FBI. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege Thao pledged favorable treatment to the Duongs’ businesses in exchange for a promise of $300,000 paid to Jones and negative political mailers in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Each defendant has pleaded \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12022612/ex-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-3-others-charged-with-bribery-sprawling-corruption-probe\">not guilty\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say they have copious evidence to prove the alleged scheme, including text messages, emails, Apple notes, taped phone calls and video recordings. But they’ll also be relying on the testimony of a key cooperating witness whose checkered past has become a primary focus of the defense. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-11.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098349\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-11.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-11-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-11-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sheng Thao stands next to her attorney, Jeff Tsai, as he makes a statement outside the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>The witness, Oakland businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, co-founded a housing company with the Duongs that’s at the center of the alleged conspiracy. He became an informant in the FBI’s investigation after a falling out with the family and has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged scheme. He’s expected to testify about his relationships with the defendants, as well as his role in the housing company. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys have raised questions about Juarez’s credibility and what they’ve described as his “decadeslong history of fraud” — including instances where they say he falsely accused business partners of illegal activity in an effort to escape liability for his own actions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While primarily focused on the Duongs and their relationship with Thao, the prosecution has also exposed behind-the-scenes interactions between the family and other elected officials. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A list of high-profile politicians has been named as potential witnesses who could testify in the trial — including Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, Oakland City Councilmember Kevin Jenkins and former Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Another elected official, former San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo, has pleaded guilty to accepting bribes in a related case and is expected to take the stand as a government witness.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jury selection begins Oct. 13 with opening statements planned immediately after. The trial is estimated to last around six weeks, wrapping up around Thanksgiving. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The alleged quid pro quo\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege that in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election, Thao, Jones and the Duongs began discussing a deal that would help get Thao elected and benefit the Duongs’ companies. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the fall of 2022, the Duongs had recently gone into business with Juarez on Evolutionary Homes, a company that aimed to convert shipping containers into housing for people experiencing homelessness. The plan was to market the container units to local Bay Area governments. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao at the time was an Oakland City Council member running for mayor. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-5 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" data-id=\"12103337\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103337\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Evolutionary Homes’ rendering of a proposed container home unit for people who are exiting homelessness. (Courtesy of Evolutionary Homes)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1805\" height=\"889\" data-id=\"12103161\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103161\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022.jpg 1805w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022-160x79.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022-1536x757.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1805px) 100vw, 1805px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A screenshot from the website Mario Juarez allegedly created to attack Oakland mayoral candidate Loren Taylor, accessed by the Wayback Machine on Nov. 7, 2022. (Courtesy of Wayback Machine)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege the Duongs agreed to finance campaign mailers that negatively portrayed Thao’s opponents in the race, Loren Taylor and Ignacio de la Fuente, and pay her longtime partner Jones $300,000 through a no-show job at Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In exchange, they say, Thao committed the city of Oakland to purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes and agreed to help appoint people hand-picked by the Duongs and Juarez to director-level city positions if she won the election. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Duongs’ recycling company, California Waste Solutions, already had a contract with Oakland to provide curbside recycling services, and Thao allegedly agreed that as mayor, she would also extend it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When it became evident that Thao was going to win, prosecutors say Juarez texted Andy Duong, “So we may go to jail … But we are $100 million richer.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Andy Duong allegedly replied, “Money buys everything.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"alignleft size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"758\" height=\"577\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/indictment-texts-6651ab1e.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103464\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/indictment-texts-6651ab1e.png 758w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/indictment-texts-6651ab1e-160x122.png 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 758px) 100vw, 758px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A text message exchange between Andy Duong and Mario Juarez, identified as Co-Conspirator 1, according to the federal indictment against former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao. (Courtesy of U.S. District Court)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>In the months that followed, prosecutors say Juarez began paying Jones, together with money from David and Andy Duong. And they say the defendants began discussing how to expand their deal, with Jones being paid as much as $3 million if the city purchased 300 housing units from Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At one meeting, Thao allegedly proposed using Oakland’s emergency powers to make it easier for the city to buy the container houses outside of a typical competitive bidding process. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In March 2023, Juarez and Andy Duong began discussing Larry Gallegos as a potential candidate to serve in the city’s Department of Housing and Community Development — a position prosecutors say they believed would help further the Duongs’ businesses. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At their behest, prosecutors say Thao pressured the interim city administrator to appoint Gallegos. Despite the city administrator believing Gallegos didn’t have enough experience for the job, prosecutors say he appointed him interim deputy director of the department the following day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr />\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/timeline3/latest/embed/index.html?source=v2%3A2PACX-1vTRnkCBK8-xyeC_U6_qwyM9Es3WzLEpRhXB-1oELWuROivaP70Gkh-ll0Dw4g8nEJIEUkVN774ITfpE&font=Default&lang=en&initial_zoom=2&width=100%25&height=650\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But prosecutors say Thao’s relationship with the Duongs began taking a turn after she went on a trade delegation to Vietnam in late July and early August 2023 that was sponsored by a business association chaired by David Duong, and a reporter began asking questions about Azevedo’s suspected drug use and activity involving prostitutes on the trip. Thao’s staffers are expected to testify they heard her telling David Duong that if a story came out about inappropriate conduct on the trip, she could no longer work with him. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Several weeks later, prosecutors allege, David Duong, Andy Duong and Juarez met with an associate of the reporter at a restaurant in Livermore and gave the associate a check for $10,000, drawn from California Waste Solutions’ bank account, to kill the story. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>By late November 2023, David Duong told his son and Juarez that Thao wasn’t ready to purchase the container homes and was waiting for another city or county government to order them first, prosecutors say. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-6 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12103404\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_004_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103404\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_004_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_004_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_004_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong attends a private screening of The King of Trash on Jan. 10, 2026, at Regal Jack London in Oakland. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12103403\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_003_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103403\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_003_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_003_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_003_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Duong talks with attendees after a private screening of The King of Trash on Jan. 10, 2026, at Regal Jack London in Oakland. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Then, in May 2024, the relationship between Juarez and the Duongs imploded. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Juarez’s version of events, he told police that a group of ten men at California Waste Solutions’ offices beat him up in an attack ordered by the Duongs. In the Duongs’ version, Juarez had failed to deliver on his end of the deal and had shown up at the office, demanding more money and “holding them for hours.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A little more than a month later, Juarez sat down for an interview with the FBI. Agents executed search warrants at Thao’s, David Duong’s and Andy Duong’s homes two weeks later. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The defense’s case\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys are expected to work to undermine Juarez’s credibility as a witness by pointing to what they have described as “a steady pattern of dishonesty and fraud.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In motions filed last year, defense attorneys argued that the FBI had relied heavily on Juarez’s claims to secure search warrants of their client’s property, without providing the full details of Juarez’s background to the judges who signed off on them. Evidence seized should be suppressed, they argued. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The attorneys wrote that Juarez had been sued approximately 33 times between 1992 and 2022, including numerous fraud cases involving former business partners.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103158\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">FBI agents raid a home on Maiden Lane where Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao allegedly lives in Oakland on Thursday, June 20, 2024.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>They also described a documented “counter-attack history” — instances where Juarez alleged misconduct by others in response to accusations or lawsuits lodged against him. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Juarez, they said, “has repeatedly falsely accused business partners of crimes and other wrongdoing in efforts to escape liability for his own actions — just as he did here.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In one example cited by attorneys, Juarez filed a restraining order against a man who sued him in August 2011, claiming Juarez shorted him and his wife out of $220,000 they loaned him. A year earlier, Juarez filed a different restraining order against an attorney following an altercation inside a property in Oakland’s Fruitvale district. The attorney was representing Juarez’s landlord, who was trying to evict him and others from the property.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chief District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers denied the motions. But in a hearing several months later, she cautioned prosecutors that questions about Juarez’s credibility could pose a major issue for their case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You could have as your main witness someone who himself is a liar. That is the problem,” she said at the hearing in September. “What I can tell you is it is a huge mess, and if in fact there is fire where there’s so much smoke, then the jury gets to hear about the credibility of this individual.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">High-profile officials caught in defendants’ orbit\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While only one other elected official has been charged with participating in a related Evolutionary Homes bribery scheme to date, prosecutors have listed several high-profile East Bay politicians as potential witnesses in Thao’s case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say they plan to introduce evidence at trial showing that Juarez and Andy Duong also bribed former San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo. In February, Azevedo \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073176/former-san-leandro-city-councilmember-pleads-guilty-in-federal-bribery-case\">pleaded guilty\u003c/a> in a related case that involved promises of kickback payments in exchange for ensuring the city of San Leandro purchased container home units from Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/250902_SanLeandroCityHall_GH-2_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103155\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/250902_SanLeandroCityHall_GH-2_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/250902_SanLeandroCityHall_GH-2_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/250902_SanLeandroCityHall_GH-2_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bryan Azevedo, San Leandro City Council member for District 2, during a council meeting on Aug. 2, 2025. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Government attorneys say they intend to show documents, recordings and witness testimony demonstrating that Andy Duong and Juarez had discussions with Oakland City Councilmembers Kevin Jenkins, Rebecca Kaplan, and Nikki Fortunato Bas — now an Alameda County supervisor — as well as Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley, in furtherance of the charged conspiracy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Juarez, prosecutors say, will testify that he and Andy Duong discussed potential bribery deals with other city council members in San Leandro, Berkeley and Alameda. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Juarez is also expected to testify that Andy Duong told him he took photos and recorded videos of politicians so he could later use them as leverage or blackmail. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241107-AttorneyGeneralBonta-09-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103409\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241107-AttorneyGeneralBonta-09-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241107-AttorneyGeneralBonta-09-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241107-AttorneyGeneralBonta-09-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Attorney General Rob Bonta speaks with KQED politics reporters Marisa Lagos and Scott Shafer for Political Breakdown at the KQED offices in San Francisco on Nov. 7, 2024. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/11/20/ag-rob-bonta-told-he-was-in-compromising-video-amid-east-bay-corruption-probe/\">May 2024 letter\u003c/a> to California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Juarez claimed Andy Duong had a recording of Bonta in “a compromising situation.” Court records show the FBI interviewed Bonta in September 2024 as part of the investigation into Thao and the Duongs. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065004/california-ag-rob-bonta-wont-rule-out-a-run-for-governor-amid-campaign-fund-questions\">Bonta told KQED\u003c/a> he spent $468,000 in legal fees so an attorney could guide him through that process.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Over a year ago, maybe 14 months ago, the federal government reached out to me and said that they thought I may have information that would be relevant to the investigation,” Bonta said. “Having never done this before, I wanted to make sure I had an attorney who could guide me through the process and ensure that I provided everything that could be helpful.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When asked about the letter, Bonta told KQED he had received it, but said that “the reference to any video is absolutely not true. It’s false, and there is no video.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bonta has not been listed as a potential witness in the trial. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have filed transcripts, videos and audio recordings of phone calls with elected officials that FBI agents seized from Andy Duong’s phone, which appear to have been recorded \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101387/sheng-thao-case-recordings-reveal-taped-phone-calls-fbi-informant-appearing-to-describe-bribes\">without the politicians’ knowledge\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Two of them capture candid conversations in 2024 between Andy Duong and Jenkins, as well as with Bas, when she was president of the Oakland City Council. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Both politicians are included on the government’s list of potential witnesses. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Also on the witness list is former Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson, who Thao directed to tour Evolutionary Homes’ showroom in January 2024, according to the indictment. Johnson \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091317/oakland-councilmember-proposes-a-409000-severance-for-former-city-administrator\">resigned from his position with the city in May \u003c/a>amid a text messaging scandal that prosecutors attempted, unsuccessfully, to bar defense attorneys from asking about during the trial. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other high-profile staffers who could be called to testify are Oakland’s current interim city administrator, Betsy Lake; former interim city administrators Harold Duffey and Steven Falk; Thao’s former chiefs of staff, Renia Webb and Leigh Hanson, as well as Brandon Harami, a former mayoral staffer who also worked on Thao’s 2022 campaign for mayor. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Other allegations \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Court filings in the case have described other alleged bribery beyond the specific scheme that prosecutors hope to prove at trial. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The jury will be permitted to view two October 2022 cell phone videos of what appears to be Juarez toasting the formation of Evolutionary Homes. Sitting in the California Waste Solutions conference room are members of the Duong family. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In one of the videos, Juarez appears to describe payments the Duongs made in 2014 after winning the company’s recycling contract with the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/SQfb9Mw6Qsc'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/SQfb9Mw6Qsc'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The day after you won the city of Oakland contract, you were there, paying everybody,” Juarez can be heard saying in the video. “I was in your office. And — $50,000, $100,000 — whatever it was. And you said, ‘What do you want?’ I said, ‘I just want to do business with you.’” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the video, members of the Duong family do not correct Juarez when he mentions payments. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a July court filing, prosecutors described the video, saying that Juarez is expected to testify that his comments were in reference to bribes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The government expects Juarez to testify that this statement refers to the Duongs giving cash to multiple public officials in exchange for their assistance in helping CWS [California Waste Solutions] secure the Oakland recycling contract in 2014,” the filing reads. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys either declined or did not respond to KQED’s requests for comment on the video. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Further allegations Juarez has made to the FBI about the Duongs paying elected officials are summarized in an August motion filed by attorneys representing David Duong. According to the filing, Juarez also told FBI investigators he had seen the Duongs delete evidence from a security system and that the family used vague consultant contracts to launder money to various individuals.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys attempted to have those allegations excluded from the trial. That motion was denied.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to the filing, Juarez said he saw a “line of people” at California Waste Solutions’ office “waiting to be paid cash” by David Duong.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[Individual 1] was paid $300,000 in cash in a black gym bag. Juarez knew the amount of cash because Juarez helped count the money,” the filing reads. “The cash to [Individual 1] was definitely for his help in obtaining the CWS contract; D. Duong told [Individual 1] something to the effect of ‘Congratulations, we got the contract, here is your money.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "why-are-out-of-state-billionaires-funding-a-california-voter-id-measure",
"title": "Why Are Out-of-State Billionaires Funding a California Voter ID Measure?",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003c!-- Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ -->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Want to know who’s who in Republican politics? Look no further than the megadonors bankrolling \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a>’s voter ID initiative.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Illinois billionaire packing supply magnate Richard Uihlein, who has poured tens of millions of dollars into conservative causes, has contributed $17 million to the campaign for \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/proposition-39-voter-id/\">Proposition 39\u003c/a>, a GOP-backed ballot measure to require voters to show a driver’s license or other government ID to vote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uihlein’s involvement and that of other deep-pocketed Republican donors is a signal that conservatives view Prop. 39 as a test of support for future battleground states in the broader push by President Donald Trump to tighten voter restrictions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uihlein is joined by Southern California businessman Steven Bray, who loaned the campaign more than $3 million and gave $50,000 outright. The right-wing political group \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/03/california-republican-endorsements/\">Reform California\u003c/a>, tech entrepreneurs Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss and former Robert F. Kennedy Jr. presidential running mate Nicole Shanahan are also major donors. Combined, they have helped the campaign rake in more than $28 million — $11 million more than their opponents a month from Election Day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Prop. 39’s supporters argue that requiring ID at polling places will ensure California’s elections are secure, and say the mandate is no different from needing an ID to fly on a plane or buy alcohol. Proponents also point out that 36 states request or require voters to show some form of identification at the polls, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/voter-id\">National Conference of State Legislatures\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California voters currently need a driver’s license and Social Security number to register to vote but not when they cast their ballots. If Prop. 39 passes, voters who mail their ballots would have to write the last four digits of their Social Security or other government-issued number on their ballots.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12095745\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12095745\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A voter is given a sticker after dropping his ballot at City Hall in San Francisco on Oct. 30, 2025, ahead of the statewide special election. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It’s a long-awaited moment for the state’s weak Republican Party which has fought for decades to put a voter ID measure on the ballot in deep blue California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/carl-demaio-161014\">Carl DeMaio\u003c/a>, a Republican, created Reform California and is spearheading the initiative. The freshman San Diego lawmaker’s group funded the ballot operation that collected more than a million signatures to qualify the measure after similar proposals failed in the Democratic-controlled Legislature.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Common Cause and other voting rights groups that oppose the measure fear Prop. 39 would unnecessarily block from voting citizens who can’t find or don’t have a government-issued ID. They argue that this would disproportionately impact, and unfairly penalize, people who recently moved, changed their last name or are low income — and other groups who historically have supported Democrats.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Civil rights advocates also argue the measure is unnecessary because voter fraud is rare.[aside postID=news_12103195 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260226-GovRaceForum-56-BL_qed-1.jpg']“You are more likely to be struck by lightning than you are to commit voter fraud in a U.S. election,” California League of Women Voters executive director Jenny Farrell said. “There’s no need to add on these additional burdens and security checkpoints in California.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite numerous studies showing there is \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/voter-fraud-election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-7fcb6f134e528fee8237c7601db3328f\">no widespread evidence\u003c/a> of voter fraud in U.S. elections, Claremont McKenna College political scientist John Pitney said such claims have circulated for decades in far-right circles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Attempts to constrict voter laws through ballot measures have increased in some states ever since the expansion of voting rights to African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But fears about voter fraud accelerated during the first Trump administration when the president falsely claimed the 2020 election was stolen. Shortly after, DeMaio and other GOP lawmakers introduced unsuccessful bills to tighten voter restrictions before he pivoted to orchestrating a citizen-led ballot initiative last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Recently Trump has promoted the idea that large numbers of undocumented people are voting, for which there isn’t any evidence,” Pitney said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/030326_Voter-ID-Presser_FG_CM_08-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"A lawmaker, wearing a black suit with a striped yellow tie, stands behind a lectern while surrounded by people holding blue and yellow signs that say "REQUIRE VOTER ID."\" />\u003cfigcaption>Assemblymember Carl DeMaio announces that supporters of the CA Voter ID Initiative will submit more than 1.3 million signatures to qualify the measure for the November 2026 ballot during a press conference at the west steps of the state Capitol in Sacramento on March 3, 2026. Photo by Fred Greaves for CalMatters\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Democrats bankrolling the opposition to Prop. 39 are also a who’s who of California politics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state Democratic Party is by far the largest contributor at nearly $5.5 million, followed by the Sonoma-area Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria with $2 million.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Longtime Democratic donors Patty Quillin, a film producer and wife of Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, and Quinn Delaney, a real estate investor and philanthropist, have each pitched in $1.5 million. Labor heavyweights such as the Service Employees International Union have contributed $1 million.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Democratic gubernatorial candidate \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/tag/xavier-becerra/\">Xavier Becerra\u003c/a> and Democratic Assembly Speaker \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/robert-rivas-165041\">Robert Rivas\u003c/a> have created a joint committee to raise money for the No campaign and U.S. Sen Alex Padilla is stumping at events.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nearly 90% of Californians now vote by mail, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/historical-absentee\">secretary of state’s office\u003c/a>. That means the vast majority of voters would be required to write their Social Security or driver’s license number on their ballot should the initiative pass.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many people aren’t going to be comfortable with that, No on 39 campaign spokesperson Tenoch Flores said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is about creating new avenues to reject valid mail ballots,” Flores said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Yes on 39” spokesperson Meredith Shields told CalMatters that no one from the campaign could be made available for an interview. DeMaio declined an interview with CalMatters for this story. Uihlein did not respond to phone calls and emails requesting comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The biggest donor\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Megadonor Uihlein and his wife, founders of the Wisconsin-based packaging company Uline, have poured millions into the Restoration of America PAC, a super PAC that frequently bankrolls Republican candidates in Illinois and Wisconsin. The Uihleins have \u003ca href=\"https://www.fec.gov/data/individual-contributions/?committee_id=C00571588&contributor_name=uihlein&two_year_transaction_period=2026\">donated $35 million to the PAC\u003c/a> this year alone, and Prop. 39 is the latest target in their effort to fund agenda-setting conservative causes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shanahan, an attorney and the former wife of Google executive Sergey Brin, has funneled $370,000 into the Yes campaign, while the Winklevoss brothers have each contributed $250,000.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The interest from the ultra-wealthy in Prop. 39 is a sign that the GOP could be looking to replicate a similar playbook in toss-up states, Sonoma State University political science Professor David McCuan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Republican proponents want to see how well or poorly voter ID does in Democratic-heavy California. If it does better than expected, that might mean a similar ballot measure could be fairly popular in more moderate battleground states, such as Michigan,Wisconsin or Pennsylvania.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There is a spillover effect if you do better than expected, even if you lose,” McCuan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Election security becomes about Trump\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Several Republican states moved to expand voter restrictions after the 2020 election, including Wyoming, Kentucky and Oklahoma. And while voter sentiment toward Trump is at historic lows, the GOP was surprisingly successful at getting the voter ID measure on the California ballot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The “Yes on 39” TV campaign has \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts64oxA4neQ\" data-type=\"link\" data-=\"\">begun airing ads\u003c/a> distancing the measure’s supporters from Trump, while the No campaign released an \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjk5YyP7FYM\">ad airing in the Bay Area\u003c/a> featuring images of Trump and characterizations of Prop. 39 as a “power grab.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12101931\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12101931\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Prop39-voterID-scaled-e1791403746790.jpg\" alt=\"People in suits present at a podium surrounded by signs that read "Require Voter ID."\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sen. Tony Strickland speaks at the Riverside County Registrar of Voters on Monday, March 2, 2026, for a press conference highlighting voter signatures in favor of placing a voter ID measure on the November ballot. \u003ccite>(Anjali Sharif-Paul/MediaNews Group/The Sun via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It’ll likely still be a tough road ahead for the Yes campaign. The default position for most voters is “no” on ballot propositions, meaning supporters of the measure will have to persuade enough voters to agree with them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An April poll by the \u003ca href=\"https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2d964377\">UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies\u003c/a> showed Californians broadly support requiring voters to present identification at the polls, but it found that support dipped below 50% when respondents were given specific details about the measure, such as that it’s meant to combat alleged voter fraud. A \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/publication/ppic-statewide-survey-californians-and-their-government-september-2026/\">Public Policy Institute of California\u003c/a> poll in September found support for Prop. 39 has dropped to 43%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While this could be effective at turning out liberal voters, it’s unclear how even a hot-button issue will be enough to get Republicans out in a midterm election cycle with an unpopular president.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s hard to pass a red-coded measure in a blue wave election,” Pitney said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/10/california-election-voter-id-proposition-39/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c!-- Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ -->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Want to know who’s who in Republican politics? Look no further than the megadonors bankrolling \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a>’s voter ID initiative.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Illinois billionaire packing supply magnate Richard Uihlein, who has poured tens of millions of dollars into conservative causes, has contributed $17 million to the campaign for \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/proposition-39-voter-id/\">Proposition 39\u003c/a>, a GOP-backed ballot measure to require voters to show a driver’s license or other government ID to vote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uihlein’s involvement and that of other deep-pocketed Republican donors is a signal that conservatives view Prop. 39 as a test of support for future battleground states in the broader push by President Donald Trump to tighten voter restrictions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Uihlein is joined by Southern California businessman Steven Bray, who loaned the campaign more than $3 million and gave $50,000 outright. The right-wing political group \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/03/california-republican-endorsements/\">Reform California\u003c/a>, tech entrepreneurs Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss and former Robert F. Kennedy Jr. presidential running mate Nicole Shanahan are also major donors. Combined, they have helped the campaign rake in more than $28 million — $11 million more than their opponents a month from Election Day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Prop. 39’s supporters argue that requiring ID at polling places will ensure California’s elections are secure, and say the mandate is no different from needing an ID to fly on a plane or buy alcohol. Proponents also point out that 36 states request or require voters to show some form of identification at the polls, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/voter-id\">National Conference of State Legislatures\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California voters currently need a driver’s license and Social Security number to register to vote but not when they cast their ballots. If Prop. 39 passes, voters who mail their ballots would have to write the last four digits of their Social Security or other government-issued number on their ballots.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12095745\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12095745\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A voter is given a sticker after dropping his ballot at City Hall in San Francisco on Oct. 30, 2025, ahead of the statewide special election. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It’s a long-awaited moment for the state’s weak Republican Party which has fought for decades to put a voter ID measure on the ballot in deep blue California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/carl-demaio-161014\">Carl DeMaio\u003c/a>, a Republican, created Reform California and is spearheading the initiative. The freshman San Diego lawmaker’s group funded the ballot operation that collected more than a million signatures to qualify the measure after similar proposals failed in the Democratic-controlled Legislature.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Common Cause and other voting rights groups that oppose the measure fear Prop. 39 would unnecessarily block from voting citizens who can’t find or don’t have a government-issued ID. They argue that this would disproportionately impact, and unfairly penalize, people who recently moved, changed their last name or are low income — and other groups who historically have supported Democrats.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Civil rights advocates also argue the measure is unnecessary because voter fraud is rare.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“You are more likely to be struck by lightning than you are to commit voter fraud in a U.S. election,” California League of Women Voters executive director Jenny Farrell said. “There’s no need to add on these additional burdens and security checkpoints in California.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite numerous studies showing there is \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/voter-fraud-election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-7fcb6f134e528fee8237c7601db3328f\">no widespread evidence\u003c/a> of voter fraud in U.S. elections, Claremont McKenna College political scientist John Pitney said such claims have circulated for decades in far-right circles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Attempts to constrict voter laws through ballot measures have increased in some states ever since the expansion of voting rights to African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But fears about voter fraud accelerated during the first Trump administration when the president falsely claimed the 2020 election was stolen. Shortly after, DeMaio and other GOP lawmakers introduced unsuccessful bills to tighten voter restrictions before he pivoted to orchestrating a citizen-led ballot initiative last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Recently Trump has promoted the idea that large numbers of undocumented people are voting, for which there isn’t any evidence,” Pitney said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure>\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/030326_Voter-ID-Presser_FG_CM_08-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"A lawmaker, wearing a black suit with a striped yellow tie, stands behind a lectern while surrounded by people holding blue and yellow signs that say "REQUIRE VOTER ID."\" />\u003cfigcaption>Assemblymember Carl DeMaio announces that supporters of the CA Voter ID Initiative will submit more than 1.3 million signatures to qualify the measure for the November 2026 ballot during a press conference at the west steps of the state Capitol in Sacramento on March 3, 2026. Photo by Fred Greaves for CalMatters\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Democrats bankrolling the opposition to Prop. 39 are also a who’s who of California politics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state Democratic Party is by far the largest contributor at nearly $5.5 million, followed by the Sonoma-area Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria with $2 million.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Longtime Democratic donors Patty Quillin, a film producer and wife of Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, and Quinn Delaney, a real estate investor and philanthropist, have each pitched in $1.5 million. Labor heavyweights such as the Service Employees International Union have contributed $1 million.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Democratic gubernatorial candidate \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/tag/xavier-becerra/\">Xavier Becerra\u003c/a> and Democratic Assembly Speaker \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/robert-rivas-165041\">Robert Rivas\u003c/a> have created a joint committee to raise money for the No campaign and U.S. Sen Alex Padilla is stumping at events.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nearly 90% of Californians now vote by mail, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/historical-absentee\">secretary of state’s office\u003c/a>. That means the vast majority of voters would be required to write their Social Security or driver’s license number on their ballot should the initiative pass.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many people aren’t going to be comfortable with that, No on 39 campaign spokesperson Tenoch Flores said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is about creating new avenues to reject valid mail ballots,” Flores said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Yes on 39” spokesperson Meredith Shields told CalMatters that no one from the campaign could be made available for an interview. DeMaio declined an interview with CalMatters for this story. Uihlein did not respond to phone calls and emails requesting comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The biggest donor\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Megadonor Uihlein and his wife, founders of the Wisconsin-based packaging company Uline, have poured millions into the Restoration of America PAC, a super PAC that frequently bankrolls Republican candidates in Illinois and Wisconsin. The Uihleins have \u003ca href=\"https://www.fec.gov/data/individual-contributions/?committee_id=C00571588&contributor_name=uihlein&two_year_transaction_period=2026\">donated $35 million to the PAC\u003c/a> this year alone, and Prop. 39 is the latest target in their effort to fund agenda-setting conservative causes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shanahan, an attorney and the former wife of Google executive Sergey Brin, has funneled $370,000 into the Yes campaign, while the Winklevoss brothers have each contributed $250,000.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The interest from the ultra-wealthy in Prop. 39 is a sign that the GOP could be looking to replicate a similar playbook in toss-up states, Sonoma State University political science Professor David McCuan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Republican proponents want to see how well or poorly voter ID does in Democratic-heavy California. If it does better than expected, that might mean a similar ballot measure could be fairly popular in more moderate battleground states, such as Michigan,Wisconsin or Pennsylvania.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There is a spillover effect if you do better than expected, even if you lose,” McCuan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Election security becomes about Trump\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Several Republican states moved to expand voter restrictions after the 2020 election, including Wyoming, Kentucky and Oklahoma. And while voter sentiment toward Trump is at historic lows, the GOP was surprisingly successful at getting the voter ID measure on the California ballot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The “Yes on 39” TV campaign has \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts64oxA4neQ\" data-type=\"link\" data-=\"\">begun airing ads\u003c/a> distancing the measure’s supporters from Trump, while the No campaign released an \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjk5YyP7FYM\">ad airing in the Bay Area\u003c/a> featuring images of Trump and characterizations of Prop. 39 as a “power grab.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12101931\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12101931\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Prop39-voterID-scaled-e1791403746790.jpg\" alt=\"People in suits present at a podium surrounded by signs that read "Require Voter ID."\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sen. Tony Strickland speaks at the Riverside County Registrar of Voters on Monday, March 2, 2026, for a press conference highlighting voter signatures in favor of placing a voter ID measure on the November ballot. \u003ccite>(Anjali Sharif-Paul/MediaNews Group/The Sun via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It’ll likely still be a tough road ahead for the Yes campaign. The default position for most voters is “no” on ballot propositions, meaning supporters of the measure will have to persuade enough voters to agree with them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An April poll by the \u003ca href=\"https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2d964377\">UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies\u003c/a> showed Californians broadly support requiring voters to present identification at the polls, but it found that support dipped below 50% when respondents were given specific details about the measure, such as that it’s meant to combat alleged voter fraud. A \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/publication/ppic-statewide-survey-californians-and-their-government-september-2026/\">Public Policy Institute of California\u003c/a> poll in September found support for Prop. 39 has dropped to 43%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While this could be effective at turning out liberal voters, it’s unclear how even a hot-button issue will be enough to get Republicans out in a midterm election cycle with an unpopular president.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s hard to pass a red-coded measure in a blue wave election,” Pitney said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/10/california-election-voter-id-proposition-39/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Katie Porter is no longer in the running for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082619/gubernatorial-candidate-katie-porter-fields-questions-on-housing-gas-prices-ai-agenda-at-kqed-town-hall\">California governor\u003c/a>, but the former Southern California congresswoman is staying active in politics by backing state Sen. Scott Wiener in his bid to represent San Francisco in Washington. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The latest endorsement comes a month out from Election Day in the race between Wiener and San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan, who are vying to replace Rep. Nancy Pelosi in the House of Representatives. The former speaker of the House is \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12062796/nancy-pelosi-leaves-congress-after-38-years-defining-generations-of-democratic-power\">retiring\u003c/a> after nearly four decades in San Francisco’s congressional seat. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Right now, Donald Trump and his allies in Congress are ripping away healthcare and raising costs on working people. We need representatives in Washington who won’t back down and who know how to win,” said Porter, who represented Orange County in Congress from 2019 to 2025. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Scott will be a fighter for San Francisco families in Congress — on housing, on healthcare and on the cost of living — and I’m proud to endorse him.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-DISTRICT11SCOTTWIENER-15-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12085954\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-DISTRICT11SCOTTWIENER-15-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-DISTRICT11SCOTTWIENER-15-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-DISTRICT11SCOTTWIENER-15-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sen. Scott Wiener speaks during an election night event at his campaign headquarters in San Francisco on June 2, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>The race between Chan and Wiener, both Democrats, could be close, with Wiener showing an 11-point lead, according to a September poll from Tavern Research, with a margin of error of 5.2%. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chan has surged in popularity since early this year, when polls showed her trailing Wiener and former candidate Saikat Chakrabarti, who lost in the June primary. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She got a big boost in May from Pelosi, who has endorsed Chan as her successor, and has also nabbed endorsements from many labor unions and politicians like former Sen. Barbara Boxer and Rep. Jackie Speier.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wiener has outraised his opponent, but Chan has found an audience in part by highlighting her own background, underscoring her experience as an immigrant and working mom. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She has also blasted Wiener for his ties to the tech industry. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12102416/san-francisco-congressional-hopefuls-debate-ai-billionaires-and-of-course-housing\">recent debate\u003c/a> hosted by KQED and the San Francisco Chronicle, Chan repeatedly asked audiences, “Can we trust politicians who are bankrolled by the AI industry? The answer is no, we cannot.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the same event, Wiener emphasized housing projects that Chan has blocked, saying the supervisor has stymied opportunities to build more homes at a time when the city is facing an affordability crisis and housing shortage.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Porter, a consumer protection attorney and law professor, specifically pointed to Wiener’s legislative record on housing, healthcare and transit as her reasons for backing him. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wiener “has written the laws that are getting homes built in San Francisco and California, and he has taken on the powerful interests that drive up what families pay for healthcare, and protected public transit that families depend on to get to school and work,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wiener said he was honored to have Porter’s endorsement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We share a simple belief: San Francisco should be a place where working families can afford to live and raise their kids,” Wiener said in a statement. “That means building far more homes so rents and mortgages come down, protecting and expanding healthcare people can afford and investing in public transit.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The latest endorsement comes a month out from Election Day in the race between Wiener and San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan, who are vying to replace Rep. Nancy Pelosi in the House of Representatives. The former speaker of the House is \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12062796/nancy-pelosi-leaves-congress-after-38-years-defining-generations-of-democratic-power\">retiring\u003c/a> after nearly four decades in San Francisco’s congressional seat. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The race between Chan and Wiener, both Democrats, could be close, with Wiener showing an 11-point lead, according to a September poll from Tavern Research, with a margin of error of 5.2%. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Chan has surged in popularity since early this year, when polls showed her trailing Wiener and former candidate Saikat Chakrabarti, who lost in the June primary. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Wiener has outraised his opponent, but Chan has found an audience in part by highlighting her own background, underscoring her experience as an immigrant and working mom. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12102416/san-francisco-congressional-hopefuls-debate-ai-billionaires-and-of-course-housing\">recent debate\u003c/a> hosted by KQED and the San Francisco Chronicle, Chan repeatedly asked audiences, “Can we trust politicians who are bankrolled by the AI industry? The answer is no, we cannot.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At the same event, Wiener emphasized housing projects that Chan has blocked, saying the supervisor has stymied opportunities to build more homes at a time when the city is facing an affordability crisis and housing shortage.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Porter, a consumer protection attorney and law professor, specifically pointed to Wiener’s legislative record on housing, healthcare and transit as her reasons for backing him. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Wiener “has written the laws that are getting homes built in San Francisco and California, and he has taken on the powerful interests that drive up what families pay for healthcare, and protected public transit that families depend on to get to school and work,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We share a simple belief: San Francisco should be a place where working families can afford to live and raise their kids,” Wiener said in a statement. “That means building far more homes so rents and mortgages come down, protecting and expanding healthcare people can afford and investing in public transit.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The former gubernatorial candidate is throwing her support behind the state senator as polls suggest a close race between Scott Wiener and Connie Chan for Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s seat.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Katie Porter is no longer in the running for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12082619/gubernatorial-candidate-katie-porter-fields-questions-on-housing-gas-prices-ai-agenda-at-kqed-town-hall\">California governor\u003c/a>, but the former Southern California congresswoman is staying active in politics by backing state Sen. Scott Wiener in his bid to represent San Francisco in Washington. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The latest endorsement comes a month out from Election Day in the race between Wiener and San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan, who are vying to replace Rep. Nancy Pelosi in the House of Representatives. The former speaker of the House is \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12062796/nancy-pelosi-leaves-congress-after-38-years-defining-generations-of-democratic-power\">retiring\u003c/a> after nearly four decades in San Francisco’s congressional seat. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Right now, Donald Trump and his allies in Congress are ripping away healthcare and raising costs on working people. We need representatives in Washington who won’t back down and who know how to win,” said Porter, who represented Orange County in Congress from 2019 to 2025. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Scott will be a fighter for San Francisco families in Congress — on housing, on healthcare and on the cost of living — and I’m proud to endorse him.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-DISTRICT11SCOTTWIENER-15-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12085954\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-DISTRICT11SCOTTWIENER-15-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-DISTRICT11SCOTTWIENER-15-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-DISTRICT11SCOTTWIENER-15-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sen. Scott Wiener speaks during an election night event at his campaign headquarters in San Francisco on June 2, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>The race between Chan and Wiener, both Democrats, could be close, with Wiener showing an 11-point lead, according to a September poll from Tavern Research, with a margin of error of 5.2%. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chan has surged in popularity since early this year, when polls showed her trailing Wiener and former candidate Saikat Chakrabarti, who lost in the June primary. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She got a big boost in May from Pelosi, who has endorsed Chan as her successor, and has also nabbed endorsements from many labor unions and politicians like former Sen. Barbara Boxer and Rep. Jackie Speier.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wiener has outraised his opponent, but Chan has found an audience in part by highlighting her own background, underscoring her experience as an immigrant and working mom. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She has also blasted Wiener for his ties to the tech industry. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12102416/san-francisco-congressional-hopefuls-debate-ai-billionaires-and-of-course-housing\">recent debate\u003c/a> hosted by KQED and the San Francisco Chronicle, Chan repeatedly asked audiences, “Can we trust politicians who are bankrolled by the AI industry? The answer is no, we cannot.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At the same event, Wiener emphasized housing projects that Chan has blocked, saying the supervisor has stymied opportunities to build more homes at a time when the city is facing an affordability crisis and housing shortage.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Porter, a consumer protection attorney and law professor, specifically pointed to Wiener’s legislative record on housing, healthcare and transit as her reasons for backing him. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wiener “has written the laws that are getting homes built in San Francisco and California, and he has taken on the powerful interests that drive up what families pay for healthcare, and protected public transit that families depend on to get to school and work,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Wiener said he was honored to have Porter’s endorsement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We share a simple belief: San Francisco should be a place where working families can afford to live and raise their kids,” Wiener said in a statement. “That means building far more homes so rents and mortgages come down, protecting and expanding healthcare people can afford and investing in public transit.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"#Transcript\">View Full Episode Transcript\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2016,\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>Nancy Pelosi was planning on retiring from Congress. But Donald Trump’s presidential victory disrupted her plans, and her legacy. Pelosi’s public battles with the President cemented her status as a liberal warrior – spearheading two impeachments and navigating the January 6th attack. But to some in her caucus, including the young progressives of “The Squad,” Pelosi’s approach wasn’t enough to address a new wave of populism and a growing mistrust of government. And amidst this politically fraught landscape, did Pelosi’s actions around stock trading — or inaction, according to some — add fuel to the fire?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Transcript\">Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Last episode, we focused on the Affordable Care Act, which then Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi pushed through Congress. But when you ask people about Pelosi, like our producer Ariella Markowitz did on the streets in DC, something else tends to come up. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ariella Markowitz: \u003c/strong>What comes to mind when you think of Nancy Pelosi?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Vox 1: \u003c/strong>Man, California, stocks, stock trades, that’s funny. Insider stock trading. He defends that, he’s gotten quite wealthy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Vox 2:\u003c/strong>\u003cem> \u003c/em>She has manipulated her position and used it to her benefit.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>It’s something her opponents bring up a lot. Here’s President Trump earlier this year during his State of the Union address. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Donald Trump: \u003c/strong>Let’s also ensure that members of Congress cannot corruptly profit from using insider information. They stood up for that, I can’t believe it. Did Nancy Pelosi stand up if she’s here? Doubt it. Pass the Stop Insider Trading Act without delay. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>A few months later, the House passed a stock trading ban for members of Congress, and Nancy Pelosi voted against it. Some Democrats had an issue with the bill because it included an unrelated voter ID provision, which many critics say is really a way of suppressing Democratic turnout in elections. And the stock trading bill? It wouldn’t have applied if it were the president. Profiteering by President Trump and his family, including prolific stock trading, are a trademark of his second term. But to many, the name Pelosi triggers allegations of corruption. In her second run as Speaker, Pelosi and President Trump became full-on enemies, locked in public brawls that would define both of their legacies. But Pelosi doesn’t really want to go there.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>I don’t spend a whole lot of time talking about Trump, so…\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>I know he’s not your favorite.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>No, it’s not my favorite compared to almost any creature crawling the earth. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Still, this creature has defined her final chapter in unexpected ways. From KQED, this is The Speaker. I’m Scott Shafer. Today, how Pelosi responds to what she and many see as a fundamental threat to democracy. President Trump. And with faith in the Democratic Party and public trust in U.S. Institutions at their lowest in decades, the shadow that hangs over her legacy. Accusations of insider stock trading in Congress. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Pelosi says she planned on retiring after the 2016 election. She would have been 76 years old, and she was assuming that a Democrat would win. You were really ready to say, that’s it, I’m done.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Well, I was ready to say it a number of times, but I only thought I would go 10 years. I never thought I’d run for Congress, much less for leadership. And then the members, you have to stay, you have stay, you to stay. And so I did.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>She thought her crowning achievement, the Affordable Care Act, her baby, would be protected under a President Hillary Clinton. On November 8, 2016, Pelosi was in Washington with her colleagues, waiting for the returns to come in.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>One of my colleagues was the chairman of the party in Philadelphia. And we were getting returns from him saying, they told us if we got over 500,000 in Philadelphia, we would carry Pennsylvania. So one night he’d say, it’s getting closer, but we’re okay, it was getting closer. Then finally he said, you know, the turnout from McCall, but you know just naming the names of some counties is just unprecedented. We’re not gonna be able to offset it. I was like getting kicked in the back by a mule.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>During his first campaign for president, Trump had leaned into people’s cynicism and mistrust of politicians.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Donald Trump: \u003c/strong>If we win on November 8th, we are going to drain the swamp in Washington, D.C. We’re draining the swamp.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>After he won, President Trump issued a flurry of executive orders and policies. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>President Trump’s most recent executive order effectively banned citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S. For at least 90 days. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>Today President Donald Trump is continuing to defend his administration’s policy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Donald Trump: \u003c/strong>When you prosecute the parents for coming in illegally, which should happen, you have to take the children away. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>And, in 2017, when white supremacists rallied in Charlottesville, Virginia? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>There are people, bodies laying on the ground right now.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>NAZIS GO HOME! \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>In response to the violence, Trump said this.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Donald Trump: \u003c/strong>Very fine people on both sides \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>In the midst of all this, Pelosi and Democrats campaigned hard to defeat Republicans in the 2018 midterms. But economic unrest was starting to influence the Democratic Party’s politics. For years there had been discontent on the left about the 2008 bailout and economic disparity. A movement called Occupy Wall Street kicked off in 2011. The slogan was, we are the 99 percent. In 2016, Senator Bernie Sanders had been a grassroots presidential candidate, and he was popular. More than 40 percent of people who voted in the primaries wanted him to be the nominee.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Bernie Sanders: \u003c/strong>The reason that we have done so well, the reason I believe we’re going to do so well in the Hampshire and in the other states that follow, the reason is the American people are saying no to a rigged economy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Sanders had run on a message about economic inequality.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Bernie Sanders: \u003c/strong>They no longer want to see an economy in which the average American works longer hours for low wages while almost all new income and wealth is going to the top 1%.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Some people argue that this energy helped Democrats take back the House in 2018, two years into Trump’s presidency. They’d been out of power since the Tea Party had stormed into Congress almost a decade earlier. That election night, Pelosi took the stage again to the chants of \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Thank you all, thank you all very much, remember this feeling, know the power to win. Today is more than about Democrats and Republicans, it’s about restoring the Constitution’s checks and balances to the Trump administration.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>And with that election, a wave of newcomers with bold ideas, including four progressive women who became known as the Squad. Ayanna Pressley from Massachusetts, Rashida Tlaib from Michigan, Ilhan Omar from Minnesota, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, AOC, from New York. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: \u003c/strong>I think what we’ve seen is that working-class Americans want a clear champion and there is nothing radical about moral clarity in 2018.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>AOC is a democratic socialist, like Bernie Sanders. She defeated Joe Crowley, one of Pelosi’s top deputies in leadership. Many had actually seen Crowley as the person best positioned to become speaker after Pelosi left. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>He didn’t pay enough attention to his district. That, you know, that’s really what it is. It was an election in the summer. So I had very low turnout. I mean, he was predicating his success on how things go in a full election. But AOC ran a great campaign and it was stunning because he’s terrific and respected and he was chair of the caucus, I think, at the time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Needless to say, there was some friction between the new members and the old guard. Before being sworn in, AOC joined a climate protest outside Pelosi’s office. People are holding yellow signs that say Green Jobs for All.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: \u003c/strong>I just want to let you all know how proud I am of each and every single one of you for putting yourselves and your bodies and everything on the line to make sure that we save our planet, our generation, and our home.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Pelosi told me she was the wrong target for their protest.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>They should not have been in my office as a start because we had done more on climate than anybody.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Once they won back the House, some new, younger members were among those questioning whether Pelosi was the right leader for the House Democrats. But after cutting some deals, Pelosi was easily elected speaker for a second time. The squad cast their votes for her, too. Her swearing in was joyous.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>I’d like to call my grandchildren up to be here when I take you, and any other children who want to join them. Come on, kids. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>She’d have her work cut out for her. In June of 2019, the House was considering an appropriations bill that would provide funds to process and detain migrants at the border, but also for an emergency food and shelter program, money to help deal with what people were calling a humanitarian crisis. This bill was being debated a year after the Trump administration rolled out and then backed down on a policy that criminally prosecuted all adults crossing the border without papers. The Zero Tolerance Policy meant children were separated from their parents. It was something AOC spoke about at an oversight committee hearing in July 2019. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: \u003c/strong>And what was worse about this, Mr. Chairman, was the fact that there were American flags hanging all over these facilities, that children being separated from their parents in front of an American flag.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Progressives didn’t want to give more money to the agencies that carried out Trump’s harsh border policies. Pelosi and other Democratic leaders negotiated with them, added additional health and safety standards for migrant children to the bill, but the squad still defected. They were the only Democrats to vote no on the House bill. You described the squad as just four votes. It was. That’s what it was. It was four votes This may sound harsh, but it’s how Pelosi sees things. They were a small obstacle that didn’t affect her vote count. But Pelosi would be challenged again by the progressive wing when she had to give up the House bill with stronger protections for a Senate version. She was disappointed that Senate Democrats hadn’t fought for a better bill, but she decided to compromise and push it through. That caused public outrage from House progressives. AOC took her issues with Pelosi public. She said in an interview with the Washington Post… That she felt the squad had been singled out by Pelosi, implied it was because they were four women of color. AOC’s chief of staff compared centrist Democrats to segregationists on Twitter. He asked why this so-called legislative mastermind, referring to Pelosi, couldn’t get more done on kitchen table issues. By some accounts, Pelosi was furious. Even today, you can hear the annoyance in her voice.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>If you want to legislate, don’t be on airwaves criticizing the people whose votes you need. You can be here as a legislator where you need the votes of people for an issue that you may want to advance, or you can be an internet where you’re here to criticize your colleagues and expect them to vote for your bill.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>In one closed-door meeting with her Democratic caucus, she told them to bring their grievances to her, not tweet about them to the public. She said at the end of the day, her goal was to help the children. She told them, some of you are here to make a beautiful pate, but we’re making sausage most of the time. Our producer Ariella asked Representative Ilhan Omar, part of the squad, about this.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ariella Markowitz: \u003c/strong>She was giving speeches about sausages versus pates and all of this. What do you think about that got under her skin? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ilhan Omar: \u003c/strong>I think she herself saw herself as a progressive and in some ways might’ve felt insulted that the progressive movement didn’t think of her as being one of them. And she felt like because she was the speaker and she’s the leader for the whole caucus and the whole House, that the decisions that she had to make had to be for the good of the whole.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Now as I thought about these showdowns between the squad and the speaker, I remember how Pelosi herself had sort of ignored Congressional norms when she got to Washington. So I asked her how she felt about AOC. I wonder if you saw a little bit of yourself in her.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>No, I didn’t at all.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>I don’t know. Well, wait until you hear the question. Well, you just asked it, and I said no. I mean, whatBrase I’m thinking of is when you first got there in your very first speech, you talked about AIDS. You were kind of breaking the protocol a little bit. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>She’s operational, make no mistake, some of those squads are not. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Say what you mean by that.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Operational is that she knows that she wants to accomplish something. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Operational. This is one of Pelosi’s favorite words. It’s what Congresswoman Sala Burton said about Pelosi before she endorsed her back in 1987. So when Pelosi called AOC operational, this was a mark of respect. She’s learned how to get things done. Here’s the thing, Pelosi comes from progressive San Francisco. She thinks of herself as a liberal, cares about things like ending poverty, providing health care, and believes the government should be a force for good. But she values something else, too, maybe even more than anything else, being effective. It means working within a system she ultimately believes in to get things done, being willing to compromise in the process. But in this era of President Trump… Was being operational enough? Even though she loathed President Trump, Pelosi tried to enter their first meeting with an open mind. Out of respect for the institution.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>This is historic. It’s a meeting between the new president and the leadership of the Congress, bipartisan leadership in the Congress. I’ve been in that meeting many times with President Bush, Obama. It’s historic. And so I’m sitting there thinking, why don’t we begin? Will he quote the Bible? Will he talk about America and founders and what America means to us? And we talk about his family and what this… Means to him, how will he begin this meeting? He leans over on the desk like this, the table, and says, you know, I won the popular vote. It was totally offensive. So I thought, well, that’s not true. That’s not truth. And he said, well I’m not even counting California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>The relationship went downhill from there. You may remember some of those moments, like in 2018 when Pelosi walked out of a meeting with Trump in a red coat and Armani sunglasses looking completely relaxed. She put her sunglasses on right in time for the photos. The image went viral.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>The new power suit for women, red coats, sunglasses, nerves of steel. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>I had no idea, I just put on my coat and walked out to the press, which is outside. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Or you may remember her dressed in all white, standing behind the president. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>But Nancy Pelosi became the queen of condescending applause. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Clapping sarcastically at Trump during his 2019 State of the Union address. She clearly wasn’t intimidated by him. After all, this is the same woman who called Bush incompetent on national TV and refused to apologize for it. To me, it seems like Pelosi was adapting to the moment. She was smart enough to sense that in this era of politics, it’s those viral images that stick with people, not the closed-door legislative rooms Pelosi was used cutting deals in. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>The fact is, people want to see moments. You know, I hear speeches, they want to see moments, what people are happy about is that I did that, that I pointed to him, that I walked out of the office, because it spoke to their, how they felt or believed at the time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>She was getting under his skin. To those in the Trump 1.0 administration, Pelosi was an obstructionist. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mick Mulvaney: \u003c/strong>Nancy was just so difficult to work with. Again, she may take that as a badge of honor, and I get it, there’s a lot of Republicans who take their unwillingness to compromise with Democrats as a badge of honor. So she’s not unique in that, but she had zero interest in doing anything with Donald Trump.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>That’s Mick Mulvaney, who was President Trump’s chief of staff when Pelosi regained the speakership. We talked to him last episode, a Tea Party guy who campaigned for his House seat against the Affordable Care Act and won. He said President Trump respected Pelosi at first.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mick Mulvaney: \u003c/strong>He respects strength and that’s certainly what she has. When she was doing what she was doing, she had a margin roughly the same size that Mike Johnson has today in the House. And she was able to corral her party and he respected that. But at the end of the day, she had zero interest in being with the guy and I think the country is worse for it. If they had wanted to sit down and cut some deals, they could have had a tremendous bipartisan deal on infrastructure. I even think they could’ve had a tremendous bipartisan on immigration. But it was fight, fight, fighting the whole time. And it was bitter and poisonous.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>While Republicans felt Pelosi was just an obstacle to getting anything done, many Democrats were calling for Trump’s impeachment. But Pelosi was wary.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>People wanted to impeach him just because he was obnoxious and dyed his hair orange. Everybody had a thing of he’s not really presidential. That’s not a cause for impeachment. You know what I’m saying?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>But then, in the summer of 2019, President Trump gave Democrats their opportunity.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi:\u003c/strong>\u003cem> \u003c/em>I’ve said the only person who’s responsible for the impeachment of Donald Trump, not once but twice, is Donald Trump. He gave us no choice.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>A whistleblower said that in a phone call, Trump tried to get Ukrainian President Zelensky to investigate Trump’s rival in the upcoming election, Joe Biden, and his son Hunter. The White House released a transcript of the call, and President Trump tried to deflect to the debunked claim that Joe Biden was linked to a corruption scandal. And let me tell you something, Biden’s son is corrupt, and Biden is corrupt. To Pelosi, this attempt to interfere with the 2020 election was the unconstitutional violation Democrats could not ignore. This would be the grounds for the impeachment case.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>What he did was wrong. Now, different other things you could have included in that we said, you have to keep it simple. What is the thing that crosses the line, not just on its own might be grounds for impeachment, but not on the caliber of the Zelensky letter. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>But Pelosi didn’t revel in the impeachment, she actually silenced the applause after the impeachment vote with a stern glance and a hand gesture.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Article 1 is adopted. The question is on adoption of Article 2.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>You can count votes. You were probably, I’m guessing, pretty confident the Senate would not convict, right? They needed 67 votes. Why did you think it was important to go ahead and really start a process that you knew ultimately you would not?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>We did succeed. We impeached him twice. But you think that we should be guided by what the Senate might do? You think that, we would say, well, the president has committed impregnable offenses of highest magnitude, and we shouldn’t do that because we don’t know what some senators are going to do? No. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Donald Trump: \u003c/strong>I am thrilled to report to you tonight that our economy is the best it has ever been. Our military is completely rebuilt, with its power being unmatched anywhere in the world, and it’s not even close. It was February\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>The day before the Senate voted to acquit Trump of both impeachment charges. President Trump was giving his State of the Union speech, and Pelosi went a step further than she’d ever gone before. She was sitting behind Trump, in her house. He’d chosen that night to honor right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh, who held notoriously homophobic views. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Donald Trump: \u003c/strong>And Rush, in recognition of all that you have done for our nation, the millions of people a day that you speak to and that you inspire, I am proud to announce tonight that you will be receiving our country’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Pelosi sat there, lips pursed, looking down at the printed speech, looking away from the balcony where Limbaugh was, and toward her caucus in the audience. As Trump finished his speech, saying the best was yet to come, she stood up, not clapping, but ripping up the president’s printed remarks two or three pages at a time, biting her lip. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>I didn’t intend to do that. It just was a manifesto of lies. And I wasn’t just gonna let that stand. I just wasn’t gonna let it stand. As courteous as we are to a guest in our house, when he abuses that courtesy, when he lies there the whole time, gives a medal of freedom to an anti-gay, blah, blah, and our house. Do that at the White House. We don’t agree with your choice, but that’s your choice. You’re the president, but don’t come here and sully the House of Representatives chamber. With your obnoxious behavior. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer:\u003c/strong>\u003cem> \u003c/em>Pelosi, at her heart, believes in institutions. She respects the separation of powers, the three branches of government, and the staying power of those institutions. But to me, it seemed like at that moment something changed for her, not even standing with polite, respectful applause for the president as she did behind President George W. Bush for both of his State of the Union addresses when she was speaker, instead A stunning act of defiance on primetime television. Nine months later, Joe Biden won the presidential election. Trump was out. On January 6, 2021, Pelosi, along with Vice President Mike Pence, were overseeing the certification of the election. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>We didn’t anticipate violence. We didn’t expect the President of the United States to incite an insurrection.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jan 6 Archival: \u003c/strong>We’re starting to get surrounded. They’re taking the north-west scaffolding. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Protesters attack the west side of the Capitol, where presidential inauguration ceremonies are held. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Security came to me and they said we’re taking you out I said I can handle this guy you know we’re ready \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jan 6 Archival: \u003c/strong>We are walking over now to the tunnel\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>We could see on TV, because when you’re in the chamber, you can’t see. You see on tv what was happening, that they were coming to the Capitol. It’s really hard to explain. This is the citadel of democracy to the world. And these people are coming in, breaking windows, and they go in, and we’re seeing them go into the Capitol with Dixie flags, you know, Confederate flags, under the dome that Lincoln built when he was president. He built it during the Civil War. People said to him, use the steel for the war and the personnel for the War. He said. No, we have to show the world that we are resilient. So they continue with the dome. Under Lincoln’s dome, Confederate flags. One guy with a shirt, six million Jews were not enough. Auschwitz. That’s. What this was, assaulting police, all the rest of that, defecating on the floor. I say this because this brute who was president now wants to give them money for killing or endangering the lives of police officers. They were gonna get a bullet in my effing brain. They use the F word a lot about me throughout the whole thing. They were going to hang the vice president. Gallows for him.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>No doubt, many in the mob hated Pelosi. They came looking for her. They broke into her speaker’s office. A man put his feet up on her desk. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jan 6 Archival: \u003c/strong>Where are you Nancy? We’re looking for you! She’s in jail!\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Have you ever, you know, given yourself the permission to think about what would have happened if they had found you?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Well, here’s the thing that I thought. I wasn’t really thinking so much about my personal safety. I was thinking about my grandson who was with me. His mother, Alexandra, took the boys to see an historic event, the transfer of power.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>But something fundamental had broken.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>And this vile creature, the vilest creature to ever crawl the face of the earth. And they said, well, what about Hitler? I said, he wasn’t president of the United States. Insights are an insurrection, sits in his office, and then won’t let the police, the National Guard come and then lies about it the whole time. I called the governor of Virginia. They said they had their troops ready. These people are so idiotic, but let’s put that over all of them. The secretary of the army who had the jurisdiction to. So I have to talk to my boss. That’s the secretary of defense. Haven’t you done that yet? Well, this is hard. It’s complicated. It takes time. I said, they have been attacking the Capitol. Well, I have to go ask my boss and well, you have to have authority at the location. I said there, look, authority is there. You need to be able to send the national guard. But they may, they avoided everything about it because their boss. The Commander-in-Chief, who can say over any of that, was just holding them back. And even some of the Republicans were asking the President to call off those guys, and he still wouldn’t do it. This is, I want to tell you something, this is a demonic figure, this guy who is unfortunately in the White House.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>I know you’re very religious. Did you pray?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Of course we prayed, prayed for our country. We prayed for those who were under assault.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>A few hours after the attack, authorities confirmed the Capitol had been secured. Congress was going to continue certifying the election results\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>\u003cem> \u003c/em>I said, you know what, we’re going to the floor. That’s where this assault occurred, that’s where we’re going back to show the world.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>In the early hours of the morning on January 7th, 2021, the election was certified. In his final days in office, Nancy Pelosi would lead another impeachment against President Trump for inciting the insurrection. The FBI investigated the rioters. There were prosecutions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>The Arkansas man who was photographed on January 6th with his feet up on Nancy Pelosi’s desk was sentenced yesterday. He got four and a half years in prison. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Biden became president. Working together in the midst of the COVID pandemic, he and Pelosi muscled some big bills through a divided Congress. The Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPS and Science Act. But during her last years as speaker, Pelosi made headlines for another reason. In 2021, at a press conference, a reporter from Business Insider asked Pelosi a question.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Business Insider Reporter: \u003c/strong>Should members of Congress and their spouses be banned from trading individual stocks while serving in Congress? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>No, I don’t know to this second one, we have a responsibility to report in the stock, on the stock but I’m not familiar with that five month review but if people aren’t reporting they should be. Because this is a free market and people, we have a free-market economy, they should be able to participate in that.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Pelosi was firm in her response. No ban on stock trading. At that moment, she didn’t see the backlash, but it had been coming for years. Back in 2011, Pelosi had just gotten the Affordable Care Act across the finish line. She lost the speakership, but was still leader of House Democrats. Then, the CBS News magazine 60 Minutes published a bombshell investigation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Peter Schweizer: \u003c/strong>There are all sorts of forms of honest grafts that congressmen engage in that allow them to become very, very wealthy. So it’s not illegal, but I think it’s highly unethical. I think it’s highly offensive and wrong.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>That’s Peter Schweizer, the main source in the story. At the time, Schweizer was a fellow at the Hoover Institute, a conservative think tank. He’d been criticized as early as 1993 for fabricating sources and events in his book, Friendly Spies. He’d go on to publish Clinton Cash in 2015, a book that Media Matters concluded contained over 20 errors, fabrications, and distortions. On 60 Minutes, Schweiser claimed that members of Congress… Have been trading stocks based on inside information.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Peter Schweizer: \u003c/strong>We know that during the health care debate, people were trading health care stocks. We know during the financial crisis of 2008, they were getting out of the market before the rest of America really knew what was going on.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>The 60 Minutes story didn’t exclusively focus on Pelosi. They called out other lawmakers, too, including Republican Speaker John Boehner. But the report looked at an incident from 2008. Pelosi’s husband, Paul, had bought shares of stock from Visa, the credit card company. The report called into question whether the family’s investment influenced Pelosi’s decision-making around regulations to protect credit card consumers. To investigate this, the 60 Minutes correspondent, Steve Croft, went to a press conference and asked Pelosi about it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Steve Kroft: \u003c/strong>Madam Leader, I wanted to ask you why you and your husband back in March of 2008 accepted and participated in a very large IPO deal from Visa, at a time there was major legislation affecting the credit card companies making its way through the house, and did you consider that to be a conflict of interest.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>I don’t know what your point is of your question. Is there some point that you want to make with that? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>This response is classic Pelosi, full-throated denial.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>It’s not true, and that’s that.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Steve Kroft:\u003c/strong>\u003cem> \u003c/em>I don’t understand what part’s not true.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Yes, sir, that I would act upon an investment\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>After the piece aired, Pelosi’s office put out a statement. It denied that her decisions about regulating credit card companies were swayed by her husband’s stock purchases. The statement said, quote, It is very troubling that 60 Minutes would base their reporting off of an already discredited conservative author who has made a career out of attacking Democrats. Peter Schweizer was a close ally of Steve Bannon, one of Trump’s top advisors. Schweizer would become editor of the far-right website Breitbart News. It’s true that Democrats had introduced a bill that would regulate credit card swipe fees in the House and that the bill died later that year. But Pelosi said it wasn’t because she was trying to help her husband’s portfolio. By the time the bill made it out of committee, Pelosi said, it was too late to bring the for a vote before the session ended. The Democratic congressman who introduced the bill, John Conyers from Michigan, said even if they’d somehow managed to pass it, President Bush would probably have vetoed it. So Pelosi said they waited until President Obama was in the White House to push card regulations through. In 2010, the Dodd-Frank Act included a cap on debit card swipe fees and other protections for credit card consumers. There are lots of moving parts here. It’s hard to say definitively what happened or why. But the accusations were very powerful. They touched a nerve. In 2012, public anger about the issue of stock trading in Congress was mounting. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Steve Kroft: \u003c/strong>Both the House and the\u003cem> \u003c/em>Senate in a rare display of bipartisanship overwhelmingly passed the Stock Act, which prohibits its members from trading on non-public information gathered during the course of their duties.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Congress passed the Stock Act, stopped trading on congressional knowledge. It’s been said sunlight is the best disinfectant, meaning transparency. The Stock Act required members of Congress to disclose their trades within 30 to 45 days of making them. But the issue didn’t go away. Actually, with the information available to the public, people became more aware of how much money Congress members were making on stock trading. There are even apps you can use to track and literally copy the same stock trades the Pelosi’s and other members of Congress do. When Pelosi came to Congress, she and her husband were already wealthy. Her husband is a finance guy. The family had at least $610,000 worth in stocks. In today’s money, that’s something like 1.8 million. The stock research platform, Quiver Quantitative, estimates that her family currently holds around $135 million in publicly traded assets. In 2021, Pelosi ranked in the top 25 richest people in Congress. Here’s Hillary Brossith, she’s executive director at OpenSecrets, a non-profit that tracks money and politics. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Hilary Braseth: \u003c/strong>We often find that some of the highest drivers of traffic to our site are citizens who are curious about the net worth of any given member of Congress. And Nancy Pelosi, I think in many ways, is one of the main profiles that we often see folks looking up, perhaps because she has quite high of a net worth.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Now, owning stocks can benefit anyone, but the richer you are and the more stocks you own, the more you make when the market goes up. Having private briefings, like members of Congress do, can give them a leg up before the market reacts to news. Business Insider recently published an investigation that found that dozens of Congress members have violated federal conflict of interest laws. Pelosi wasn’t on that list, but many of her colleagues were accused of disclosing after the required disclosure window. And a few were accused of insider trading. It seems obvious that banning members of Congress from trading stocks wouldn’t just stop the practice from happening, but would also remove the appearance of a conflict, but Pelosi opposed it. When Pelosi first ran for her seat back in 1987, her opponents argued that Pelosi’s wealth would put her out of touch with working class people. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Carol Ruth Silver: \u003c/strong>How can she relate to people like me, a single parent, working mother, or somebody else? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Fast forward to 2020. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pelosi went on the James Corden show.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>James Corden: \u003c/strong>Welcome back, we’re here with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and we’ve asked her to share something from her home for late, late show and tell. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>In the segment she showed her freezer full of ice cream.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Speaker Pelosi, what have you found? I don’t know what I would have done if ice cream were not invented.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>People were losing their jobs, terrified about the economy. Trump’s reelection campaign seized on an opportunity to punch back at Pelosi. They posted a video on YouTube called Let Them Eat Ice Cream, Nancy Antoinette, a reference to the infamous Queen of France. It featured the James Corden interview with some creative edits. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival – Nancy Antoinette Video: \u003c/strong>Speaker Pelosi, what are you gonna share with us from your home? Chocolate candy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival – Nancy Antoinette Video: \u003c/strong>Thousands have been forced to wait for hours at food banks all across the country. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival – Nancy Antoinette Video:\u003c/strong>Oh my chocolate and then we have some other chocolate \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>It was a partisan attack, but like her opposition to the congressional stock trading ban, the moment highlighted one of Pelosi’s weaknesses. She can be a little tone deaf to how her own behavior strikes others and how it stokes anger. When we started making this podcast, I knew I wanted to ask Pelosi about congressional stock trading, but I have to say I wasn’t looking forward to bringing it up. I know how she can sometimes go into attack mode when she’s asked about a topic she doesn’t like. She completely rejects accusations that she used knowledge gained as a member of Congress to make favorable stock transactions. She defended her stock trades to me as something everyone does.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>My point of view is if family has investments, stock, I’m not talking about big deal. Most people don’t even realize that their 401k is in the stock market. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>But there are a lot of people who’ve come to Congress and left with a lot more money than they got there. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>If they’re doing something illegal, then they should be charged with that. They have investigated me personally, politically, economically, all the time. They have never come up with anything. They’ve spent a lot of money and a lot time. They can say I have cloven feet and horns in my head and I’m a devil and the rest of that, but they’ve never come with anything that I did anything wrong in Congress. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Josh Hawley was on Fox News saying that, you know, insider trading corruption should be prosecuted.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Not me. Nobody’s ever accused me… \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Well, he was referring to you. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>In 2023, Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri introduced the Pelosi act preventing elected leaders from owning securities and investments. I tried asking Pelosi why she didn’t try and pass a ban when she was leader. So you don’t feel that not getting that passed is a negative part of your legacy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>No, I don’t at all, because the people who, the members didn’t, it’s up to the members to get something passed like that. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Yeah, although as leader, you have a lot of say in what the caucus wants to do. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>No, I didn’t. All you need is a few people to say, we’re not doing this. And some of them were in the leadership. They just thought it was insulting to the members to say you don’t have any values and you don’t have any judgment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>But now she says she does support a ban on stock trading for members of Congress. So I kept pushing her. What changed? You oppose that for many years and I’m wondering.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>No, I didn’t pose it for many years. I posed it when they suggested it, and then Kalkus said they won it and I supported it. It didn’t come forward because there weren’t the votes to bring it forward.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>At the top of the episode, I mentioned a stock trading ban passed Congress in July. But Pelosi didn’t vote for it, because she says it exempted the president.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi:\u003c/strong>\u003cem> \u003c/em>It was a terrible bill. And we wanted it to be more comprehensive, including the President of the United States, because they would never get that signed by the President of the United States. But if you look at that bill, it is totally incomplete. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Now, Pelosi doesn’t like to back down, especially when she feels like these are partisan attacks. But she also knows that appearances matter, and they can undercut trust in elected officials. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>We want to do whatever it takes, and that means even this issue, to restore the confidence people have in the system. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Hilary Braseth of Open Secrets again.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Hilary Braseth: \u003c/strong>Earlier this year, there was a survey that roughly 75% of the country thinks that there is too much money in politics and does not like it. And so this really presents a quandary that those who get elected into public office tend to benefit from the system as it’s designed and don’t have much incentive to change the system or to create tighter rules around how much money they can raise, whether or not they can trade stocks based on. Knowledge they might be privy to.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Senate Democrats ended up blocking the stock trading ban. They promised future reform, but needless to say, any ban passed now wouldn’t take effect until Pelosi leaves office. It’s been over five years since the violent riot at the Capitol. A lot has changed since then. Back in 2018, to round up votes to regain the gavel, Pelosi agreed to a four-year limit on her second speakership. And in 2023, after Democrats lost the House, she stepped down from leadership. President Trump is back in power after defeating former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024. Republicans also maintain control of the House. And after he came back into office, President Trump pardoned those who’d been successfully prosecuted for their role in the January 6th attacks. The formal office of the Speaker of the House is historic and spacious, with vaulted ceilings and ornate wooden furniture, outer sitting areas full of comfortable couches and arm chairs. From a window you can see out across the National Mall. But that’s no longer Pelosi’s domain. Her party’s in the minority now, and her current office? It’s nice enough, but decidedly un-grand. It’s relatively cramped, packed with memorabilia. Colorful gavels, gifts from her constituents, chocolate for people who come to visit her, and sitting on a table, a pair of pink boxing gloves with her initials, NP, bedazzled in rhinestones, a gift from her friend Barbara Boxer. They were a little joke, boxing gloves from a boxer, but I think they really fit. No matter the cost, she goes down swinging. She’s not the speaker anymore, but she’s still Pelosi, calling shots behind the scenes, doing her best to shape the future of a Democratic party that’s up for grabs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>We’re seeing a lot of turmoil in the Democratic Party in terms of candidates. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>I disagree with your terminology. A lot of turmoil in the Democratic Party. There isn’t a lot of turmoil.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>That’s coming up next week on The Speaker. The Speaker is a production of KQED in San Francisco and distributed by NPR. It’s hosted and reported by me, Scott Shafer. It’s reported and produced by Ariella Markowitz. It’s edited by Padmini Raghunath. Final mix and sound designed by Christopher Beale. Fact checking by Mark Betancourt. Additional editing from Anna Sussman and Jen Chien, KQED’s director of podcasts. Original theme song composed by Cedric Wilson. Additional music from APM. Maha Sanad is KQED’s podcast engagement producer. Ethan Toven-Lindsey is KQED’s editor-in-chief. Special thanks to our partners from the Oral History Center at the University of California, Berkeley. Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by the Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television, and radio artists, San Francisco, Northern California local.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In 2016,\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>Nancy Pelosi was planning on retiring from Congress. But Donald Trump’s presidential victory disrupted her plans, and her legacy. Pelosi’s public battles with the President cemented her status as a liberal warrior – spearheading two impeachments and navigating the January 6th attack. But to some in her caucus, including the young progressives of “The Squad,” Pelosi’s approach wasn’t enough to address a new wave of populism and a growing mistrust of government. And amidst this politically fraught landscape, did Pelosi’s actions around stock trading — or inaction, according to some — add fuel to the fire?\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Last episode, we focused on the Affordable Care Act, which then Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi pushed through Congress. But when you ask people about Pelosi, like our producer Ariella Markowitz did on the streets in DC, something else tends to come up. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Last episode, we focused on the Affordable Care Act, which then Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi pushed through Congress. But when you ask people about Pelosi, like our producer Ariella Markowitz did on the streets in DC, something else tends to come up. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ariella Markowitz: \u003c/strong>What comes to mind when you think of Nancy Pelosi?\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Vox 1: \u003c/strong>Man, California, stocks, stock trades, that’s funny. Insider stock trading. He defends that, he’s gotten quite wealthy. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Vox 1: \u003c/strong>Man, California, stocks, stock trades, that’s funny. Insider stock trading. He defends that, he’s gotten quite wealthy. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Vox 2:\u003c/strong>\u003cem> \u003c/em>She has manipulated her position and used it to her benefit.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>It’s something her opponents bring up a lot. Here’s President Trump earlier this year during his State of the Union address. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>It’s something her opponents bring up a lot. Here’s President Trump earlier this year during his State of the Union address. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Donald Trump: \u003c/strong>Let’s also ensure that members of Congress cannot corruptly profit from using insider information. They stood up for that, I can’t believe it. Did Nancy Pelosi stand up if she’s here? Doubt it. Pass the Stop Insider Trading Act without delay. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Donald Trump: \u003c/strong>Let’s also ensure that members of Congress cannot corruptly profit from using insider information. They stood up for that, I can’t believe it. Did Nancy Pelosi stand up if she’s here? Doubt it. Pass the Stop Insider Trading Act without delay. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>A few months later, the House passed a stock trading ban for members of Congress, and Nancy Pelosi voted against it. Some Democrats had an issue with the bill because it included an unrelated voter ID provision, which many critics say is really a way of suppressing Democratic turnout in elections. And the stock trading bill? It wouldn’t have applied if it were the president. Profiteering by President Trump and his family, including prolific stock trading, are a trademark of his second term. But to many, the name Pelosi triggers allegations of corruption. In her second run as Speaker, Pelosi and President Trump became full-on enemies, locked in public brawls that would define both of their legacies. But Pelosi doesn’t really want to go there.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>A few months later, the House passed a stock trading ban for members of Congress, and Nancy Pelosi voted against it. Some Democrats had an issue with the bill because it included an unrelated voter ID provision, which many critics say is really a way of suppressing Democratic turnout in elections. And the stock trading bill? It wouldn’t have applied if it were the president. Profiteering by President Trump and his family, including prolific stock trading, are a trademark of his second term. But to many, the name Pelosi triggers allegations of corruption. In her second run as Speaker, Pelosi and President Trump became full-on enemies, locked in public brawls that would define both of their legacies. But Pelosi doesn’t really want to go there.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>I don’t spend a whole lot of time talking about Trump, so…\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>I know he’s not your favorite.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>No, it’s not my favorite compared to almost any creature crawling the earth. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Still, this creature has defined her final chapter in unexpected ways. From KQED, this is The Speaker. I’m Scott Shafer. Today, how Pelosi responds to what she and many see as a fundamental threat to democracy. President Trump. And with faith in the Democratic Party and public trust in U.S. Institutions at their lowest in decades, the shadow that hangs over her legacy. Accusations of insider stock trading in Congress. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Still, this creature has defined her final chapter in unexpected ways. From KQED, this is The Speaker. I’m Scott Shafer. Today, how Pelosi responds to what she and many see as a fundamental threat to democracy. President Trump. And with faith in the Democratic Party and public trust in U.S. Institutions at their lowest in decades, the shadow that hangs over her legacy. Accusations of insider stock trading in Congress. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Pelosi says she planned on retiring after the 2016 election. She would have been 76 years old, and she was assuming that a Democrat would win. You were really ready to say, that’s it, I’m done.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Well, I was ready to say it a number of times, but I only thought I would go 10 years. I never thought I’d run for Congress, much less for leadership. And then the members, you have to stay, you have stay, you to stay. And so I did.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Well, I was ready to say it a number of times, but I only thought I would go 10 years. I never thought I’d run for Congress, much less for leadership. And then the members, you have to stay, you have stay, you to stay. And so I did.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>She thought her crowning achievement, the Affordable Care Act, her baby, would be protected under a President Hillary Clinton. On November 8, 2016, Pelosi was in Washington with her colleagues, waiting for the returns to come in.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>One of my colleagues was the chairman of the party in Philadelphia. And we were getting returns from him saying, they told us if we got over 500,000 in Philadelphia, we would carry Pennsylvania. So one night he’d say, it’s getting closer, but we’re okay, it was getting closer. Then finally he said, you know, the turnout from McCall, but you know just naming the names of some counties is just unprecedented. We’re not gonna be able to offset it. I was like getting kicked in the back by a mule.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>One of my colleagues was the chairman of the party in Philadelphia. And we were getting returns from him saying, they told us if we got over 500,000 in Philadelphia, we would carry Pennsylvania. So one night he’d say, it’s getting closer, but we’re okay, it was getting closer. Then finally he said, you know, the turnout from McCall, but you know just naming the names of some counties is just unprecedented. We’re not gonna be able to offset it. I was like getting kicked in the back by a mule.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>During his first campaign for president, Trump had leaned into people’s cynicism and mistrust of politicians.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>During his first campaign for president, Trump had leaned into people’s cynicism and mistrust of politicians.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Donald Trump: \u003c/strong>If we win on November 8th, we are going to drain the swamp in Washington, D.C. We’re draining the swamp.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Donald Trump: \u003c/strong>If we win on November 8th, we are going to drain the swamp in Washington, D.C. We’re draining the swamp.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>After he won, President Trump issued a flurry of executive orders and policies. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>After he won, President Trump issued a flurry of executive orders and policies. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>President Trump’s most recent executive order effectively banned citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S. For at least 90 days. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>President Trump’s most recent executive order effectively banned citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S. For at least 90 days. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>Today President Donald Trump is continuing to defend his administration’s policy. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>Today President Donald Trump is continuing to defend his administration’s policy. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Donald Trump: \u003c/strong>When you prosecute the parents for coming in illegally, which should happen, you have to take the children away. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Donald Trump: \u003c/strong>When you prosecute the parents for coming in illegally, which should happen, you have to take the children away. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>And, in 2017, when white supremacists rallied in Charlottesville, Virginia? \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>And, in 2017, when white supremacists rallied in Charlottesville, Virginia? \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>There are people, bodies laying on the ground right now.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>There are people, bodies laying on the ground right now.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>NAZIS GO HOME! \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>In response to the violence, Trump said this.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Donald Trump: \u003c/strong>Very fine people on both sides \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>In the midst of all this, Pelosi and Democrats campaigned hard to defeat Republicans in the 2018 midterms. But economic unrest was starting to influence the Democratic Party’s politics. For years there had been discontent on the left about the 2008 bailout and economic disparity. A movement called Occupy Wall Street kicked off in 2011. The slogan was, we are the 99 percent. In 2016, Senator Bernie Sanders had been a grassroots presidential candidate, and he was popular. More than 40 percent of people who voted in the primaries wanted him to be the nominee.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Bernie Sanders: \u003c/strong>The reason that we have done so well, the reason I believe we’re going to do so well in the Hampshire and in the other states that follow, the reason is the American people are saying no to a rigged economy. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Bernie Sanders: \u003c/strong>The reason that we have done so well, the reason I believe we’re going to do so well in the Hampshire and in the other states that follow, the reason is the American people are saying no to a rigged economy. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Sanders had run on a message about economic inequality.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Bernie Sanders: \u003c/strong>They no longer want to see an economy in which the average American works longer hours for low wages while almost all new income and wealth is going to the top 1%.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Bernie Sanders: \u003c/strong>They no longer want to see an economy in which the average American works longer hours for low wages while almost all new income and wealth is going to the top 1%.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Some people argue that this energy helped Democrats take back the House in 2018, two years into Trump’s presidency. They’d been out of power since the Tea Party had stormed into Congress almost a decade earlier. That election night, Pelosi took the stage again to the chants of \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Thank you all, thank you all very much, remember this feeling, know the power to win. Today is more than about Democrats and Republicans, it’s about restoring the Constitution’s checks and balances to the Trump administration.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Thank you all, thank you all very much, remember this feeling, know the power to win. Today is more than about Democrats and Republicans, it’s about restoring the Constitution’s checks and balances to the Trump administration.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>And with that election, a wave of newcomers with bold ideas, including four progressive women who became known as the Squad. Ayanna Pressley from Massachusetts, Rashida Tlaib from Michigan, Ilhan Omar from Minnesota, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, AOC, from New York. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>And with that election, a wave of newcomers with bold ideas, including four progressive women who became known as the Squad. Ayanna Pressley from Massachusetts, Rashida Tlaib from Michigan, Ilhan Omar from Minnesota, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, AOC, from New York. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: \u003c/strong>I think what we’ve seen is that working-class Americans want a clear champion and there is nothing radical about moral clarity in 2018.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: \u003c/strong>I think what we’ve seen is that working-class Americans want a clear champion and there is nothing radical about moral clarity in 2018.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>AOC is a democratic socialist, like Bernie Sanders. She defeated Joe Crowley, one of Pelosi’s top deputies in leadership. Many had actually seen Crowley as the person best positioned to become speaker after Pelosi left. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>AOC is a democratic socialist, like Bernie Sanders. She defeated Joe Crowley, one of Pelosi’s top deputies in leadership. Many had actually seen Crowley as the person best positioned to become speaker after Pelosi left. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>He didn’t pay enough attention to his district. That, you know, that’s really what it is. It was an election in the summer. So I had very low turnout. I mean, he was predicating his success on how things go in a full election. But AOC ran a great campaign and it was stunning because he’s terrific and respected and he was chair of the caucus, I think, at the time. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>He didn’t pay enough attention to his district. That, you know, that’s really what it is. It was an election in the summer. So I had very low turnout. I mean, he was predicating his success on how things go in a full election. But AOC ran a great campaign and it was stunning because he’s terrific and respected and he was chair of the caucus, I think, at the time. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Needless to say, there was some friction between the new members and the old guard. Before being sworn in, AOC joined a climate protest outside Pelosi’s office. People are holding yellow signs that say Green Jobs for All.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Needless to say, there was some friction between the new members and the old guard. Before being sworn in, AOC joined a climate protest outside Pelosi’s office. People are holding yellow signs that say Green Jobs for All.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: \u003c/strong>I just want to let you all know how proud I am of each and every single one of you for putting yourselves and your bodies and everything on the line to make sure that we save our planet, our generation, and our home.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: \u003c/strong>I just want to let you all know how proud I am of each and every single one of you for putting yourselves and your bodies and everything on the line to make sure that we save our planet, our generation, and our home.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Pelosi told me she was the wrong target for their protest.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>They should not have been in my office as a start because we had done more on climate than anybody.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>They should not have been in my office as a start because we had done more on climate than anybody.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Once they won back the House, some new, younger members were among those questioning whether Pelosi was the right leader for the House Democrats. But after cutting some deals, Pelosi was easily elected speaker for a second time. The squad cast their votes for her, too. Her swearing in was joyous.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>I’d like to call my grandchildren up to be here when I take you, and any other children who want to join them. Come on, kids. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>I’d like to call my grandchildren up to be here when I take you, and any other children who want to join them. Come on, kids. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>She’d have her work cut out for her. In June of 2019, the House was considering an appropriations bill that would provide funds to process and detain migrants at the border, but also for an emergency food and shelter program, money to help deal with what people were calling a humanitarian crisis. This bill was being debated a year after the Trump administration rolled out and then backed down on a policy that criminally prosecuted all adults crossing the border without papers. The Zero Tolerance Policy meant children were separated from their parents. It was something AOC spoke about at an oversight committee hearing in July 2019. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>She’d have her work cut out for her. In June of 2019, the House was considering an appropriations bill that would provide funds to process and detain migrants at the border, but also for an emergency food and shelter program, money to help deal with what people were calling a humanitarian crisis. This bill was being debated a year after the Trump administration rolled out and then backed down on a policy that criminally prosecuted all adults crossing the border without papers. The Zero Tolerance Policy meant children were separated from their parents. It was something AOC spoke about at an oversight committee hearing in July 2019. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: \u003c/strong>And what was worse about this, Mr. Chairman, was the fact that there were American flags hanging all over these facilities, that children being separated from their parents in front of an American flag.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: \u003c/strong>And what was worse about this, Mr. Chairman, was the fact that there were American flags hanging all over these facilities, that children being separated from their parents in front of an American flag.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Progressives didn’t want to give more money to the agencies that carried out Trump’s harsh border policies. Pelosi and other Democratic leaders negotiated with them, added additional health and safety standards for migrant children to the bill, but the squad still defected. They were the only Democrats to vote no on the House bill. You described the squad as just four votes. It was. That’s what it was. It was four votes This may sound harsh, but it’s how Pelosi sees things. They were a small obstacle that didn’t affect her vote count. But Pelosi would be challenged again by the progressive wing when she had to give up the House bill with stronger protections for a Senate version. She was disappointed that Senate Democrats hadn’t fought for a better bill, but she decided to compromise and push it through. That caused public outrage from House progressives. AOC took her issues with Pelosi public. She said in an interview with the Washington Post… That she felt the squad had been singled out by Pelosi, implied it was because they were four women of color. AOC’s chief of staff compared centrist Democrats to segregationists on Twitter. He asked why this so-called legislative mastermind, referring to Pelosi, couldn’t get more done on kitchen table issues. By some accounts, Pelosi was furious. Even today, you can hear the annoyance in her voice.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Progressives didn’t want to give more money to the agencies that carried out Trump’s harsh border policies. Pelosi and other Democratic leaders negotiated with them, added additional health and safety standards for migrant children to the bill, but the squad still defected. They were the only Democrats to vote no on the House bill. You described the squad as just four votes. It was. That’s what it was. It was four votes This may sound harsh, but it’s how Pelosi sees things. They were a small obstacle that didn’t affect her vote count. But Pelosi would be challenged again by the progressive wing when she had to give up the House bill with stronger protections for a Senate version. She was disappointed that Senate Democrats hadn’t fought for a better bill, but she decided to compromise and push it through. That caused public outrage from House progressives. AOC took her issues with Pelosi public. She said in an interview with the Washington Post… That she felt the squad had been singled out by Pelosi, implied it was because they were four women of color. AOC’s chief of staff compared centrist Democrats to segregationists on Twitter. He asked why this so-called legislative mastermind, referring to Pelosi, couldn’t get more done on kitchen table issues. By some accounts, Pelosi was furious. Even today, you can hear the annoyance in her voice.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>If you want to legislate, don’t be on airwaves criticizing the people whose votes you need. You can be here as a legislator where you need the votes of people for an issue that you may want to advance, or you can be an internet where you’re here to criticize your colleagues and expect them to vote for your bill.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>If you want to legislate, don’t be on airwaves criticizing the people whose votes you need. You can be here as a legislator where you need the votes of people for an issue that you may want to advance, or you can be an internet where you’re here to criticize your colleagues and expect them to vote for your bill.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>In one closed-door meeting with her Democratic caucus, she told them to bring their grievances to her, not tweet about them to the public. She said at the end of the day, her goal was to help the children. She told them, some of you are here to make a beautiful pate, but we’re making sausage most of the time. Our producer Ariella asked Representative Ilhan Omar, part of the squad, about this.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>In one closed-door meeting with her Democratic caucus, she told them to bring their grievances to her, not tweet about them to the public. She said at the end of the day, her goal was to help the children. She told them, some of you are here to make a beautiful pate, but we’re making sausage most of the time. Our producer Ariella asked Representative Ilhan Omar, part of the squad, about this.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ariella Markowitz: \u003c/strong>She was giving speeches about sausages versus pates and all of this. What do you think about that got under her skin? \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ariella Markowitz: \u003c/strong>She was giving speeches about sausages versus pates and all of this. What do you think about that got under her skin? \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ilhan Omar: \u003c/strong>I think she herself saw herself as a progressive and in some ways might’ve felt insulted that the progressive movement didn’t think of her as being one of them. And she felt like because she was the speaker and she’s the leader for the whole caucus and the whole House, that the decisions that she had to make had to be for the good of the whole.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ilhan Omar: \u003c/strong>I think she herself saw herself as a progressive and in some ways might’ve felt insulted that the progressive movement didn’t think of her as being one of them. And she felt like because she was the speaker and she’s the leader for the whole caucus and the whole House, that the decisions that she had to make had to be for the good of the whole.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Now as I thought about these showdowns between the squad and the speaker, I remember how Pelosi herself had sort of ignored Congressional norms when she got to Washington. So I asked her how she felt about AOC. I wonder if you saw a little bit of yourself in her.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Now as I thought about these showdowns between the squad and the speaker, I remember how Pelosi herself had sort of ignored Congressional norms when she got to Washington. So I asked her how she felt about AOC. I wonder if you saw a little bit of yourself in her.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>No, I didn’t at all.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>No, I didn’t at all.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>I don’t know. Well, wait until you hear the question. Well, you just asked it, and I said no. I mean, whatBrase I’m thinking of is when you first got there in your very first speech, you talked about AIDS. You were kind of breaking the protocol a little bit. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>I don’t know. Well, wait until you hear the question. Well, you just asked it, and I said no. I mean, whatBrase I’m thinking of is when you first got there in your very first speech, you talked about AIDS. You were kind of breaking the protocol a little bit. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>She’s operational, make no mistake, some of those squads are not. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>She’s operational, make no mistake, some of those squads are not. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Say what you mean by that.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Say what you mean by that.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Operational is that she knows that she wants to accomplish something. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Operational is that she knows that she wants to accomplish something. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Operational. This is one of Pelosi’s favorite words. It’s what Congresswoman Sala Burton said about Pelosi before she endorsed her back in 1987. So when Pelosi called AOC operational, this was a mark of respect. She’s learned how to get things done. Here’s the thing, Pelosi comes from progressive San Francisco. She thinks of herself as a liberal, cares about things like ending poverty, providing health care, and believes the government should be a force for good. But she values something else, too, maybe even more than anything else, being effective. It means working within a system she ultimately believes in to get things done, being willing to compromise in the process. But in this era of President Trump… Was being operational enough? Even though she loathed President Trump, Pelosi tried to enter their first meeting with an open mind. Out of respect for the institution.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Operational. This is one of Pelosi’s favorite words. It’s what Congresswoman Sala Burton said about Pelosi before she endorsed her back in 1987. So when Pelosi called AOC operational, this was a mark of respect. She’s learned how to get things done. Here’s the thing, Pelosi comes from progressive San Francisco. She thinks of herself as a liberal, cares about things like ending poverty, providing health care, and believes the government should be a force for good. But she values something else, too, maybe even more than anything else, being effective. It means working within a system she ultimately believes in to get things done, being willing to compromise in the process. But in this era of President Trump… Was being operational enough? Even though she loathed President Trump, Pelosi tried to enter their first meeting with an open mind. Out of respect for the institution.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>This is historic. It’s a meeting between the new president and the leadership of the Congress, bipartisan leadership in the Congress. I’ve been in that meeting many times with President Bush, Obama. It’s historic. And so I’m sitting there thinking, why don’t we begin? Will he quote the Bible? Will he talk about America and founders and what America means to us? And we talk about his family and what this… Means to him, how will he begin this meeting? He leans over on the desk like this, the table, and says, you know, I won the popular vote. It was totally offensive. So I thought, well, that’s not true. That’s not truth. And he said, well I’m not even counting California.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>This is historic. It’s a meeting between the new president and the leadership of the Congress, bipartisan leadership in the Congress. I’ve been in that meeting many times with President Bush, Obama. It’s historic. And so I’m sitting there thinking, why don’t we begin? Will he quote the Bible? Will he talk about America and founders and what America means to us? And we talk about his family and what this… Means to him, how will he begin this meeting? He leans over on the desk like this, the table, and says, you know, I won the popular vote. It was totally offensive. So I thought, well, that’s not true. That’s not truth. And he said, well I’m not even counting California.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>The relationship went downhill from there. You may remember some of those moments, like in 2018 when Pelosi walked out of a meeting with Trump in a red coat and Armani sunglasses looking completely relaxed. She put her sunglasses on right in time for the photos. The image went viral.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>The relationship went downhill from there. You may remember some of those moments, like in 2018 when Pelosi walked out of a meeting with Trump in a red coat and Armani sunglasses looking completely relaxed. She put her sunglasses on right in time for the photos. The image went viral.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>The new power suit for women, red coats, sunglasses, nerves of steel. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>I had no idea, I just put on my coat and walked out to the press, which is outside. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Or you may remember her dressed in all white, standing behind the president. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>But Nancy Pelosi became the queen of condescending applause. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>But Nancy Pelosi became the queen of condescending applause. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Clapping sarcastically at Trump during his 2019 State of the Union address. She clearly wasn’t intimidated by him. After all, this is the same woman who called Bush incompetent on national TV and refused to apologize for it. To me, it seems like Pelosi was adapting to the moment. She was smart enough to sense that in this era of politics, it’s those viral images that stick with people, not the closed-door legislative rooms Pelosi was used cutting deals in. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Clapping sarcastically at Trump during his 2019 State of the Union address. She clearly wasn’t intimidated by him. After all, this is the same woman who called Bush incompetent on national TV and refused to apologize for it. To me, it seems like Pelosi was adapting to the moment. She was smart enough to sense that in this era of politics, it’s those viral images that stick with people, not the closed-door legislative rooms Pelosi was used cutting deals in. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>The fact is, people want to see moments. You know, I hear speeches, they want to see moments, what people are happy about is that I did that, that I pointed to him, that I walked out of the office, because it spoke to their, how they felt or believed at the time. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>The fact is, people want to see moments. You know, I hear speeches, they want to see moments, what people are happy about is that I did that, that I pointed to him, that I walked out of the office, because it spoke to their, how they felt or believed at the time. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>She was getting under his skin. To those in the Trump 1.0 administration, Pelosi was an obstructionist. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mick Mulvaney: \u003c/strong>Nancy was just so difficult to work with. Again, she may take that as a badge of honor, and I get it, there’s a lot of Republicans who take their unwillingness to compromise with Democrats as a badge of honor. So she’s not unique in that, but she had zero interest in doing anything with Donald Trump.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mick Mulvaney: \u003c/strong>Nancy was just so difficult to work with. Again, she may take that as a badge of honor, and I get it, there’s a lot of Republicans who take their unwillingness to compromise with Democrats as a badge of honor. So she’s not unique in that, but she had zero interest in doing anything with Donald Trump.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>That’s Mick Mulvaney, who was President Trump’s chief of staff when Pelosi regained the speakership. We talked to him last episode, a Tea Party guy who campaigned for his House seat against the Affordable Care Act and won. He said President Trump respected Pelosi at first.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>That’s Mick Mulvaney, who was President Trump’s chief of staff when Pelosi regained the speakership. We talked to him last episode, a Tea Party guy who campaigned for his House seat against the Affordable Care Act and won. He said President Trump respected Pelosi at first.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mick Mulvaney: \u003c/strong>He respects strength and that’s certainly what she has. When she was doing what she was doing, she had a margin roughly the same size that Mike Johnson has today in the House. And she was able to corral her party and he respected that. But at the end of the day, she had zero interest in being with the guy and I think the country is worse for it. If they had wanted to sit down and cut some deals, they could have had a tremendous bipartisan deal on infrastructure. I even think they could’ve had a tremendous bipartisan on immigration. But it was fight, fight, fighting the whole time. And it was bitter and poisonous.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mick Mulvaney: \u003c/strong>He respects strength and that’s certainly what she has. When she was doing what she was doing, she had a margin roughly the same size that Mike Johnson has today in the House. And she was able to corral her party and he respected that. But at the end of the day, she had zero interest in being with the guy and I think the country is worse for it. If they had wanted to sit down and cut some deals, they could have had a tremendous bipartisan deal on infrastructure. I even think they could’ve had a tremendous bipartisan on immigration. But it was fight, fight, fighting the whole time. And it was bitter and poisonous.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>While Republicans felt Pelosi was just an obstacle to getting anything done, many Democrats were calling for Trump’s impeachment. But Pelosi was wary.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>While Republicans felt Pelosi was just an obstacle to getting anything done, many Democrats were calling for Trump’s impeachment. But Pelosi was wary.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>People wanted to impeach him just because he was obnoxious and dyed his hair orange. Everybody had a thing of he’s not really presidential. That’s not a cause for impeachment. You know what I’m saying?\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>People wanted to impeach him just because he was obnoxious and dyed his hair orange. Everybody had a thing of he’s not really presidential. That’s not a cause for impeachment. You know what I’m saying?\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>But then, in the summer of 2019, President Trump gave Democrats their opportunity.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi:\u003c/strong>\u003cem> \u003c/em>I’ve said the only person who’s responsible for the impeachment of Donald Trump, not once but twice, is Donald Trump. He gave us no choice.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi:\u003c/strong>\u003cem> \u003c/em>I’ve said the only person who’s responsible for the impeachment of Donald Trump, not once but twice, is Donald Trump. He gave us no choice.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>A whistleblower said that in a phone call, Trump tried to get Ukrainian President Zelensky to investigate Trump’s rival in the upcoming election, Joe Biden, and his son Hunter. The White House released a transcript of the call, and President Trump tried to deflect to the debunked claim that Joe Biden was linked to a corruption scandal. And let me tell you something, Biden’s son is corrupt, and Biden is corrupt. To Pelosi, this attempt to interfere with the 2020 election was the unconstitutional violation Democrats could not ignore. This would be the grounds for the impeachment case.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>A whistleblower said that in a phone call, Trump tried to get Ukrainian President Zelensky to investigate Trump’s rival in the upcoming election, Joe Biden, and his son Hunter. The White House released a transcript of the call, and President Trump tried to deflect to the debunked claim that Joe Biden was linked to a corruption scandal. And let me tell you something, Biden’s son is corrupt, and Biden is corrupt. To Pelosi, this attempt to interfere with the 2020 election was the unconstitutional violation Democrats could not ignore. This would be the grounds for the impeachment case.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>What he did was wrong. Now, different other things you could have included in that we said, you have to keep it simple. What is the thing that crosses the line, not just on its own might be grounds for impeachment, but not on the caliber of the Zelensky letter. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>What he did was wrong. Now, different other things you could have included in that we said, you have to keep it simple. What is the thing that crosses the line, not just on its own might be grounds for impeachment, but not on the caliber of the Zelensky letter. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>But Pelosi didn’t revel in the impeachment, she actually silenced the applause after the impeachment vote with a stern glance and a hand gesture.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>But Pelosi didn’t revel in the impeachment, she actually silenced the applause after the impeachment vote with a stern glance and a hand gesture.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Article 1 is adopted. The question is on adoption of Article 2.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Article 1 is adopted. The question is on adoption of Article 2.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>You can count votes. You were probably, I’m guessing, pretty confident the Senate would not convict, right? They needed 67 votes. Why did you think it was important to go ahead and really start a process that you knew ultimately you would not?\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>You can count votes. You were probably, I’m guessing, pretty confident the Senate would not convict, right? They needed 67 votes. Why did you think it was important to go ahead and really start a process that you knew ultimately you would not?\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>We did succeed. We impeached him twice. But you think that we should be guided by what the Senate might do? You think that, we would say, well, the president has committed impregnable offenses of highest magnitude, and we shouldn’t do that because we don’t know what some senators are going to do? No. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>We did succeed. We impeached him twice. But you think that we should be guided by what the Senate might do? You think that, we would say, well, the president has committed impregnable offenses of highest magnitude, and we shouldn’t do that because we don’t know what some senators are going to do? No. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Donald Trump: \u003c/strong>I am thrilled to report to you tonight that our economy is the best it has ever been. Our military is completely rebuilt, with its power being unmatched anywhere in the world, and it’s not even close. It was February\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Donald Trump: \u003c/strong>I am thrilled to report to you tonight that our economy is the best it has ever been. Our military is completely rebuilt, with its power being unmatched anywhere in the world, and it’s not even close. It was February\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>The day before the Senate voted to acquit Trump of both impeachment charges. President Trump was giving his State of the Union speech, and Pelosi went a step further than she’d ever gone before. She was sitting behind Trump, in her house. He’d chosen that night to honor right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh, who held notoriously homophobic views. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>The day before the Senate voted to acquit Trump of both impeachment charges. President Trump was giving his State of the Union speech, and Pelosi went a step further than she’d ever gone before. She was sitting behind Trump, in her house. He’d chosen that night to honor right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh, who held notoriously homophobic views. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Donald Trump: \u003c/strong>And Rush, in recognition of all that you have done for our nation, the millions of people a day that you speak to and that you inspire, I am proud to announce tonight that you will be receiving our country’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Donald Trump: \u003c/strong>And Rush, in recognition of all that you have done for our nation, the millions of people a day that you speak to and that you inspire, I am proud to announce tonight that you will be receiving our country’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Pelosi sat there, lips pursed, looking down at the printed speech, looking away from the balcony where Limbaugh was, and toward her caucus in the audience. As Trump finished his speech, saying the best was yet to come, she stood up, not clapping, but ripping up the president’s printed remarks two or three pages at a time, biting her lip. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Pelosi sat there, lips pursed, looking down at the printed speech, looking away from the balcony where Limbaugh was, and toward her caucus in the audience. As Trump finished his speech, saying the best was yet to come, she stood up, not clapping, but ripping up the president’s printed remarks two or three pages at a time, biting her lip. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>I didn’t intend to do that. It just was a manifesto of lies. And I wasn’t just gonna let that stand. I just wasn’t gonna let it stand. As courteous as we are to a guest in our house, when he abuses that courtesy, when he lies there the whole time, gives a medal of freedom to an anti-gay, blah, blah, and our house. Do that at the White House. We don’t agree with your choice, but that’s your choice. You’re the president, but don’t come here and sully the House of Representatives chamber. With your obnoxious behavior. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>I didn’t intend to do that. It just was a manifesto of lies. And I wasn’t just gonna let that stand. I just wasn’t gonna let it stand. As courteous as we are to a guest in our house, when he abuses that courtesy, when he lies there the whole time, gives a medal of freedom to an anti-gay, blah, blah, and our house. Do that at the White House. We don’t agree with your choice, but that’s your choice. You’re the president, but don’t come here and sully the House of Representatives chamber. With your obnoxious behavior. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer:\u003c/strong>\u003cem> \u003c/em>Pelosi, at her heart, believes in institutions. She respects the separation of powers, the three branches of government, and the staying power of those institutions. But to me, it seemed like at that moment something changed for her, not even standing with polite, respectful applause for the president as she did behind President George W. Bush for both of his State of the Union addresses when she was speaker, instead A stunning act of defiance on primetime television. Nine months later, Joe Biden won the presidential election. Trump was out. On January 6, 2021, Pelosi, along with Vice President Mike Pence, were overseeing the certification of the election. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer:\u003c/strong>\u003cem> \u003c/em>Pelosi, at her heart, believes in institutions. She respects the separation of powers, the three branches of government, and the staying power of those institutions. But to me, it seemed like at that moment something changed for her, not even standing with polite, respectful applause for the president as she did behind President George W. Bush for both of his State of the Union addresses when she was speaker, instead A stunning act of defiance on primetime television. Nine months later, Joe Biden won the presidential election. Trump was out. On January 6, 2021, Pelosi, along with Vice President Mike Pence, were overseeing the certification of the election. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>We didn’t anticipate violence. We didn’t expect the President of the United States to incite an insurrection.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>We didn’t anticipate violence. We didn’t expect the President of the United States to incite an insurrection.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jan 6 Archival: \u003c/strong>We’re starting to get surrounded. They’re taking the north-west scaffolding. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jan 6 Archival: \u003c/strong>We’re starting to get surrounded. They’re taking the north-west scaffolding. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Protesters attack the west side of the Capitol, where presidential inauguration ceremonies are held. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Protesters attack the west side of the Capitol, where presidential inauguration ceremonies are held. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Security came to me and they said we’re taking you out I said I can handle this guy you know we’re ready \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Security came to me and they said we’re taking you out I said I can handle this guy you know we’re ready \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jan 6 Archival: \u003c/strong>We are walking over now to the tunnel\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jan 6 Archival: \u003c/strong>We are walking over now to the tunnel\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>We could see on TV, because when you’re in the chamber, you can’t see. You see on tv what was happening, that they were coming to the Capitol. It’s really hard to explain. This is the citadel of democracy to the world. And these people are coming in, breaking windows, and they go in, and we’re seeing them go into the Capitol with Dixie flags, you know, Confederate flags, under the dome that Lincoln built when he was president. He built it during the Civil War. People said to him, use the steel for the war and the personnel for the War. He said. No, we have to show the world that we are resilient. So they continue with the dome. Under Lincoln’s dome, Confederate flags. One guy with a shirt, six million Jews were not enough. Auschwitz. That’s. What this was, assaulting police, all the rest of that, defecating on the floor. I say this because this brute who was president now wants to give them money for killing or endangering the lives of police officers. They were gonna get a bullet in my effing brain. They use the F word a lot about me throughout the whole thing. They were going to hang the vice president. Gallows for him.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>We could see on TV, because when you’re in the chamber, you can’t see. You see on tv what was happening, that they were coming to the Capitol. It’s really hard to explain. This is the citadel of democracy to the world. And these people are coming in, breaking windows, and they go in, and we’re seeing them go into the Capitol with Dixie flags, you know, Confederate flags, under the dome that Lincoln built when he was president. He built it during the Civil War. People said to him, use the steel for the war and the personnel for the War. He said. No, we have to show the world that we are resilient. So they continue with the dome. Under Lincoln’s dome, Confederate flags. One guy with a shirt, six million Jews were not enough. Auschwitz. That’s. What this was, assaulting police, all the rest of that, defecating on the floor. I say this because this brute who was president now wants to give them money for killing or endangering the lives of police officers. They were gonna get a bullet in my effing brain. They use the F word a lot about me throughout the whole thing. They were going to hang the vice president. Gallows for him.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>No doubt, many in the mob hated Pelosi. They came looking for her. They broke into her speaker’s office. A man put his feet up on her desk. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>No doubt, many in the mob hated Pelosi. They came looking for her. They broke into her speaker’s office. A man put his feet up on her desk. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jan 6 Archival: \u003c/strong>Where are you Nancy? We’re looking for you! She’s in jail!\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jan 6 Archival: \u003c/strong>Where are you Nancy? We’re looking for you! She’s in jail!\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Have you ever, you know, given yourself the permission to think about what would have happened if they had found you?\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Have you ever, you know, given yourself the permission to think about what would have happened if they had found you?\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Well, here’s the thing that I thought. I wasn’t really thinking so much about my personal safety. I was thinking about my grandson who was with me. His mother, Alexandra, took the boys to see an historic event, the transfer of power.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Well, here’s the thing that I thought. I wasn’t really thinking so much about my personal safety. I was thinking about my grandson who was with me. His mother, Alexandra, took the boys to see an historic event, the transfer of power.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>But something fundamental had broken.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>And this vile creature, the vilest creature to ever crawl the face of the earth. And they said, well, what about Hitler? I said, he wasn’t president of the United States. Insights are an insurrection, sits in his office, and then won’t let the police, the National Guard come and then lies about it the whole time. I called the governor of Virginia. They said they had their troops ready. These people are so idiotic, but let’s put that over all of them. The secretary of the army who had the jurisdiction to. So I have to talk to my boss. That’s the secretary of defense. Haven’t you done that yet? Well, this is hard. It’s complicated. It takes time. I said, they have been attacking the Capitol. Well, I have to go ask my boss and well, you have to have authority at the location. I said there, look, authority is there. You need to be able to send the national guard. But they may, they avoided everything about it because their boss. The Commander-in-Chief, who can say over any of that, was just holding them back. And even some of the Republicans were asking the President to call off those guys, and he still wouldn’t do it. This is, I want to tell you something, this is a demonic figure, this guy who is unfortunately in the White House.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>And this vile creature, the vilest creature to ever crawl the face of the earth. And they said, well, what about Hitler? I said, he wasn’t president of the United States. Insights are an insurrection, sits in his office, and then won’t let the police, the National Guard come and then lies about it the whole time. I called the governor of Virginia. They said they had their troops ready. These people are so idiotic, but let’s put that over all of them. The secretary of the army who had the jurisdiction to. So I have to talk to my boss. That’s the secretary of defense. Haven’t you done that yet? Well, this is hard. It’s complicated. It takes time. I said, they have been attacking the Capitol. Well, I have to go ask my boss and well, you have to have authority at the location. I said there, look, authority is there. You need to be able to send the national guard. But they may, they avoided everything about it because their boss. The Commander-in-Chief, who can say over any of that, was just holding them back. And even some of the Republicans were asking the President to call off those guys, and he still wouldn’t do it. This is, I want to tell you something, this is a demonic figure, this guy who is unfortunately in the White House.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>I know you’re very religious. Did you pray?\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Of course we prayed, prayed for our country. We prayed for those who were under assault.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Of course we prayed, prayed for our country. We prayed for those who were under assault.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>A few hours after the attack, authorities confirmed the Capitol had been secured. Congress was going to continue certifying the election results\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>A few hours after the attack, authorities confirmed the Capitol had been secured. Congress was going to continue certifying the election results\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>\u003cem> \u003c/em>I said, you know what, we’re going to the floor. That’s where this assault occurred, that’s where we’re going back to show the world.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>\u003cem> \u003c/em>I said, you know what, we’re going to the floor. That’s where this assault occurred, that’s where we’re going back to show the world.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>In the early hours of the morning on January 7th, 2021, the election was certified. In his final days in office, Nancy Pelosi would lead another impeachment against President Trump for inciting the insurrection. The FBI investigated the rioters. There were prosecutions. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>In the early hours of the morning on January 7th, 2021, the election was certified. In his final days in office, Nancy Pelosi would lead another impeachment against President Trump for inciting the insurrection. The FBI investigated the rioters. There were prosecutions. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>The Arkansas man who was photographed on January 6th with his feet up on Nancy Pelosi’s desk was sentenced yesterday. He got four and a half years in prison. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>The Arkansas man who was photographed on January 6th with his feet up on Nancy Pelosi’s desk was sentenced yesterday. He got four and a half years in prison. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Biden became president. Working together in the midst of the COVID pandemic, he and Pelosi muscled some big bills through a divided Congress. The Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPS and Science Act. But during her last years as speaker, Pelosi made headlines for another reason. In 2021, at a press conference, a reporter from Business Insider asked Pelosi a question.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Biden became president. Working together in the midst of the COVID pandemic, he and Pelosi muscled some big bills through a divided Congress. The Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPS and Science Act. But during her last years as speaker, Pelosi made headlines for another reason. In 2021, at a press conference, a reporter from Business Insider asked Pelosi a question.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Business Insider Reporter: \u003c/strong>Should members of Congress and their spouses be banned from trading individual stocks while serving in Congress? \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Business Insider Reporter: \u003c/strong>Should members of Congress and their spouses be banned from trading individual stocks while serving in Congress? \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>No, I don’t know to this second one, we have a responsibility to report in the stock, on the stock but I’m not familiar with that five month review but if people aren’t reporting they should be. Because this is a free market and people, we have a free-market economy, they should be able to participate in that.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>No, I don’t know to this second one, we have a responsibility to report in the stock, on the stock but I’m not familiar with that five month review but if people aren’t reporting they should be. Because this is a free market and people, we have a free-market economy, they should be able to participate in that.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Pelosi was firm in her response. No ban on stock trading. At that moment, she didn’t see the backlash, but it had been coming for years. Back in 2011, Pelosi had just gotten the Affordable Care Act across the finish line. She lost the speakership, but was still leader of House Democrats. Then, the CBS News magazine 60 Minutes published a bombshell investigation.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Pelosi was firm in her response. No ban on stock trading. At that moment, she didn’t see the backlash, but it had been coming for years. Back in 2011, Pelosi had just gotten the Affordable Care Act across the finish line. She lost the speakership, but was still leader of House Democrats. Then, the CBS News magazine 60 Minutes published a bombshell investigation.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Peter Schweizer: \u003c/strong>There are all sorts of forms of honest grafts that congressmen engage in that allow them to become very, very wealthy. So it’s not illegal, but I think it’s highly unethical. I think it’s highly offensive and wrong.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Peter Schweizer: \u003c/strong>There are all sorts of forms of honest grafts that congressmen engage in that allow them to become very, very wealthy. So it’s not illegal, but I think it’s highly unethical. I think it’s highly offensive and wrong.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>That’s Peter Schweizer, the main source in the story. At the time, Schweizer was a fellow at the Hoover Institute, a conservative think tank. He’d been criticized as early as 1993 for fabricating sources and events in his book, Friendly Spies. He’d go on to publish Clinton Cash in 2015, a book that Media Matters concluded contained over 20 errors, fabrications, and distortions. On 60 Minutes, Schweiser claimed that members of Congress… Have been trading stocks based on inside information.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>That’s Peter Schweizer, the main source in the story. At the time, Schweizer was a fellow at the Hoover Institute, a conservative think tank. He’d been criticized as early as 1993 for fabricating sources and events in his book, Friendly Spies. He’d go on to publish Clinton Cash in 2015, a book that Media Matters concluded contained over 20 errors, fabrications, and distortions. On 60 Minutes, Schweiser claimed that members of Congress… Have been trading stocks based on inside information.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Peter Schweizer: \u003c/strong>We know that during the health care debate, people were trading health care stocks. We know during the financial crisis of 2008, they were getting out of the market before the rest of America really knew what was going on.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Peter Schweizer: \u003c/strong>We know that during the health care debate, people were trading health care stocks. We know during the financial crisis of 2008, they were getting out of the market before the rest of America really knew what was going on.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>The 60 Minutes story didn’t exclusively focus on Pelosi. They called out other lawmakers, too, including Republican Speaker John Boehner. But the report looked at an incident from 2008. Pelosi’s husband, Paul, had bought shares of stock from Visa, the credit card company. The report called into question whether the family’s investment influenced Pelosi’s decision-making around regulations to protect credit card consumers. To investigate this, the 60 Minutes correspondent, Steve Croft, went to a press conference and asked Pelosi about it.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>The 60 Minutes story didn’t exclusively focus on Pelosi. They called out other lawmakers, too, including Republican Speaker John Boehner. But the report looked at an incident from 2008. Pelosi’s husband, Paul, had bought shares of stock from Visa, the credit card company. The report called into question whether the family’s investment influenced Pelosi’s decision-making around regulations to protect credit card consumers. To investigate this, the 60 Minutes correspondent, Steve Croft, went to a press conference and asked Pelosi about it.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Steve Kroft: \u003c/strong>Madam Leader, I wanted to ask you why you and your husband back in March of 2008 accepted and participated in a very large IPO deal from Visa, at a time there was major legislation affecting the credit card companies making its way through the house, and did you consider that to be a conflict of interest.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Steve Kroft: \u003c/strong>Madam Leader, I wanted to ask you why you and your husband back in March of 2008 accepted and participated in a very large IPO deal from Visa, at a time there was major legislation affecting the credit card companies making its way through the house, and did you consider that to be a conflict of interest.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>I don’t know what your point is of your question. Is there some point that you want to make with that? \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>I don’t know what your point is of your question. Is there some point that you want to make with that? \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>This response is classic Pelosi, full-throated denial.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>This response is classic Pelosi, full-throated denial.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>It’s not true, and that’s that.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>It’s not true, and that’s that.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Steve Kroft:\u003c/strong>\u003cem> \u003c/em>I don’t understand what part’s not true.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Steve Kroft:\u003c/strong>\u003cem> \u003c/em>I don’t understand what part’s not true.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Yes, sir, that I would act upon an investment\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Yes, sir, that I would act upon an investment\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>After the piece aired, Pelosi’s office put out a statement. It denied that her decisions about regulating credit card companies were swayed by her husband’s stock purchases. The statement said, quote, It is very troubling that 60 Minutes would base their reporting off of an already discredited conservative author who has made a career out of attacking Democrats. Peter Schweizer was a close ally of Steve Bannon, one of Trump’s top advisors. Schweizer would become editor of the far-right website Breitbart News. It’s true that Democrats had introduced a bill that would regulate credit card swipe fees in the House and that the bill died later that year. But Pelosi said it wasn’t because she was trying to help her husband’s portfolio. By the time the bill made it out of committee, Pelosi said, it was too late to bring the for a vote before the session ended. The Democratic congressman who introduced the bill, John Conyers from Michigan, said even if they’d somehow managed to pass it, President Bush would probably have vetoed it. So Pelosi said they waited until President Obama was in the White House to push card regulations through. In 2010, the Dodd-Frank Act included a cap on debit card swipe fees and other protections for credit card consumers. There are lots of moving parts here. It’s hard to say definitively what happened or why. But the accusations were very powerful. They touched a nerve. In 2012, public anger about the issue of stock trading in Congress was mounting. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>After the piece aired, Pelosi’s office put out a statement. It denied that her decisions about regulating credit card companies were swayed by her husband’s stock purchases. The statement said, quote, It is very troubling that 60 Minutes would base their reporting off of an already discredited conservative author who has made a career out of attacking Democrats. Peter Schweizer was a close ally of Steve Bannon, one of Trump’s top advisors. Schweizer would become editor of the far-right website Breitbart News. It’s true that Democrats had introduced a bill that would regulate credit card swipe fees in the House and that the bill died later that year. But Pelosi said it wasn’t because she was trying to help her husband’s portfolio. By the time the bill made it out of committee, Pelosi said, it was too late to bring the for a vote before the session ended. The Democratic congressman who introduced the bill, John Conyers from Michigan, said even if they’d somehow managed to pass it, President Bush would probably have vetoed it. So Pelosi said they waited until President Obama was in the White House to push card regulations through. In 2010, the Dodd-Frank Act included a cap on debit card swipe fees and other protections for credit card consumers. There are lots of moving parts here. It’s hard to say definitively what happened or why. But the accusations were very powerful. They touched a nerve. In 2012, public anger about the issue of stock trading in Congress was mounting. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Steve Kroft: \u003c/strong>Both the House and the\u003cem> \u003c/em>Senate in a rare display of bipartisanship overwhelmingly passed the Stock Act, which prohibits its members from trading on non-public information gathered during the course of their duties.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Steve Kroft: \u003c/strong>Both the House and the\u003cem> \u003c/em>Senate in a rare display of bipartisanship overwhelmingly passed the Stock Act, which prohibits its members from trading on non-public information gathered during the course of their duties.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Congress passed the Stock Act, stopped trading on congressional knowledge. It’s been said sunlight is the best disinfectant, meaning transparency. The Stock Act required members of Congress to disclose their trades within 30 to 45 days of making them. But the issue didn’t go away. Actually, with the information available to the public, people became more aware of how much money Congress members were making on stock trading. There are even apps you can use to track and literally copy the same stock trades the Pelosi’s and other members of Congress do. When Pelosi came to Congress, she and her husband were already wealthy. Her husband is a finance guy. The family had at least $610,000 worth in stocks. In today’s money, that’s something like 1.8 million. The stock research platform, Quiver Quantitative, estimates that her family currently holds around $135 million in publicly traded assets. In 2021, Pelosi ranked in the top 25 richest people in Congress. Here’s Hillary Brossith, she’s executive director at OpenSecrets, a non-profit that tracks money and politics. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Congress passed the Stock Act, stopped trading on congressional knowledge. It’s been said sunlight is the best disinfectant, meaning transparency. The Stock Act required members of Congress to disclose their trades within 30 to 45 days of making them. But the issue didn’t go away. Actually, with the information available to the public, people became more aware of how much money Congress members were making on stock trading. There are even apps you can use to track and literally copy the same stock trades the Pelosi’s and other members of Congress do. When Pelosi came to Congress, she and her husband were already wealthy. Her husband is a finance guy. The family had at least $610,000 worth in stocks. In today’s money, that’s something like 1.8 million. The stock research platform, Quiver Quantitative, estimates that her family currently holds around $135 million in publicly traded assets. In 2021, Pelosi ranked in the top 25 richest people in Congress. Here’s Hillary Brossith, she’s executive director at OpenSecrets, a non-profit that tracks money and politics. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Hilary Braseth: \u003c/strong>We often find that some of the highest drivers of traffic to our site are citizens who are curious about the net worth of any given member of Congress. And Nancy Pelosi, I think in many ways, is one of the main profiles that we often see folks looking up, perhaps because she has quite high of a net worth.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Hilary Braseth: \u003c/strong>We often find that some of the highest drivers of traffic to our site are citizens who are curious about the net worth of any given member of Congress. And Nancy Pelosi, I think in many ways, is one of the main profiles that we often see folks looking up, perhaps because she has quite high of a net worth.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Now, owning stocks can benefit anyone, but the richer you are and the more stocks you own, the more you make when the market goes up. Having private briefings, like members of Congress do, can give them a leg up before the market reacts to news. Business Insider recently published an investigation that found that dozens of Congress members have violated federal conflict of interest laws. Pelosi wasn’t on that list, but many of her colleagues were accused of disclosing after the required disclosure window. And a few were accused of insider trading. It seems obvious that banning members of Congress from trading stocks wouldn’t just stop the practice from happening, but would also remove the appearance of a conflict, but Pelosi opposed it. When Pelosi first ran for her seat back in 1987, her opponents argued that Pelosi’s wealth would put her out of touch with working class people. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Now, owning stocks can benefit anyone, but the richer you are and the more stocks you own, the more you make when the market goes up. Having private briefings, like members of Congress do, can give them a leg up before the market reacts to news. Business Insider recently published an investigation that found that dozens of Congress members have violated federal conflict of interest laws. Pelosi wasn’t on that list, but many of her colleagues were accused of disclosing after the required disclosure window. And a few were accused of insider trading. It seems obvious that banning members of Congress from trading stocks wouldn’t just stop the practice from happening, but would also remove the appearance of a conflict, but Pelosi opposed it. When Pelosi first ran for her seat back in 1987, her opponents argued that Pelosi’s wealth would put her out of touch with working class people. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Carol Ruth Silver: \u003c/strong>How can she relate to people like me, a single parent, working mother, or somebody else? \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Carol Ruth Silver: \u003c/strong>How can she relate to people like me, a single parent, working mother, or somebody else? \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Fast forward to 2020. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pelosi went on the James Corden show.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Fast forward to 2020. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pelosi went on the James Corden show.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>James Corden: \u003c/strong>Welcome back, we’re here with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and we’ve asked her to share something from her home for late, late show and tell. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>James Corden: \u003c/strong>Welcome back, we’re here with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and we’ve asked her to share something from her home for late, late show and tell. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>In the segment she showed her freezer full of ice cream.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>In the segment she showed her freezer full of ice cream.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Speaker Pelosi, what have you found? I don’t know what I would have done if ice cream were not invented.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>People were losing their jobs, terrified about the economy. Trump’s reelection campaign seized on an opportunity to punch back at Pelosi. They posted a video on YouTube called Let Them Eat Ice Cream, Nancy Antoinette, a reference to the infamous Queen of France. It featured the James Corden interview with some creative edits. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival – Nancy Antoinette Video: \u003c/strong>Speaker Pelosi, what are you gonna share with us from your home? Chocolate candy. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival – Nancy Antoinette Video: \u003c/strong>Thousands have been forced to wait for hours at food banks all across the country. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival – Nancy Antoinette Video: \u003c/strong>Thousands have been forced to wait for hours at food banks all across the country. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival – Nancy Antoinette Video:\u003c/strong>Oh my chocolate and then we have some other chocolate \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival – Nancy Antoinette Video:\u003c/strong>Oh my chocolate and then we have some other chocolate \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>It was a partisan attack, but like her opposition to the congressional stock trading ban, the moment highlighted one of Pelosi’s weaknesses. She can be a little tone deaf to how her own behavior strikes others and how it stokes anger. When we started making this podcast, I knew I wanted to ask Pelosi about congressional stock trading, but I have to say I wasn’t looking forward to bringing it up. I know how she can sometimes go into attack mode when she’s asked about a topic she doesn’t like. She completely rejects accusations that she used knowledge gained as a member of Congress to make favorable stock transactions. She defended her stock trades to me as something everyone does.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>It was a partisan attack, but like her opposition to the congressional stock trading ban, the moment highlighted one of Pelosi’s weaknesses. She can be a little tone deaf to how her own behavior strikes others and how it stokes anger. When we started making this podcast, I knew I wanted to ask Pelosi about congressional stock trading, but I have to say I wasn’t looking forward to bringing it up. I know how she can sometimes go into attack mode when she’s asked about a topic she doesn’t like. She completely rejects accusations that she used knowledge gained as a member of Congress to make favorable stock transactions. She defended her stock trades to me as something everyone does.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>My point of view is if family has investments, stock, I’m not talking about big deal. Most people don’t even realize that their 401k is in the stock market. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>My point of view is if family has investments, stock, I’m not talking about big deal. Most people don’t even realize that their 401k is in the stock market. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>But there are a lot of people who’ve come to Congress and left with a lot more money than they got there. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>But there are a lot of people who’ve come to Congress and left with a lot more money than they got there. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>If they’re doing something illegal, then they should be charged with that. They have investigated me personally, politically, economically, all the time. They have never come up with anything. They’ve spent a lot of money and a lot time. They can say I have cloven feet and horns in my head and I’m a devil and the rest of that, but they’ve never come with anything that I did anything wrong in Congress. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>If they’re doing something illegal, then they should be charged with that. They have investigated me personally, politically, economically, all the time. They have never come up with anything. They’ve spent a lot of money and a lot time. They can say I have cloven feet and horns in my head and I’m a devil and the rest of that, but they’ve never come with anything that I did anything wrong in Congress. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Josh Hawley was on Fox News saying that, you know, insider trading corruption should be prosecuted.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Josh Hawley was on Fox News saying that, you know, insider trading corruption should be prosecuted.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Not me. Nobody’s ever accused me… \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Well, he was referring to you. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Well, he was referring to you. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>In 2023, Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri introduced the Pelosi act preventing elected leaders from owning securities and investments. I tried asking Pelosi why she didn’t try and pass a ban when she was leader. So you don’t feel that not getting that passed is a negative part of your legacy.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>In 2023, Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri introduced the Pelosi act preventing elected leaders from owning securities and investments. I tried asking Pelosi why she didn’t try and pass a ban when she was leader. So you don’t feel that not getting that passed is a negative part of your legacy.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>No, I don’t at all, because the people who, the members didn’t, it’s up to the members to get something passed like that. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>No, I don’t at all, because the people who, the members didn’t, it’s up to the members to get something passed like that. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Yeah, although as leader, you have a lot of say in what the caucus wants to do. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>No, I didn’t. All you need is a few people to say, we’re not doing this. And some of them were in the leadership. They just thought it was insulting to the members to say you don’t have any values and you don’t have any judgment. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>No, I didn’t. All you need is a few people to say, we’re not doing this. And some of them were in the leadership. They just thought it was insulting to the members to say you don’t have any values and you don’t have any judgment. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>But now she says she does support a ban on stock trading for members of Congress. So I kept pushing her. What changed? You oppose that for many years and I’m wondering.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>But now she says she does support a ban on stock trading for members of Congress. So I kept pushing her. What changed? You oppose that for many years and I’m wondering.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>No, I didn’t pose it for many years. I posed it when they suggested it, and then Kalkus said they won it and I supported it. It didn’t come forward because there weren’t the votes to bring it forward.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>No, I didn’t pose it for many years. I posed it when they suggested it, and then Kalkus said they won it and I supported it. It didn’t come forward because there weren’t the votes to bring it forward.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>At the top of the episode, I mentioned a stock trading ban passed Congress in July. But Pelosi didn’t vote for it, because she says it exempted the president.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>At the top of the episode, I mentioned a stock trading ban passed Congress in July. But Pelosi didn’t vote for it, because she says it exempted the president.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi:\u003c/strong>\u003cem> \u003c/em>It was a terrible bill. And we wanted it to be more comprehensive, including the President of the United States, because they would never get that signed by the President of the United States. But if you look at that bill, it is totally incomplete. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi:\u003c/strong>\u003cem> \u003c/em>It was a terrible bill. And we wanted it to be more comprehensive, including the President of the United States, because they would never get that signed by the President of the United States. But if you look at that bill, it is totally incomplete. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Now, Pelosi doesn’t like to back down, especially when she feels like these are partisan attacks. But she also knows that appearances matter, and they can undercut trust in elected officials. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Now, Pelosi doesn’t like to back down, especially when she feels like these are partisan attacks. But she also knows that appearances matter, and they can undercut trust in elected officials. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>We want to do whatever it takes, and that means even this issue, to restore the confidence people have in the system. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>We want to do whatever it takes, and that means even this issue, to restore the confidence people have in the system. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Hilary Braseth of Open Secrets again.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Hilary Braseth: \u003c/strong>Earlier this year, there was a survey that roughly 75% of the country thinks that there is too much money in politics and does not like it. And so this really presents a quandary that those who get elected into public office tend to benefit from the system as it’s designed and don’t have much incentive to change the system or to create tighter rules around how much money they can raise, whether or not they can trade stocks based on. Knowledge they might be privy to.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Hilary Braseth: \u003c/strong>Earlier this year, there was a survey that roughly 75% of the country thinks that there is too much money in politics and does not like it. And so this really presents a quandary that those who get elected into public office tend to benefit from the system as it’s designed and don’t have much incentive to change the system or to create tighter rules around how much money they can raise, whether or not they can trade stocks based on. Knowledge they might be privy to.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Senate Democrats ended up blocking the stock trading ban. They promised future reform, but needless to say, any ban passed now wouldn’t take effect until Pelosi leaves office. It’s been over five years since the violent riot at the Capitol. A lot has changed since then. Back in 2018, to round up votes to regain the gavel, Pelosi agreed to a four-year limit on her second speakership. And in 2023, after Democrats lost the House, she stepped down from leadership. President Trump is back in power after defeating former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024. Republicans also maintain control of the House. And after he came back into office, President Trump pardoned those who’d been successfully prosecuted for their role in the January 6th attacks. The formal office of the Speaker of the House is historic and spacious, with vaulted ceilings and ornate wooden furniture, outer sitting areas full of comfortable couches and arm chairs. From a window you can see out across the National Mall. But that’s no longer Pelosi’s domain. Her party’s in the minority now, and her current office? It’s nice enough, but decidedly un-grand. It’s relatively cramped, packed with memorabilia. Colorful gavels, gifts from her constituents, chocolate for people who come to visit her, and sitting on a table, a pair of pink boxing gloves with her initials, NP, bedazzled in rhinestones, a gift from her friend Barbara Boxer. They were a little joke, boxing gloves from a boxer, but I think they really fit. No matter the cost, she goes down swinging. She’s not the speaker anymore, but she’s still Pelosi, calling shots behind the scenes, doing her best to shape the future of a Democratic party that’s up for grabs.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Senate Democrats ended up blocking the stock trading ban. They promised future reform, but needless to say, any ban passed now wouldn’t take effect until Pelosi leaves office. It’s been over five years since the violent riot at the Capitol. A lot has changed since then. Back in 2018, to round up votes to regain the gavel, Pelosi agreed to a four-year limit on her second speakership. And in 2023, after Democrats lost the House, she stepped down from leadership. President Trump is back in power after defeating former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024. Republicans also maintain control of the House. And after he came back into office, President Trump pardoned those who’d been successfully prosecuted for their role in the January 6th attacks. The formal office of the Speaker of the House is historic and spacious, with vaulted ceilings and ornate wooden furniture, outer sitting areas full of comfortable couches and arm chairs. From a window you can see out across the National Mall. But that’s no longer Pelosi’s domain. Her party’s in the minority now, and her current office? It’s nice enough, but decidedly un-grand. It’s relatively cramped, packed with memorabilia. Colorful gavels, gifts from her constituents, chocolate for people who come to visit her, and sitting on a table, a pair of pink boxing gloves with her initials, NP, bedazzled in rhinestones, a gift from her friend Barbara Boxer. They were a little joke, boxing gloves from a boxer, but I think they really fit. No matter the cost, she goes down swinging. She’s not the speaker anymore, but she’s still Pelosi, calling shots behind the scenes, doing her best to shape the future of a Democratic party that’s up for grabs.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>That’s coming up next week on The Speaker. The Speaker is a production of KQED in San Francisco and distributed by NPR. It’s hosted and reported by me, Scott Shafer. It’s reported and produced by Ariella Markowitz. It’s edited by Padmini Raghunath. Final mix and sound designed by Christopher Beale. Fact checking by Mark Betancourt. Additional editing from Anna Sussman and Jen Chien, KQED’s director of podcasts. Original theme song composed by Cedric Wilson. Additional music from APM. Maha Sanad is KQED’s podcast engagement producer. Ethan Toven-Lindsey is KQED’s editor-in-chief. Special thanks to our partners from the Oral History Center at the University of California, Berkeley. Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by the Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television, and radio artists, San Francisco, Northern California local.\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"#Transcript\">View Full Episode Transcript\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2016,\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>Nancy Pelosi was planning on retiring from Congress. But Donald Trump’s presidential victory disrupted her plans, and her legacy. Pelosi’s public battles with the President cemented her status as a liberal warrior – spearheading two impeachments and navigating the January 6th attack. But to some in her caucus, including the young progressives of “The Squad,” Pelosi’s approach wasn’t enough to address a new wave of populism and a growing mistrust of government. And amidst this politically fraught landscape, did Pelosi’s actions around stock trading — or inaction, according to some — add fuel to the fire?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Transcript\">Episode Transcript\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Last episode, we focused on the Affordable Care Act, which then Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi pushed through Congress. But when you ask people about Pelosi, like our producer Ariella Markowitz did on the streets in DC, something else tends to come up. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ariella Markowitz: \u003c/strong>What comes to mind when you think of Nancy Pelosi?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Vox 1: \u003c/strong>Man, California, stocks, stock trades, that’s funny. Insider stock trading. He defends that, he’s gotten quite wealthy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Vox 2:\u003c/strong>\u003cem> \u003c/em>She has manipulated her position and used it to her benefit.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>It’s something her opponents bring up a lot. Here’s President Trump earlier this year during his State of the Union address. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Donald Trump: \u003c/strong>Let’s also ensure that members of Congress cannot corruptly profit from using insider information. They stood up for that, I can’t believe it. Did Nancy Pelosi stand up if she’s here? Doubt it. Pass the Stop Insider Trading Act without delay. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>A few months later, the House passed a stock trading ban for members of Congress, and Nancy Pelosi voted against it. Some Democrats had an issue with the bill because it included an unrelated voter ID provision, which many critics say is really a way of suppressing Democratic turnout in elections. And the stock trading bill? It wouldn’t have applied if it were the president. Profiteering by President Trump and his family, including prolific stock trading, are a trademark of his second term. But to many, the name Pelosi triggers allegations of corruption. In her second run as Speaker, Pelosi and President Trump became full-on enemies, locked in public brawls that would define both of their legacies. But Pelosi doesn’t really want to go there.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>I don’t spend a whole lot of time talking about Trump, so…\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>I know he’s not your favorite.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>No, it’s not my favorite compared to almost any creature crawling the earth. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Still, this creature has defined her final chapter in unexpected ways. From KQED, this is The Speaker. I’m Scott Shafer. Today, how Pelosi responds to what she and many see as a fundamental threat to democracy. President Trump. And with faith in the Democratic Party and public trust in U.S. Institutions at their lowest in decades, the shadow that hangs over her legacy. Accusations of insider stock trading in Congress. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Pelosi says she planned on retiring after the 2016 election. She would have been 76 years old, and she was assuming that a Democrat would win. You were really ready to say, that’s it, I’m done.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Well, I was ready to say it a number of times, but I only thought I would go 10 years. I never thought I’d run for Congress, much less for leadership. And then the members, you have to stay, you have stay, you to stay. And so I did.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>She thought her crowning achievement, the Affordable Care Act, her baby, would be protected under a President Hillary Clinton. On November 8, 2016, Pelosi was in Washington with her colleagues, waiting for the returns to come in.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>One of my colleagues was the chairman of the party in Philadelphia. And we were getting returns from him saying, they told us if we got over 500,000 in Philadelphia, we would carry Pennsylvania. So one night he’d say, it’s getting closer, but we’re okay, it was getting closer. Then finally he said, you know, the turnout from McCall, but you know just naming the names of some counties is just unprecedented. We’re not gonna be able to offset it. I was like getting kicked in the back by a mule.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>During his first campaign for president, Trump had leaned into people’s cynicism and mistrust of politicians.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Donald Trump: \u003c/strong>If we win on November 8th, we are going to drain the swamp in Washington, D.C. We’re draining the swamp.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>After he won, President Trump issued a flurry of executive orders and policies. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>President Trump’s most recent executive order effectively banned citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S. For at least 90 days. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>Today President Donald Trump is continuing to defend his administration’s policy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Donald Trump: \u003c/strong>When you prosecute the parents for coming in illegally, which should happen, you have to take the children away. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>And, in 2017, when white supremacists rallied in Charlottesville, Virginia? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>There are people, bodies laying on the ground right now.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>NAZIS GO HOME! \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>In response to the violence, Trump said this.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Donald Trump: \u003c/strong>Very fine people on both sides \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>In the midst of all this, Pelosi and Democrats campaigned hard to defeat Republicans in the 2018 midterms. But economic unrest was starting to influence the Democratic Party’s politics. For years there had been discontent on the left about the 2008 bailout and economic disparity. A movement called Occupy Wall Street kicked off in 2011. The slogan was, we are the 99 percent. In 2016, Senator Bernie Sanders had been a grassroots presidential candidate, and he was popular. More than 40 percent of people who voted in the primaries wanted him to be the nominee.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Bernie Sanders: \u003c/strong>The reason that we have done so well, the reason I believe we’re going to do so well in the Hampshire and in the other states that follow, the reason is the American people are saying no to a rigged economy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Sanders had run on a message about economic inequality.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Bernie Sanders: \u003c/strong>They no longer want to see an economy in which the average American works longer hours for low wages while almost all new income and wealth is going to the top 1%.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Some people argue that this energy helped Democrats take back the House in 2018, two years into Trump’s presidency. They’d been out of power since the Tea Party had stormed into Congress almost a decade earlier. That election night, Pelosi took the stage again to the chants of \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Thank you all, thank you all very much, remember this feeling, know the power to win. Today is more than about Democrats and Republicans, it’s about restoring the Constitution’s checks and balances to the Trump administration.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>And with that election, a wave of newcomers with bold ideas, including four progressive women who became known as the Squad. Ayanna Pressley from Massachusetts, Rashida Tlaib from Michigan, Ilhan Omar from Minnesota, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, AOC, from New York. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: \u003c/strong>I think what we’ve seen is that working-class Americans want a clear champion and there is nothing radical about moral clarity in 2018.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>AOC is a democratic socialist, like Bernie Sanders. She defeated Joe Crowley, one of Pelosi’s top deputies in leadership. Many had actually seen Crowley as the person best positioned to become speaker after Pelosi left. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>He didn’t pay enough attention to his district. That, you know, that’s really what it is. It was an election in the summer. So I had very low turnout. I mean, he was predicating his success on how things go in a full election. But AOC ran a great campaign and it was stunning because he’s terrific and respected and he was chair of the caucus, I think, at the time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Needless to say, there was some friction between the new members and the old guard. Before being sworn in, AOC joined a climate protest outside Pelosi’s office. People are holding yellow signs that say Green Jobs for All.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: \u003c/strong>I just want to let you all know how proud I am of each and every single one of you for putting yourselves and your bodies and everything on the line to make sure that we save our planet, our generation, and our home.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Pelosi told me she was the wrong target for their protest.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>They should not have been in my office as a start because we had done more on climate than anybody.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Once they won back the House, some new, younger members were among those questioning whether Pelosi was the right leader for the House Democrats. But after cutting some deals, Pelosi was easily elected speaker for a second time. The squad cast their votes for her, too. Her swearing in was joyous.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>I’d like to call my grandchildren up to be here when I take you, and any other children who want to join them. Come on, kids. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>She’d have her work cut out for her. In June of 2019, the House was considering an appropriations bill that would provide funds to process and detain migrants at the border, but also for an emergency food and shelter program, money to help deal with what people were calling a humanitarian crisis. This bill was being debated a year after the Trump administration rolled out and then backed down on a policy that criminally prosecuted all adults crossing the border without papers. The Zero Tolerance Policy meant children were separated from their parents. It was something AOC spoke about at an oversight committee hearing in July 2019. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: \u003c/strong>And what was worse about this, Mr. Chairman, was the fact that there were American flags hanging all over these facilities, that children being separated from their parents in front of an American flag.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Progressives didn’t want to give more money to the agencies that carried out Trump’s harsh border policies. Pelosi and other Democratic leaders negotiated with them, added additional health and safety standards for migrant children to the bill, but the squad still defected. They were the only Democrats to vote no on the House bill. You described the squad as just four votes. It was. That’s what it was. It was four votes This may sound harsh, but it’s how Pelosi sees things. They were a small obstacle that didn’t affect her vote count. But Pelosi would be challenged again by the progressive wing when she had to give up the House bill with stronger protections for a Senate version. She was disappointed that Senate Democrats hadn’t fought for a better bill, but she decided to compromise and push it through. That caused public outrage from House progressives. AOC took her issues with Pelosi public. She said in an interview with the Washington Post… That she felt the squad had been singled out by Pelosi, implied it was because they were four women of color. AOC’s chief of staff compared centrist Democrats to segregationists on Twitter. He asked why this so-called legislative mastermind, referring to Pelosi, couldn’t get more done on kitchen table issues. By some accounts, Pelosi was furious. Even today, you can hear the annoyance in her voice.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>If you want to legislate, don’t be on airwaves criticizing the people whose votes you need. You can be here as a legislator where you need the votes of people for an issue that you may want to advance, or you can be an internet where you’re here to criticize your colleagues and expect them to vote for your bill.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>In one closed-door meeting with her Democratic caucus, she told them to bring their grievances to her, not tweet about them to the public. She said at the end of the day, her goal was to help the children. She told them, some of you are here to make a beautiful pate, but we’re making sausage most of the time. Our producer Ariella asked Representative Ilhan Omar, part of the squad, about this.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ariella Markowitz: \u003c/strong>She was giving speeches about sausages versus pates and all of this. What do you think about that got under her skin? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ilhan Omar: \u003c/strong>I think she herself saw herself as a progressive and in some ways might’ve felt insulted that the progressive movement didn’t think of her as being one of them. And she felt like because she was the speaker and she’s the leader for the whole caucus and the whole House, that the decisions that she had to make had to be for the good of the whole.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Now as I thought about these showdowns between the squad and the speaker, I remember how Pelosi herself had sort of ignored Congressional norms when she got to Washington. So I asked her how she felt about AOC. I wonder if you saw a little bit of yourself in her.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>No, I didn’t at all.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>I don’t know. Well, wait until you hear the question. Well, you just asked it, and I said no. I mean, whatBrase I’m thinking of is when you first got there in your very first speech, you talked about AIDS. You were kind of breaking the protocol a little bit. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>She’s operational, make no mistake, some of those squads are not. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Say what you mean by that.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Operational is that she knows that she wants to accomplish something. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Operational. This is one of Pelosi’s favorite words. It’s what Congresswoman Sala Burton said about Pelosi before she endorsed her back in 1987. So when Pelosi called AOC operational, this was a mark of respect. She’s learned how to get things done. Here’s the thing, Pelosi comes from progressive San Francisco. She thinks of herself as a liberal, cares about things like ending poverty, providing health care, and believes the government should be a force for good. But she values something else, too, maybe even more than anything else, being effective. It means working within a system she ultimately believes in to get things done, being willing to compromise in the process. But in this era of President Trump… Was being operational enough? Even though she loathed President Trump, Pelosi tried to enter their first meeting with an open mind. Out of respect for the institution.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>This is historic. It’s a meeting between the new president and the leadership of the Congress, bipartisan leadership in the Congress. I’ve been in that meeting many times with President Bush, Obama. It’s historic. And so I’m sitting there thinking, why don’t we begin? Will he quote the Bible? Will he talk about America and founders and what America means to us? And we talk about his family and what this… Means to him, how will he begin this meeting? He leans over on the desk like this, the table, and says, you know, I won the popular vote. It was totally offensive. So I thought, well, that’s not true. That’s not truth. And he said, well I’m not even counting California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>The relationship went downhill from there. You may remember some of those moments, like in 2018 when Pelosi walked out of a meeting with Trump in a red coat and Armani sunglasses looking completely relaxed. She put her sunglasses on right in time for the photos. The image went viral.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>The new power suit for women, red coats, sunglasses, nerves of steel. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>I had no idea, I just put on my coat and walked out to the press, which is outside. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Or you may remember her dressed in all white, standing behind the president. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>But Nancy Pelosi became the queen of condescending applause. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Clapping sarcastically at Trump during his 2019 State of the Union address. She clearly wasn’t intimidated by him. After all, this is the same woman who called Bush incompetent on national TV and refused to apologize for it. To me, it seems like Pelosi was adapting to the moment. She was smart enough to sense that in this era of politics, it’s those viral images that stick with people, not the closed-door legislative rooms Pelosi was used cutting deals in. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>The fact is, people want to see moments. You know, I hear speeches, they want to see moments, what people are happy about is that I did that, that I pointed to him, that I walked out of the office, because it spoke to their, how they felt or believed at the time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>She was getting under his skin. To those in the Trump 1.0 administration, Pelosi was an obstructionist. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mick Mulvaney: \u003c/strong>Nancy was just so difficult to work with. Again, she may take that as a badge of honor, and I get it, there’s a lot of Republicans who take their unwillingness to compromise with Democrats as a badge of honor. So she’s not unique in that, but she had zero interest in doing anything with Donald Trump.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>That’s Mick Mulvaney, who was President Trump’s chief of staff when Pelosi regained the speakership. We talked to him last episode, a Tea Party guy who campaigned for his House seat against the Affordable Care Act and won. He said President Trump respected Pelosi at first.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Mick Mulvaney: \u003c/strong>He respects strength and that’s certainly what she has. When she was doing what she was doing, she had a margin roughly the same size that Mike Johnson has today in the House. And she was able to corral her party and he respected that. But at the end of the day, she had zero interest in being with the guy and I think the country is worse for it. If they had wanted to sit down and cut some deals, they could have had a tremendous bipartisan deal on infrastructure. I even think they could’ve had a tremendous bipartisan on immigration. But it was fight, fight, fighting the whole time. And it was bitter and poisonous.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>While Republicans felt Pelosi was just an obstacle to getting anything done, many Democrats were calling for Trump’s impeachment. But Pelosi was wary.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>People wanted to impeach him just because he was obnoxious and dyed his hair orange. Everybody had a thing of he’s not really presidential. That’s not a cause for impeachment. You know what I’m saying?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>But then, in the summer of 2019, President Trump gave Democrats their opportunity.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi:\u003c/strong>\u003cem> \u003c/em>I’ve said the only person who’s responsible for the impeachment of Donald Trump, not once but twice, is Donald Trump. He gave us no choice.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>A whistleblower said that in a phone call, Trump tried to get Ukrainian President Zelensky to investigate Trump’s rival in the upcoming election, Joe Biden, and his son Hunter. The White House released a transcript of the call, and President Trump tried to deflect to the debunked claim that Joe Biden was linked to a corruption scandal. And let me tell you something, Biden’s son is corrupt, and Biden is corrupt. To Pelosi, this attempt to interfere with the 2020 election was the unconstitutional violation Democrats could not ignore. This would be the grounds for the impeachment case.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>What he did was wrong. Now, different other things you could have included in that we said, you have to keep it simple. What is the thing that crosses the line, not just on its own might be grounds for impeachment, but not on the caliber of the Zelensky letter. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>But Pelosi didn’t revel in the impeachment, she actually silenced the applause after the impeachment vote with a stern glance and a hand gesture.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Article 1 is adopted. The question is on adoption of Article 2.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>You can count votes. You were probably, I’m guessing, pretty confident the Senate would not convict, right? They needed 67 votes. Why did you think it was important to go ahead and really start a process that you knew ultimately you would not?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>We did succeed. We impeached him twice. But you think that we should be guided by what the Senate might do? You think that, we would say, well, the president has committed impregnable offenses of highest magnitude, and we shouldn’t do that because we don’t know what some senators are going to do? No. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Donald Trump: \u003c/strong>I am thrilled to report to you tonight that our economy is the best it has ever been. Our military is completely rebuilt, with its power being unmatched anywhere in the world, and it’s not even close. It was February\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>The day before the Senate voted to acquit Trump of both impeachment charges. President Trump was giving his State of the Union speech, and Pelosi went a step further than she’d ever gone before. She was sitting behind Trump, in her house. He’d chosen that night to honor right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh, who held notoriously homophobic views. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Donald Trump: \u003c/strong>And Rush, in recognition of all that you have done for our nation, the millions of people a day that you speak to and that you inspire, I am proud to announce tonight that you will be receiving our country’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Pelosi sat there, lips pursed, looking down at the printed speech, looking away from the balcony where Limbaugh was, and toward her caucus in the audience. As Trump finished his speech, saying the best was yet to come, she stood up, not clapping, but ripping up the president’s printed remarks two or three pages at a time, biting her lip. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>I didn’t intend to do that. It just was a manifesto of lies. And I wasn’t just gonna let that stand. I just wasn’t gonna let it stand. As courteous as we are to a guest in our house, when he abuses that courtesy, when he lies there the whole time, gives a medal of freedom to an anti-gay, blah, blah, and our house. Do that at the White House. We don’t agree with your choice, but that’s your choice. You’re the president, but don’t come here and sully the House of Representatives chamber. With your obnoxious behavior. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer:\u003c/strong>\u003cem> \u003c/em>Pelosi, at her heart, believes in institutions. She respects the separation of powers, the three branches of government, and the staying power of those institutions. But to me, it seemed like at that moment something changed for her, not even standing with polite, respectful applause for the president as she did behind President George W. Bush for both of his State of the Union addresses when she was speaker, instead A stunning act of defiance on primetime television. Nine months later, Joe Biden won the presidential election. Trump was out. On January 6, 2021, Pelosi, along with Vice President Mike Pence, were overseeing the certification of the election. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>We didn’t anticipate violence. We didn’t expect the President of the United States to incite an insurrection.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jan 6 Archival: \u003c/strong>We’re starting to get surrounded. They’re taking the north-west scaffolding. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Protesters attack the west side of the Capitol, where presidential inauguration ceremonies are held. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Security came to me and they said we’re taking you out I said I can handle this guy you know we’re ready \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jan 6 Archival: \u003c/strong>We are walking over now to the tunnel\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>We could see on TV, because when you’re in the chamber, you can’t see. You see on tv what was happening, that they were coming to the Capitol. It’s really hard to explain. This is the citadel of democracy to the world. And these people are coming in, breaking windows, and they go in, and we’re seeing them go into the Capitol with Dixie flags, you know, Confederate flags, under the dome that Lincoln built when he was president. He built it during the Civil War. People said to him, use the steel for the war and the personnel for the War. He said. No, we have to show the world that we are resilient. So they continue with the dome. Under Lincoln’s dome, Confederate flags. One guy with a shirt, six million Jews were not enough. Auschwitz. That’s. What this was, assaulting police, all the rest of that, defecating on the floor. I say this because this brute who was president now wants to give them money for killing or endangering the lives of police officers. They were gonna get a bullet in my effing brain. They use the F word a lot about me throughout the whole thing. They were going to hang the vice president. Gallows for him.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>No doubt, many in the mob hated Pelosi. They came looking for her. They broke into her speaker’s office. A man put his feet up on her desk. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jan 6 Archival: \u003c/strong>Where are you Nancy? We’re looking for you! She’s in jail!\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Have you ever, you know, given yourself the permission to think about what would have happened if they had found you?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Well, here’s the thing that I thought. I wasn’t really thinking so much about my personal safety. I was thinking about my grandson who was with me. His mother, Alexandra, took the boys to see an historic event, the transfer of power.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>But something fundamental had broken.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>And this vile creature, the vilest creature to ever crawl the face of the earth. And they said, well, what about Hitler? I said, he wasn’t president of the United States. Insights are an insurrection, sits in his office, and then won’t let the police, the National Guard come and then lies about it the whole time. I called the governor of Virginia. They said they had their troops ready. These people are so idiotic, but let’s put that over all of them. The secretary of the army who had the jurisdiction to. So I have to talk to my boss. That’s the secretary of defense. Haven’t you done that yet? Well, this is hard. It’s complicated. It takes time. I said, they have been attacking the Capitol. Well, I have to go ask my boss and well, you have to have authority at the location. I said there, look, authority is there. You need to be able to send the national guard. But they may, they avoided everything about it because their boss. The Commander-in-Chief, who can say over any of that, was just holding them back. And even some of the Republicans were asking the President to call off those guys, and he still wouldn’t do it. This is, I want to tell you something, this is a demonic figure, this guy who is unfortunately in the White House.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>I know you’re very religious. Did you pray?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Of course we prayed, prayed for our country. We prayed for those who were under assault.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>A few hours after the attack, authorities confirmed the Capitol had been secured. Congress was going to continue certifying the election results\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>\u003cem> \u003c/em>I said, you know what, we’re going to the floor. That’s where this assault occurred, that’s where we’re going back to show the world.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>In the early hours of the morning on January 7th, 2021, the election was certified. In his final days in office, Nancy Pelosi would lead another impeachment against President Trump for inciting the insurrection. The FBI investigated the rioters. There were prosecutions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival News: \u003c/strong>The Arkansas man who was photographed on January 6th with his feet up on Nancy Pelosi’s desk was sentenced yesterday. He got four and a half years in prison. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Biden became president. Working together in the midst of the COVID pandemic, he and Pelosi muscled some big bills through a divided Congress. The Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPS and Science Act. But during her last years as speaker, Pelosi made headlines for another reason. In 2021, at a press conference, a reporter from Business Insider asked Pelosi a question.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Business Insider Reporter: \u003c/strong>Should members of Congress and their spouses be banned from trading individual stocks while serving in Congress? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>No, I don’t know to this second one, we have a responsibility to report in the stock, on the stock but I’m not familiar with that five month review but if people aren’t reporting they should be. Because this is a free market and people, we have a free-market economy, they should be able to participate in that.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Pelosi was firm in her response. No ban on stock trading. At that moment, she didn’t see the backlash, but it had been coming for years. Back in 2011, Pelosi had just gotten the Affordable Care Act across the finish line. She lost the speakership, but was still leader of House Democrats. Then, the CBS News magazine 60 Minutes published a bombshell investigation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Peter Schweizer: \u003c/strong>There are all sorts of forms of honest grafts that congressmen engage in that allow them to become very, very wealthy. So it’s not illegal, but I think it’s highly unethical. I think it’s highly offensive and wrong.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>That’s Peter Schweizer, the main source in the story. At the time, Schweizer was a fellow at the Hoover Institute, a conservative think tank. He’d been criticized as early as 1993 for fabricating sources and events in his book, Friendly Spies. He’d go on to publish Clinton Cash in 2015, a book that Media Matters concluded contained over 20 errors, fabrications, and distortions. On 60 Minutes, Schweiser claimed that members of Congress… Have been trading stocks based on inside information.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Peter Schweizer: \u003c/strong>We know that during the health care debate, people were trading health care stocks. We know during the financial crisis of 2008, they were getting out of the market before the rest of America really knew what was going on.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>The 60 Minutes story didn’t exclusively focus on Pelosi. They called out other lawmakers, too, including Republican Speaker John Boehner. But the report looked at an incident from 2008. Pelosi’s husband, Paul, had bought shares of stock from Visa, the credit card company. The report called into question whether the family’s investment influenced Pelosi’s decision-making around regulations to protect credit card consumers. To investigate this, the 60 Minutes correspondent, Steve Croft, went to a press conference and asked Pelosi about it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Steve Kroft: \u003c/strong>Madam Leader, I wanted to ask you why you and your husband back in March of 2008 accepted and participated in a very large IPO deal from Visa, at a time there was major legislation affecting the credit card companies making its way through the house, and did you consider that to be a conflict of interest.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>I don’t know what your point is of your question. Is there some point that you want to make with that? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>This response is classic Pelosi, full-throated denial.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>It’s not true, and that’s that.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Steve Kroft:\u003c/strong>\u003cem> \u003c/em>I don’t understand what part’s not true.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Yes, sir, that I would act upon an investment\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>After the piece aired, Pelosi’s office put out a statement. It denied that her decisions about regulating credit card companies were swayed by her husband’s stock purchases. The statement said, quote, It is very troubling that 60 Minutes would base their reporting off of an already discredited conservative author who has made a career out of attacking Democrats. Peter Schweizer was a close ally of Steve Bannon, one of Trump’s top advisors. Schweizer would become editor of the far-right website Breitbart News. It’s true that Democrats had introduced a bill that would regulate credit card swipe fees in the House and that the bill died later that year. But Pelosi said it wasn’t because she was trying to help her husband’s portfolio. By the time the bill made it out of committee, Pelosi said, it was too late to bring the for a vote before the session ended. The Democratic congressman who introduced the bill, John Conyers from Michigan, said even if they’d somehow managed to pass it, President Bush would probably have vetoed it. So Pelosi said they waited until President Obama was in the White House to push card regulations through. In 2010, the Dodd-Frank Act included a cap on debit card swipe fees and other protections for credit card consumers. There are lots of moving parts here. It’s hard to say definitively what happened or why. But the accusations were very powerful. They touched a nerve. In 2012, public anger about the issue of stock trading in Congress was mounting. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Steve Kroft: \u003c/strong>Both the House and the\u003cem> \u003c/em>Senate in a rare display of bipartisanship overwhelmingly passed the Stock Act, which prohibits its members from trading on non-public information gathered during the course of their duties.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Congress passed the Stock Act, stopped trading on congressional knowledge. It’s been said sunlight is the best disinfectant, meaning transparency. The Stock Act required members of Congress to disclose their trades within 30 to 45 days of making them. But the issue didn’t go away. Actually, with the information available to the public, people became more aware of how much money Congress members were making on stock trading. There are even apps you can use to track and literally copy the same stock trades the Pelosi’s and other members of Congress do. When Pelosi came to Congress, she and her husband were already wealthy. Her husband is a finance guy. The family had at least $610,000 worth in stocks. In today’s money, that’s something like 1.8 million. The stock research platform, Quiver Quantitative, estimates that her family currently holds around $135 million in publicly traded assets. In 2021, Pelosi ranked in the top 25 richest people in Congress. Here’s Hillary Brossith, she’s executive director at OpenSecrets, a non-profit that tracks money and politics. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Hilary Braseth: \u003c/strong>We often find that some of the highest drivers of traffic to our site are citizens who are curious about the net worth of any given member of Congress. And Nancy Pelosi, I think in many ways, is one of the main profiles that we often see folks looking up, perhaps because she has quite high of a net worth.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Now, owning stocks can benefit anyone, but the richer you are and the more stocks you own, the more you make when the market goes up. Having private briefings, like members of Congress do, can give them a leg up before the market reacts to news. Business Insider recently published an investigation that found that dozens of Congress members have violated federal conflict of interest laws. Pelosi wasn’t on that list, but many of her colleagues were accused of disclosing after the required disclosure window. And a few were accused of insider trading. It seems obvious that banning members of Congress from trading stocks wouldn’t just stop the practice from happening, but would also remove the appearance of a conflict, but Pelosi opposed it. When Pelosi first ran for her seat back in 1987, her opponents argued that Pelosi’s wealth would put her out of touch with working class people. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Carol Ruth Silver: \u003c/strong>How can she relate to people like me, a single parent, working mother, or somebody else? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Fast forward to 2020. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pelosi went on the James Corden show.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>James Corden: \u003c/strong>Welcome back, we’re here with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and we’ve asked her to share something from her home for late, late show and tell. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>In the segment she showed her freezer full of ice cream.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Speaker Pelosi, what have you found? I don’t know what I would have done if ice cream were not invented.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>People were losing their jobs, terrified about the economy. Trump’s reelection campaign seized on an opportunity to punch back at Pelosi. They posted a video on YouTube called Let Them Eat Ice Cream, Nancy Antoinette, a reference to the infamous Queen of France. It featured the James Corden interview with some creative edits. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival – Nancy Antoinette Video: \u003c/strong>Speaker Pelosi, what are you gonna share with us from your home? Chocolate candy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival – Nancy Antoinette Video: \u003c/strong>Thousands have been forced to wait for hours at food banks all across the country. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Archival – Nancy Antoinette Video:\u003c/strong>Oh my chocolate and then we have some other chocolate \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>It was a partisan attack, but like her opposition to the congressional stock trading ban, the moment highlighted one of Pelosi’s weaknesses. She can be a little tone deaf to how her own behavior strikes others and how it stokes anger. When we started making this podcast, I knew I wanted to ask Pelosi about congressional stock trading, but I have to say I wasn’t looking forward to bringing it up. I know how she can sometimes go into attack mode when she’s asked about a topic she doesn’t like. She completely rejects accusations that she used knowledge gained as a member of Congress to make favorable stock transactions. She defended her stock trades to me as something everyone does.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>My point of view is if family has investments, stock, I’m not talking about big deal. Most people don’t even realize that their 401k is in the stock market. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>But there are a lot of people who’ve come to Congress and left with a lot more money than they got there. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>If they’re doing something illegal, then they should be charged with that. They have investigated me personally, politically, economically, all the time. They have never come up with anything. They’ve spent a lot of money and a lot time. They can say I have cloven feet and horns in my head and I’m a devil and the rest of that, but they’ve never come with anything that I did anything wrong in Congress. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Josh Hawley was on Fox News saying that, you know, insider trading corruption should be prosecuted.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>Not me. Nobody’s ever accused me… \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Well, he was referring to you. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>In 2023, Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri introduced the Pelosi act preventing elected leaders from owning securities and investments. I tried asking Pelosi why she didn’t try and pass a ban when she was leader. So you don’t feel that not getting that passed is a negative part of your legacy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>No, I don’t at all, because the people who, the members didn’t, it’s up to the members to get something passed like that. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Yeah, although as leader, you have a lot of say in what the caucus wants to do. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>No, I didn’t. All you need is a few people to say, we’re not doing this. And some of them were in the leadership. They just thought it was insulting to the members to say you don’t have any values and you don’t have any judgment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>But now she says she does support a ban on stock trading for members of Congress. So I kept pushing her. What changed? You oppose that for many years and I’m wondering.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>No, I didn’t pose it for many years. I posed it when they suggested it, and then Kalkus said they won it and I supported it. It didn’t come forward because there weren’t the votes to bring it forward.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>At the top of the episode, I mentioned a stock trading ban passed Congress in July. But Pelosi didn’t vote for it, because she says it exempted the president.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi:\u003c/strong>\u003cem> \u003c/em>It was a terrible bill. And we wanted it to be more comprehensive, including the President of the United States, because they would never get that signed by the President of the United States. But if you look at that bill, it is totally incomplete. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Now, Pelosi doesn’t like to back down, especially when she feels like these are partisan attacks. But she also knows that appearances matter, and they can undercut trust in elected officials. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>We want to do whatever it takes, and that means even this issue, to restore the confidence people have in the system. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Hilary Braseth of Open Secrets again.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Hilary Braseth: \u003c/strong>Earlier this year, there was a survey that roughly 75% of the country thinks that there is too much money in politics and does not like it. And so this really presents a quandary that those who get elected into public office tend to benefit from the system as it’s designed and don’t have much incentive to change the system or to create tighter rules around how much money they can raise, whether or not they can trade stocks based on. Knowledge they might be privy to.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>Senate Democrats ended up blocking the stock trading ban. They promised future reform, but needless to say, any ban passed now wouldn’t take effect until Pelosi leaves office. It’s been over five years since the violent riot at the Capitol. A lot has changed since then. Back in 2018, to round up votes to regain the gavel, Pelosi agreed to a four-year limit on her second speakership. And in 2023, after Democrats lost the House, she stepped down from leadership. President Trump is back in power after defeating former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024. Republicans also maintain control of the House. And after he came back into office, President Trump pardoned those who’d been successfully prosecuted for their role in the January 6th attacks. The formal office of the Speaker of the House is historic and spacious, with vaulted ceilings and ornate wooden furniture, outer sitting areas full of comfortable couches and arm chairs. From a window you can see out across the National Mall. But that’s no longer Pelosi’s domain. Her party’s in the minority now, and her current office? It’s nice enough, but decidedly un-grand. It’s relatively cramped, packed with memorabilia. Colorful gavels, gifts from her constituents, chocolate for people who come to visit her, and sitting on a table, a pair of pink boxing gloves with her initials, NP, bedazzled in rhinestones, a gift from her friend Barbara Boxer. They were a little joke, boxing gloves from a boxer, but I think they really fit. No matter the cost, she goes down swinging. She’s not the speaker anymore, but she’s still Pelosi, calling shots behind the scenes, doing her best to shape the future of a Democratic party that’s up for grabs.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>We’re seeing a lot of turmoil in the Democratic Party in terms of candidates. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Nancy Pelosi: \u003c/strong>I disagree with your terminology. A lot of turmoil in the Democratic Party. There isn’t a lot of turmoil.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Scott Shafer: \u003c/strong>That’s coming up next week on The Speaker. The Speaker is a production of KQED in San Francisco and distributed by NPR. It’s hosted and reported by me, Scott Shafer. It’s reported and produced by Ariella Markowitz. It’s edited by Padmini Raghunath. Final mix and sound designed by Christopher Beale. Fact checking by Mark Betancourt. Additional editing from Anna Sussman and Jen Chien, KQED’s director of podcasts. Original theme song composed by Cedric Wilson. Additional music from APM. Maha Sanad is KQED’s podcast engagement producer. Ethan Toven-Lindsey is KQED’s editor-in-chief. Special thanks to our partners from the Oral History Center at the University of California, Berkeley. Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by the Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television, and radio artists, San Francisco, Northern California local.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Bay Curious",
"tagline": "Exploring the Bay Area, one question at a time",
"info": "KQED’s new podcast, Bay Curious, gets to the bottom of the mysteries — both profound and peculiar — that give the Bay Area its unique identity. And we’ll do it with your help! You ask the questions. You decide what Bay Curious investigates. And you join us on the journey to find the answers.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Bay-Curious-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 3
},
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"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/500557090/bay-curious",
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}
},
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"id": "bbc-world-service",
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"info": "The day's top stories from BBC News compiled twice daily in the week, once at weekends.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9pm-10pm, TUE-FRI 1am-2am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/BBC-World-Service-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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"meta": {
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"source": "BBC World Service"
},
"link": "/radio/program/bbc-world-service",
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"rss": "https://podcasts.files.bbci.co.uk/p02nq0gn.rss"
}
},
"californiareport": {
"id": "californiareport",
"title": "The California Report",
"tagline": "California, day by day",
"info": "KQED’s statewide radio news program providing daily coverage of issues, trends and public policy decisions.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-California-Report-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareport",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 8
},
"link": "/californiareport",
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"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/26099305-72af-4542-9dde-ac1807fe36d5/kqed-s-the-california-report",
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}
},
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"id": "californiareportmagazine",
"title": "The California Report Magazine",
"tagline": "Your state, your stories",
"info": "Every week, The California Report Magazine takes you on a road trip for the ears: to visit the places and meet the people who make California unique. The in-depth storytelling podcast from the California Report.",
"airtime": "FRI 4:30pm-5pm, 6:30pm-7pm, 11pm-11:30pm",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareportmagazine",
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"order": 10
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM3NjkwNjk1OTAz",
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"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/tcrmag/feed/podcast"
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},
"city-arts": {
"id": "city-arts",
"title": "City Arts & Lectures",
"info": "A one-hour radio program to hear celebrated writers, artists and thinkers address contemporary ideas and values, often discussing the creative process. Please note: tapes or transcripts are not available",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/cityartsandlecture-300x300.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.cityarts.net/",
"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
"subscribe": {
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/City-Arts-and-Lectures-p692/",
"rss": "https://www.cityarts.net/feed/"
}
},
"closealltabs": {
"id": "closealltabs",
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"info": "Close All Tabs breaks down how digital culture shapes our world through thoughtful insights and irreverent humor.",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 1
},
"link": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
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"code-switch-life-kit": {
"id": "code-switch-life-kit",
"title": "Code Switch / Life Kit",
"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
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"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Code-Switch-Life-Kit-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/code-switch-life-kit",
"subscribe": {
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnByLm9yZy9yc3MvcG9kY2FzdC5waHA_aWQ9NTEwMzEy",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510312/podcast.xml"
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},
"commonwealth-club": {
"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
"airtime": "THU 10pm, FRI 1am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Commonwealth-Club-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.commonwealthclub.org/podcasts",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
"link": "/radio/program/commonwealth-club",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/commonwealth-club-of-california-podcast/id976334034?mt=2",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
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}
},
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"id": "forum",
"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9am-11am, 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Forum with Mina Kim and Alexis Madrigal",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/forum",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 9
},
"link": "/forum",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz",
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}
},
"freakonomics-radio": {
"id": "freakonomics-radio",
"title": "Freakonomics Radio",
"info": "Freakonomics Radio is a one-hour award-winning podcast and public-radio project hosted by Stephen Dubner, with co-author Steve Levitt as a regular guest. It is produced in partnership with WNYC.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/freakonomicsRadio.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://freakonomics.com/",
"airtime": "SUN 1am-2am, SAT 3pm-4pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/freakonomics-radio",
"subscribe": {
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/freakonomicsradio"
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},
"fresh-air": {
"id": "fresh-air",
"title": "Fresh Air",
"info": "Hosted by Terry Gross, \u003cem>Fresh Air from WHYY\u003c/em> is the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues. One of public radio's most popular programs, Fresh Air features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.",
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"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Fresh-Air-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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"link": "/radio/program/fresh-air",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/381444908/podcast.xml"
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"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510051/podcast.xml"
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},
"hidden-brain": {
"id": "hidden-brain",
"title": "Hidden Brain",
"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/series/423302056/hidden-brain",
"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
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},
"how-i-built-this": {
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"title": "How I Built This with Guy Raz",
"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/howIBuiltThis.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this",
"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
"meta": {
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"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
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"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/3zxy",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2",
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},
"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
"title": "Hyphenación",
"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Hyphenacion_FinalAssets_PodcastTile.png",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
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"order": 15
},
"link": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
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},
"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Political-Mind-of-Jerry-Brown-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 18
},
"link": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1492194549",
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}
},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
"subscribe": {
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
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"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
}
},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Masters-of-Scale-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "http://mastersofscale.app.link/",
"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
"subscribe": {
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/464615685/mind-shift-podcast",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/stories-teachers-share",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/0MxSpNYZKNprFLCl7eEtyx"
}
},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/",
"meta": {
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"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/morning-edition"
},
"onourwatch": {
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