Voting and Civil Rights

Alex believes that our democracy is strongest when every eligible American participates. That’s why he’s spent his career fighting to expand and preserve voting rights. While serving as California’s Secretary of State, Alex implemented automatic and same-day voter registration, expanded vote-by-mail, and launched early vote centers. These key reforms led to record voter registration and participation in California and have become a model for the rest of the nation.  In the U.S. Senate, Alex is a champion for stronger voting rights, bipartisan election administration reforms, and increased funding to modernize and secure our elections.

And because Alex believes in an America made stronger by its diversity, he’s consistently fought to protect the civil rights of all Americans. In the face of an alarming rise in hate crimes over the last few years, Alex cosponsored legislation, later signed into law by President Biden, to address the rise in hate crimes and violence against Asian American and Pacific Islander communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Because Americans of every race, faith, and belief deserve to be treated with dignity.

Recent News

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration and California’s former Secretary of State, blocked Senator Mike Lee’s (R-Utah) attempts to unanimously pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE)...
While Senate Republicans Block Efforts to Register Citizens, Padilla Blocks Their Efforts to Pass Anti-Voter SAVE Act WASHINGTON, D.C. — On the anniversary of President Clinton signing the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) into law, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking...
Election officials and voter advocates detail the harmful impacts of Republicans’ SAVE Act and Trump’s anti-voter executive order on the right to vote for millions of American citizens WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of...
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration and California’s former Secretary of State, blocked Senator Mike Lee’s (R-Utah) attempts to unanimously pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE)...
While Senate Republicans Block Efforts to Register Citizens, Padilla Blocks Their Efforts to Pass Anti-Voter SAVE Act WASHINGTON, D.C. — On the anniversary of President Clinton signing the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) into law, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking...
Election officials and voter advocates detail the harmful impacts of Republicans’ SAVE Act and Trump’s anti-voter executive order on the right to vote for millions of American citizens WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of...
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration and California’s former Secretary of State, convened a Rules Committee Democrats spotlight hearing titled “Protecting the Future of American Democracy: An Examination of Trump and Partisan...
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined his colleagues in blasting President Trump’s continued attacks on the freedom of the press, a fundamental First Amendment right guaranteed by the Constitution. Padilla...
Ranking Members: “There is no precedent or Congressional intent to complicate election security grant funding by attaching political strings” WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, and Representative Joe...
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, and Representative Joe Morelle (N.Y.-25), Ranking Member of the Committee on House Administration, issued the following joint statement after President Trump released his...
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration and California’s former Secretary of State, and Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government,...
Lawmakers demand copy of CISA’s review of its election security work after insufficient responses, blown deadlines to multiple letters regarding CISA firings and termination of election security efforts WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules...
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) introduced the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino Act to build a new Smithsonian museum on the National Mall that recognizes the accomplishments of Latinos. This follows...