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. — U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration and California’s former Secretary of State, questioned elected officials and leading election experts during a Rules Committee Democrats spotlight forum he convened titled...
“It is not a voter ID bill; it is very much a voter suppression bill. It is very much a voter purge bill, and has so much more in that piece of legislation that should concern people.” WASHINGTON, D.C. —...
Padilla and Morelle urge GAO to address the White House’s apparently illegal website dedicated to pressuring Americans to lobby their Senators to pass voter suppression bill WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee...
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration and California’s former Secretary of State, questioned elected officials and leading election experts during a Rules Committee Democrats spotlight forum he convened titled...
“It is not a voter ID bill; it is very much a voter suppression bill. It is very much a voter purge bill, and has so much more in that piece of legislation that should concern people.” WASHINGTON, D.C. —...
Padilla and Morelle urge GAO to address the White House’s apparently illegal website dedicated to pressuring Americans to lobby their Senators to pass voter suppression bill WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee...
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, issued the following statement after President Trump announced the nominations of two Republicans to the Federal Election Commission (FEC). This follows...
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of both the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration and the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, took to the Senate floor to condemn Congressional Republicans’ attempts to pass the SAVE...
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, and Mark Warner (D-Va.), Vice Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, called on Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard to immediately...
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, issued the following statement as Republicans in Congress introduced the SAVE America Act, an updated version...
Address follows Padilla letter demanding DOJ cease voter roll pressure campaign in response to AG Bondi’s letter to Minnesota Governor Walz linking ICE and CBP deployment to the state’s voter rolls WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking...
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, issued the following statement after Republicans in Congress announced the Make Elections Great Again (MEGA)...
Senators raise alarm on Attorney General Bondi’s attempt to coerce Minnesota Governor Walz into relinquishing the state’s voter registration list as a condition for the removal of ICE and CBP from Minneapolis following the rejection of DOJ’s lawsuits in two...