WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), member of the Senate Rules Committee, released the following statement after the Senate passed the Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act of 2022 as part of the Omnibus Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2023:

“Free and fair elections are the bedrock of our democracy. By passing the Electoral Count Reform Act, the Senate has moved to strengthen the foundation of our democracy and the peaceful transfer of power. This bill reaffirms the power of the people and their right to a representative government by ensuring we count every single vote cast by an eligible voter.

“The Electoral Count Reform Act will update our election laws to ensure the partisan power grab we witnessed on January 6th no longer threatens our democracy. No individual, party, or state government should have the power to override the will of the people, and this bill represents a strong step toward restoring Americans’ faith in our elections.”

Senator Padilla believes that our democracy is strongest when every eligible citizen participates. As California’s Secretary of State, he 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, he is a champion for stronger voting rights and increased funding to modernize and secure our elections. He wants to preserve and protect the free and fair elections that are the foundation of American democracy.

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