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

Building on their newly announced Election Protection Task Force, Senate Democrats met with election experts to safeguard voting rights WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Senators Alex Padilla, Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee which oversees federal elections, and Adam Schiff...
Senators Direct Dept. of Commerce to Explain its Involvement with USPS and Elections and Preserve Documents for Congressional Oversight WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration and California’s...
Demand to DOJ IG Comes After Republicans Blocked Padilla’s Bill to Stop Taxpayer-funded Rewards for January 6th Rioters WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and all...
Building on their newly announced Election Protection Task Force, Senate Democrats met with election experts to safeguard voting rights WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Senators Alex Padilla, Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee which oversees federal elections, and Adam Schiff...
Senators Direct Dept. of Commerce to Explain its Involvement with USPS and Elections and Preserve Documents for Congressional Oversight WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration and California’s...
Demand to DOJ IG Comes After Republicans Blocked Padilla’s Bill to Stop Taxpayer-funded Rewards for January 6th Rioters WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and all...
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), ranking Member on the Senate Rules and Administration Committee and California’s former Secretary of State, released the following statement on the United States Postal Service’s (USPS) proposed rule to begin implementing...
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, moved to block the Trump Administration’s $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund that would compensate or financially reward convicted January 6 insurrectionists. Padilla asked unanimous...
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and California’s former Secretary of State, condemned the Supreme Court’s Louisiana v Callais ruling at a...
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, led ten Democratic colleagues in calling for election-denier Kurt Olsen’s removal as Director of Election...
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee and former California Secretary of State, along with Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), and Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), led a group of...
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration and California’s former Secretary of State, and Brian Lemek, Executive Director of Defend the Vote, penned an...
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Chuck Schumer...