California Secretary of State Communications Department

The Communications Department oversees all media relations for the California Secretary of State’s office and keeps the public informed of the latest news from the agency’s various divisions: Elections, Business Programs, Political Reform and State Archives. Media representatives interested in information about the Secretary of State’s office or obtaining interviews should call (916) 653-6575 or email sospress@sos.ca.gov.

Online E-Newsletter: The SOS Register!

2020 Statewide Public Education Fact Sheet and Contract

2020 Statewide Public Education Fact Sheet and Contract

November 2020 Ballot Return Updates

(Data as of 11/2/20)

To view the latest 2020 Ballot Return Statistics as a PDF, click here.

To view the latest 2020 Ballot Return Statistics as an Excel document, click here.

November 2020 In-Person Voting Updates

(Data as of 11/2/20)

To view the latest 2020 In-Person Voting Statistics as a PDF, click here.

To view the latest 2020 In-Person Voting Statistics as an Excel document, click here.

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Number Date Title
Media Advisory 12/29/2020 Secretary of State’s Office to Conduct Randomized Alphabet Drawing for March 2, 2021 State Senate District 30 Special Primary Election
AP20:116 12/11/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla Certifies Record Setting General Election Results
AP20:115 12/10/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla Recognizes 2020 California University and College Ballot Bowl Winners
AP20:114 12/10/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla Announces Results of Randomized Alphabet Drawing for March 2, 2021 General Law City Elections
Media Advisory 11/30/2020 Secretary of State’s Office to Conduct Randomized Alphabet Drawing for March 2, 2021 General Law City Elections
AP20:113 11/20/2020 Proposed Initiative Enters Circulation
AP20:112 11/17/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla Statement on Chris Krebs
AP20:111 11/5/2020 California Secretary of State Issues Unprocessed Ballots Report
AP20:110 11/3/2020 Polls now Closed in California
AP20:109 11/3/2020 Election Day in California, Polls Open Now
AP20:108 10/30/2020 Record 22 Million Californians Registered to Vote Heading into General Election
Media Advisory 10/29/2020 TODAY: Secretary of State Alex Padilla and Staples Center Host Press Conference with LA Kings, Los Angeles Lakers & LA Sparks Representatives To Promote In-Person Voting Through November 3
AP20:107 10/29/2020 What to Expect During the California Vote Count Process
AP20:106 10/28/2020 California Law Allows Time Off to Vote on Election Day
AP20:105 10/27/2020 California Secretary of State’s Office Adds Amazon Alexa Voice Application to its California Elections Toolkit
AP20:104 10/24/2020 Secretary of State Padilla Urges Early Voting as Vote Centers Begin to Open in California
AP20:103 10/23/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla Certifies U.S. President and Vice President Write-in Candidate List for November 3, 2020 General Election
AP20:102 10/20/2020 Groundbreaking College Student Voter Registration Numbers Following the Voter Registration Deadline
AP20:101 10/20/2020 Same Day Voter Registration Allows Californians who Missed Deadline Another Opportunity to Register and Vote
AP20:100 10/19/2020 Midnight Voter Registration Deadline for General Election; In-Person 'Same-Day' Registration Required After Today
AP20:099 10/16/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla Statement on Unofficial Ballot Drop Boxes
AP20:098 10/16/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla and Attorney General Xavier Becerra Issue Statement on Efforts to Protect Election Integrity
Media Advisory 10/16/2020 TODAY: Secretary of State Alex Padilla and Attorney General Xavier Becerra to Provide Update on Efforts to Protect Integrity of California’s Elections
AP20:097 10/15/2020 Over 2 Million California Voters Signed Up to Track Their Ballot
AP20:096 10/14/2020 Over 1.5 million Vote-by-Mail Ballots Already Returned
AP20:095 10/13/2020 181 Schools Participate in California Student Mock Election
AP20:094 10/12/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla and Attorney General Xavier Becerra Send Cease and Desist Letters on Ballot Drop Boxes
Media Advisory 10/12/2020 TODAY: Secretary of State Alex Padilla and Attorney General Xavier Becerra to hold Virtual Press Conference Briefing on Reports of Unofficial Ballot Drop Boxes
Media Advisory 10/7/2020 TOMORROW: America Ferrera & Cristela Alonzo to Join Civil Rights Icon Dolores Huerta & CA Secretary of State Alex Padilla to Discuss Voting on November 3rd
AP20:093 10/5/2020 Millions of Vote-by-Mail Ballots on the Way to All Registered California Voters; Early Voting Begins at County Elections Offices
Media Advisory 10/2/2020 California Secretary of State Alex Padilla to Join Orange County Officials to Discuss County's Comprehensive Plans to Safeguard Election, Provide Transparency
AP20:092 10/1/2020 Proposed Initiative Enters Circulation
AP20:091 10/1/2020 Los Angeles County VSAP 2.1 Voting System Certified
AP20:090 10/1/2020 Secretary of State Releases Latest Report of Registration Ahead of the November 3, 2020, General Election
AP20:089 09/25/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla Launches New Elections Chatbot
AP20:088 09/23/2020 Governor Newsom Signs Executive Order to Make Safe at Home Program Available for Public Health Officials
AP20:087 09/23/2020 California Secretary of State Launches New Statewide Ads for Vote Safe California
AP20:086 09/22/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla Urges All Californians to Confirm Registration Status on National Voter Registration Day
AP20:085 09/18/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla Statement on the Passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruther Bader Ginsburg
AP20:084 09/17/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla Statement on USPS Briefing with Postmaster General DeJoy
AP20:083 09/11/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla Invites California Schools to Participate in the 2020 Student Mock Election
AP20:082 09/10/2020 Proposed Referendum Enters Circulation
AP20:081 09/10/2020 Proposed Initiative Enters Circulation
AP20:080 09/04/2020 New Voter Registration Milestone – California Reaches 21 Million Registered Voters
AP20:079 08/27/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla Certifies Candidate List for November 3, 2020, General Election
AP20:078 08/25/2020 California Ballot Tracking Tool Now Available Statewide
Media Advisory 08/25/2020 California Secretary of State's Office and California State Archives to Host Women's Suffrage Rock The Vote 2020 Virtual Panel
AP20:077 08/21/2020 California Secretary of State Alex Padilla Tours USPS Plant in Los Angeles
AP20:076 08/18/2020 CA Secretary of State Alex Padilla Statement on USPS Suspension of Operational Changes
AP20:075 08/18/2020 CA Secretary of State Alex Padilla Re-Launches California Students Vote Project, in Partnership with the California Lieutenant Governor and California Higher Education Institutions
AP20:074 08/17/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla Launches Census Challenge for Final Push of Statewide Count
AP20:073 08/13/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla Announces Results of Randomized Alphabet Drawing for November 3, 2020 General Election
AP20:072 08/13/2020 Secretary of State Releases First Report of Registration Ahead of the November 3, 2020 General Election
AP20:071 08/12/2020 NEW Statewide Poll Worker Portal Launched to Assist Counties Recruit Poll Workers Ahead of the November 3, 2020, General Election
AP20:070 08/06/2020 Secretary of State's Office Launches New Uniform Commercial Code Web Portal
AP20:069 08/05/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla Announces First-in-the-Nation Partnership with Drag Out The Vote
Media Advisory 08/04/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla Joins with Civil Rights Leaders to Call on Congress to Fund Elections Immediately
Media Advisory 08/04/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla to Participate in AltaMed Health Services Town Hall on Civic Engagement Program for Underrepresented Communities
Media Advisory 08/03/2020 Secretary of State’s Office to Conduct Randomized Alphabet Drawing for November 3, 2020, General Election
Media Advisory 08/03/2020 Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs to Present California Secretary of State Alex Padilla with the Pat Brown Legacy Award
AP20:068 07/27/2020 99 Days Until the November 3, 2020, General Election; Secretary of State’s Office Launches “Vote Safe California” Campaign
AP20:067 07/23/2020 National Association of Secretaries of State Presents California Secretary of State with 2020 IDEAS Award
Media Advisory 07/22/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla and Congressman Gil Cisneros to Host Town Hall to Discuss the U.S. Census and 2020 Election Voting Updates
AP20:066 07/21/2020 New Measure Eligible for California's November 2022 Ballot
AP20:065 07/21/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla Statement on Trump's Memo on Congressional Apportionment
AP20:064 07/21/2020 Secretary of State’s Office Issues Health and Safety Guidelines for In-Person Voting Locations
AP20:063 07/21/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla Releases Statewide Voter Information Guide for Public Review
AP20:062 07/17/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla Statement on the Passing of US Representative John Lewis
AP20:061 07/17/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla Issues Supplement to the Statement of the Vote for the March 3, 2020 Presidential Primary Election
AP20:060 07/01/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla Assigns Numbers to November Ballot Measures, Invites Ballot Arguments
AP20:059 06/25/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla Certifies Measures for the November 3, 2020 General Election Ballot
AP20:058 06/24/2020 New Measure Eligible for California's November 2020 Ballot
AP20:057 06/23/2020 Proponents Withdraw Initiative to Require Certain Commercial and Industrial Real Property to be Taxed Based on Fair-Market Value. Dedicates Portion of any Increased Revenue to Education and Local Services.
AP20:056 06/22/2020 New Measure Eligible for California's November 2020 Ballot
AP20:055 06/18/2020 Governor Newsom Signs Legislation to Fortify California's November 3, 2020 General Election for the COVID-19 Pandemic
AP20:054 06/18/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla Statement on US Supreme Court DACA Ruling
AP20:053 06/15/2020 New Measure Eligible for California's November 2020 Ballot
AP20:052 06/15/2020 California Secretary of State Certifies Congressional District 25 and Senate District 28 Special General Election Results
AP20:051 06/11/2020 State Archives Releases New Digital Exhibit Featuring California’s Yosemite National Park
Media Advisory 06/10/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla to Participate in Press Conference Call on Census Operations Resuming in Northern California
AP20:050 06/03/2020 Governor Newsom Issues Executive Order for November 3, 2020 General Election
AP20:049 05/29/2020 New Measure Eligible for California's November 2020 Ballot
AP20:048 05/22/2020 New Measure Eligible for California's November 2020 Ballot
AP20:047 05/21/2020 State Archives Invites Californians to Document Their COVID-19 Stories
AP20:046 05/14/2020 Secretary of State’s Office Bringing on Expert Consultants to help with Vote-by-Mail Expansion for General Election
AP20:045 05/08/2020 Governor Newsom Issues Executive Order to Send Every Registered Voter a Vote-by-Mail Ballot for the November 3, 2020 General Election
AP20:044 05/01/2020 California Election Results Certified; Record Number of Ballots Cast in a Primary
Media Advisory 05/01/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla to hold Tele-Press Conference Briefing on March 3, 2020 Presidential Primary Election Results
AP20:043 04/30/2020 State Archives Releases New Digital Exhibit Featuring the History of California’s Farmworkers
AP20:042 04/29/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla, ‘Safe at Home’ Program Recognize April as Sexual Violence Awareness Month; Participate in Denim Day Activities
AP20:041 04/24/2020 San Mateo County Becomes 26th County to Adopt “Where’s My Ballot?” Vote-by-Mail Tracking Tool
AP20:040 04/23/2020 New Measure Eligible for California's November 2020 Ballot
AP20:039 04/21/2020 Secretary of State's Office Launches Corporations Formations Online Filing Tool and Revamped Online Filing Tool for Corporation Statements of Information
AP20:038 04/03/2020 Secretary of State Los Angeles Public Counter Hours Reduced during COVID-19 Pandemic
AP20:037 03/25/2020 California Secretary of State Alex Padilla Statement on Election Funding in Proposed Federal Stimulus Package
AP20:036 03/20/2020 Governor Newsom Signs Executive Order Requiring Counties to Mail Every Voter a Ballot for Special Elections in CD-25 and SD-28
AP20:035 03/20/2020 Secretary of State Sacramento Public Counters Closed during COVID-19 Pandemic
AP20:034 03/18/2020 Update on Secretary of State Building Operations during COVID-19 Pandemic
AP20:033 03/16/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla is Urging Californians to go Online to Promote Public Health
AP20:032 03/13/2020 Secretary Padilla Statement on American Elections in the Face of COVID-19 Pandemic
AP20:031 03/12/2020 Census 2020 Invitations Now Being Sent to Californians
AP20:030 03/06/2020 Proposed Initiative Enters Circulation
AP20:029 03/05/2020 California Secretary of State Alex Padilla Statement on Los Angeles Voting Lines
AP20:028 03/03/2020 Polls Now Closed in California—What to Expect During Vote Counting
AP20:027 03/03/2020 Election Day in California, Polls Open Now
AP20:026 03/02/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla Releases Women on Boards March Report
AP20:025 02/28/2020 Secretary of State Releases Final Report of Registration Ahead of March 3 Presidential Primary
AP20:024 02/28/2020 Secretary Padilla Urges Californians to Consider Voting Early
AP20:023 02/27/2020 What to Expect During the California Vote Count Process
Media Advisory 02/26/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla to hold Tele-Press Conference Briefing on California Vote Counting Process
AP20:022 02/25/2020 California Law Allows Time Off to Vote on Election Day
AP20:021 02/22/2020 TODAY: Vote Centers Open in all Voter’s Choice Act Counties
AP20:020 02/21/2020 Secretary of State Padilla Certifies Write-in Candidates List for March 3, 2020, Presidential Primary Election
Media Advisory 02/21/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla Celebrates Opening of Vote Centers by Casting his Ballot in Los Angeles County
Media Advisory 02/21/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla and Congressman Salud Carbajal to Host Town Hall to Discuss the 2020 Census
Media Advisory 02/20/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla and Congresswoman Anna G. Eshoo to Host Town Hall to Discuss Election Security, Vote Centers and the U.S. Census
Media Advisory 02/19/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla to Visit Notre Dame High School
AP20:019 02/19/2020 Same Day Voter Registration Allows Californians who Missed Traditional Deadline Another Opportunity to Register and Vote
Media Advisory 02/18/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla and Congressman Mike Levin to Host Town Hall to Discuss the U.S. Census and Vote Centers
AP20:018 02/18/2020 Midnight “Traditional” Deadline to Register to Vote for March 3 Presidential Primary Election
Media Advisory 02/17/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla and Congressman TJ Cox to Host Town Hall to Discuss the U.S. Census and March 3, 2020 Presidential Primary
Media Advisory 02/12/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla to Address California YMCA Youth and Government Conference
Media Advisory 02/11/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla to Welcome More Than 1,250 New U.S. Citizens in Oakland
AP20:017 02/10/2020 Proposed Initiative Enters Circulation
Media Advisory 02/10/2020 California Secretary of State Alex Padilla to Provide Remarks to Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment “Make Us Count” Press Conference
AP20:016 02/10/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla Announces Partnership with MemorialCare Miller Children’s and Women’s Hospital Long Beach
Media Advisory 02/07/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla to Keynote NALEO and Alameda County Complete Count Committee Census Launch Breakfast and Training
Media Advisory 02/06/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla to Visit Berkeley High School
AP20:015 02/06/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla Releases Latest Report of Registration; 500,000 California Teens have Pre-Registered since Program Launch
Media Advisory 02/05/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla to Announce Voter Pre-Registration Milestone at Grant High School
AP20:014 02/04/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla Statement on California Presidential Primary and Vote Count Process
AP20:013 02/04/2020 Where’s My Ballot? New Tool Launched to Help Voters Track the Status of their Vote-by-Mail Ballots
AP20:012 02/03/2020 New Measure Eligible for California's November 2020 Ballot
AP20:011 02/03/2020 Millions of Vote-by-Mail Ballots on the Way to California Voters; Early Voting Begins at County Elections Office
Media Advisory 01/31/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla to Speak at the Public Policy Institute of California’s Speaker Series: “Countdown to Census 2020”
Media Advisory 01/31/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla to Kick-Off Early Voting for the March 3, 2020 Presidential Primary in Sacramento
AP20:010 01/29/2020 Proposed Initiative Enters Circulation
Media Advisory 01/28/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla to Visit California State University, Northridge
Media Advisory 01/28/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla to Visit Kennedy High School
Media Advisory 01/24/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla to Visit Lincoln High School
AP20:009 01/24/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla Conditionally Certifies Los Angeles County VSAP System; First Publicly Owned Voting System Certified in the Nation
AP20:008 01/23/2020 Secretary of State Padilla Announces Results of Randomized Alphabet Drawing for the April General Law City Elections
Media Advisory 01/22/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla to Visit Garfield High School
AP20:007 01/22/2020 Proposed Initiative Enters Circulation
AP20:006 01/22/2020 Proposed Initiative Enters Circulation
Media Advisory 01/21/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla to Visit San Pedro High School
Media Advisory 01/17/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla to Visit Fairfield High School
Media Advisory 01/16/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla and Congressman Gil Cisneros to Host Town Hall to Discuss the U.S. Census and Vote Centers in Orange County
AP20:005 01/16/2020 Secretary of State Alex Padilla Certifies Candidates for Congressional District 25 and Senate District 28 Special Primary Elections
Media Advisory 01/13/2020 Secretary of State’s Office to Conduct Randomized Alphabet Drawing for April General Law City Elections
AP20:004 01/10/2020 Secretary of State Padilla Announces Results of Randomized Alphabet Drawing for Congressional District 25 and State Senate District 28 Special Primary Elections
AP20:003 01/09/2020 Proposed Initiative Enters Circulation
AP20:002 01/09/2020 Proposed Initiative Enters Circulation
AP20:001 01/03/2020 Proposed Initiative Enters Circulation