California Recall Election Isn't Using Mail-in Ballots Due to Delta Variant

Our investigation found that California’s decision to use mail-in ballots was made prior to the delta variant being prevalent in the state. Senate Bill No. 29 was approved on February 19, 2021. The bill, titled “Elections: vote by mail ballots,” requires county elections officials to mail a ballot to every registered voter for elections conducted before January 1, 2022. 

The first cases of the delta variant didn’t begin popping up in the US until May of 2021. It wasn’t until June that the delta variant became the dominant strain in the state of California. Therefore, California decided to use mail-in ballots months before the delta variant was common in the state, or anywhere else in the US.

The election to recall Governor Newsom will take place on September 14, 2021. Starting on August 16, a ballot will be mailed to every registered California voter. Each ballot will include two questions, whether or not Newsom should be recalled, and who should replace the governor if he is recalled.