SACRAMENTO – (INT) – California’s 2020 Presidential Primary is still a year away, but Secretary of State Alex Padilla is predicting a record voter turnout.

Padilla says that 79 percent of eligible Californians are registered to vote, an historic high for the state. That accounts for 20 million voters.

Meantime, Padilla has set a deadline for counties to retire old voting machines and modernize their election infrastructure. “Many counties are using voting systems so old that vendors no longer make replacement parts. Some use operating systems that are no longer supported and therefore security and upgrades are not available. And while county officials have worked diligently to keep this equipment up and running, our democracy is facing increasingly sophisticated threats,” Padilla declared.

With the Primary Election being moved up from June to March, Padilla says voters will have more influence in the presidential nominating process.

Story Date: March 28, 2019