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California’s secretary of state would be a nonpartisan position under a new proposal put forward by Republican Assembly members, who say the change is needed to restore faith in the state’s elections.
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“Elections only work if people who vote in them can trust the process and right now that trust is at an all-time low,” said Assemblymember Natasha Johnson, R-Lake Elsinore, who co-introduced the measure, at a news conference Thursday morning. “Restoring that trust is a multifactor process, but one thing is very clear: allowing partisan offices to oversee our elections is a recipe for disaster.”
The measure, Assembly Constitutional Amendment 23, comes as trust in elections nationally has dropped in recent years, particularly among Republicans. Much of that is driven by President Donald Trump who just this year alleged that California Democrats rigged the June primary in their favor due the lengthy time it takes the state to count ballots.
The amendment faces tough odds of passing the Legislature because it needs the support of at least two-thirds of members in both the Assembly and the Senate, before Sept. 1. Few, if any, Democrats appear likely to back it.
If it did gain enough legislative support, it would then go before voters in a future election.
“We’re not deciding this for California, we’re giving Californians the chance to decide for themselves,” Johnson said.
The role is currently held by Shirley Weber, a Democrat running for reelection. She won more than 58% of the vote in the June primary and will face Donald Wagner, a former Republican assemblymember, in November.
“ACA 23 is a common sense idea,” Wagner said at the news conference. “It is not an opportunity for Republicans to win more races, for Democrats to win more races, for anyone to win more races. It is an opportunity for the voters, for the voters of this state, no matter what they feel, no matter what party, or no party they belong to, to actually have a say.”
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The state Constitution currently designates the superintendent of public instruction and judicial, school, county and city offices as nonpartisan. That means that no political party can nominate a person for the office and a candidate’s preferred party cannot be included on the ballot.
A spokesperson for the Secretary of State’s Office declined to comment.
State Sen. Roger Niello, R-Fair Oaks, advocated for another constitutional amendment he introduced that also faces tough odds. It would give the legislative analyst the authority to prepare the title and summary of propositions on future ballots. The job is currently handled by the attorney general.
Supporters of Proposition 39, which would add additional voter identification and citizenship requirements to state elections, accuse Attorney General Rob Bonta of not accurately describing the measure.
Sacramento judges recently denied efforts by supporters to change the ballot title of the proposition for the November election and also to make claims in the state voter guide, including that it would make voting easier.
Niello’s measure, Senate Constitutional Amendment 3, was introduced in February 2025 and stalled earlier this year. It is also unlikely to pass before the end of the month, when the Legislature finishes its work for the year.
Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, R-Valley Center, one of the proponents of Prop. 39, said his group Reform California would collect enough signatures to put the combined proposals on the ballot if the Legislature does not pass the two constitutional amendments before leaving town.
“California voters deserve to know that their election are administered by a nonpartisan election officer,” he said. “And they deserve fair, impartial and accurate titles on every ballot measure.”
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