# Shirley N. Weber *candidate · Secretary of State · Democratic* — November 3, 2026 General Election (2026-11-03), Los Angeles County, California Research pack generated 2026-10-30T23:52:30+00:00 by ballotscope. Summaries are LLM-generated from the linked originals and may contain errors; check the originals before relying on anything. Sources span 2026-01-15 to 2026-10-03. ## Overview (as of 2026-10-28, from 19 sources) Shirley N. Weber, a Democrat, has been California's Secretary of State since her 2021 appointment. She is the first Black person to hold the office, served eight years in the Assembly before that, and won a full term in 2022 [Secretary of State — CalMatters 2026 Voter Guide; California secretary of state race (April 2026)]. She is seeking a second term against Republican Don Wagner [California secretary of state race (April 2026); 2026 general election: California Secretary of State voter guide]. Her campaign rests on defending voting access and on opposing Trump administration actions on elections [Secretary of State Candidate Statements (Nov. 3, 2026 Official Voter Information Guide); California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown)]. The most documented part of her record is her refusal in 2025 to give the Department of Justice an unredacted electronic copy of California's voter file; a federal judge dismissed DOJ's suit on January 15, 2026 [Order granting motion to dismiss, United States v. Weber (C.D. Cal.); Federal Court Dismisses DOJ Lawsuit Seeking California Voter Data; Judge dismisses DOJ lawsuit demanding California voter rolls]. With the Attorney General, she also sued Huntington Beach over its voter ID charter amendment, and the California Supreme Court left the ruling against the city in place on January 28, 2026 [Attorney General Bonta and Secretary of State Weber: California Supreme Court Permanently Shuts the Door on Huntington Beach's Voter ID Law]. Her critics, chiefly Wagner, fault her over California's slow ballot count and her opposition to voter ID [California secretary of state race (April 2026); 2026 general election: California Secretary of State voter guide]. In April 2026 she told CalMatters that 'accuracy is far more important' than speed [California secretary of state race (April 2026)]. By September 2026 she said she would 'probably not be opposed' to letting counties process mail ballots before Election Day if the Legislature took it up [California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown)]. She opposes the voter ID measure on the November ballot, which she called 'a waste of money and a waste of time' in April [KSWB Fox 5 covers Secretary of State Weber's remarks on voter ID] and argued against in September [California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown)]. Her most recent statements here are the September 25, 2026 KQED interview [California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown)] and the November voter-guide statement [Secretary of State Candidate Statements (Nov. 3, 2026 Official Voter Information Guide)]. ### Record highlights - Appointed Secretary of State in 2021 after eight years in the Assembly; won a full four-year term in 2022. [Secretary of State — CalMatters 2026 Voter Guide; California secretary of state race (April 2026)] - July to September 2025: in response to a DOJ demand, offered in-person inspection in Sacramento of a voter list with driver's license and Social Security numbers redacted, answered DOJ's other questions, and declined to provide an unredacted electronic copy, citing state and federal privacy law. [Order granting motion to dismiss, United States v. Weber (C.D. Cal.)] - January 15, 2026: U.S. District Judge David O. Carter granted the motions to dismiss United States v. Weber, calling DOJ's request 'unprecedented and illegal.' [Order granting motion to dismiss, United States v. Weber (C.D. Cal.); Federal Court Dismisses DOJ Lawsuit Seeking California Voter Data; Judge dismisses DOJ lawsuit demanding California voter rolls] - April 15, 2024: with Attorney General Bonta, sued Huntington Beach over its Measure A voter ID requirement; on January 28, 2026 the California Supreme Court declined review, leaving in place the appellate ruling that the measure is preempted by state law. [Attorney General Bonta and Secretary of State Weber: California Supreme Court Permanently Shuts the Door on Huntington Beach's Voter ID Law] - Oversaw the state's permanent adoption of universal mail-in voting and administered the 2021 Newsom recall election. [Secretary of State — CalMatters 2026 Voter Guide; California secretary of state race (April 2026)] - Was sued in 2024 by disability advocates over the lack of electronic ballot return for voters with disabilities; the suit was unsuccessful. [California secretary of state race (April 2026)] - September 4, 2026: issued a statement welcoming a federal preliminary injunction against new U.S. Postal Service mail-ballot requirements. [Secretary of State Weber issues statement on extended block of unlawful changes to mail voting] - Her primary voter-guide statement says 28 statewide and special elections were held successfully during her tenure. [Candidate statements, June 2, 2026 Primary Official Voter Information Guide] ### Stated positions - Opposes the voter ID measure on the November ballot (Proposition 39, as described by the KQED host), arguing it is unnecessary because ID is already required at registration and 'there is no widespread fraud' (September 2026). She called it 'a waste of money and a waste of time' in April 2026. [California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown); KSWB Fox 5 covers Secretary of State Weber's remarks on voter ID; California's Election Referee Is on the Ballot – And Almost No One Is Watching] - Says the federal government has no legal right to Californians' detailed voter data and that she will keep refusing to provide it (February and September 2026). [California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown); CA Secretary of State responds to Trump's push to nationalize elections; Judge dismisses DOJ lawsuit demanding California voter rolls] - Opposes federal 'nationalization' of elections (February 2026). [CA Secretary of State responds to Trump's push to nationalize elections] - Defends the time the count takes, citing the seven-day window for postmarked ballots, ballot curing and same-day registration. In April 2026 she said accuracy matters more than speed; in September 2026 she said she would probably not oppose pre-Election Day processing if the Legislature acted. [California secretary of state race (April 2026); California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown)] - Encourages early voting and the use of official drop boxes, and urges every eligible Californian to register and vote. [California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown); CA Secretary of State responds to Trump's push to nationalize elections; Secretary of State Candidate Statements (Nov. 3, 2026 Official Voter Information Guide)] - Second-term pledges, as summarized by CalMatters: expand voting access, improve transparency in election filings, enhance cybersecurity, and continue rural outreach and campus registration. [Secretary of State — CalMatters 2026 Voter Guide; California secretary of state race (April 2026)] ### Where sources disagree - How to describe the count: Wagner says California is the last state to report results and takes more than a month. Weber and other panelists say the pace follows from laws meant to protect voters, and Weber says most outcomes are known before certification. [Secretary of State Candidate Statements (Nov. 3, 2026 Official Voter Information Guide); California secretary of state race (April 2026); California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown); Election integrity in California (April 2026)] ### Gaps - No head-to-head debate or joint forum. IVN reported no debates or forums before the primary, and the KQED program interviewed the candidates separately. - No questionnaire answers: GrowSF and IVN both report that she did not respond. - No detailed second-term policy platform from her campaign; her campaign site has no issue pages. - No campaign-finance figures; CalMatters' finance tables did not come through in the stored copy. - No independent data on ballot-count timelines, voter-roll accuracy or audit results under her tenure. - No sources on her Assembly legislative record, which her opponent's prospectus criticizes (police-related legislation, ACA 5). - No later record on whether DOJ appealed the voter-roll dismissal. - The LAist AirTalk audio interview is not transcribed. ### Arguments for / praise - She has protected Californians' voter data and defended state election law in court, winning the DOJ voter-roll case and the Huntington Beach voter ID case. — *Shirley Weber, ACLU / League of Women Voters of California, California Attorney General Rob Bonta* [Secretary of State Candidate Statements (Nov. 3, 2026 Official Voter Information Guide); Federal Court Dismisses DOJ Lawsuit Seeking California Voter Data; Attorney General Bonta and Secretary of State Weber: California Supreme Court Permanently Shuts the Door on Huntington Beach's Voter ID Law; California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown)] - She is a steadfast leader committed to safeguarding and expanding voting access amid partisan attacks on democracy. — *Democratic Association of Secretaries of State, Weber campaign* [California 2026; Dr. Shirley N. Weber for Secretary of State (campaign site)] - Careful verification such as signature checks prevents disenfranchisement, and the law requires accurate counting rather than media deadlines. — *Assemblymember Gail Pellerin, UCLA's Matt Barreto* [Election integrity in California (April 2026)] - She has broad support from statewide Democratic officials, major labor unions, the California Democratic Party and advocacy groups. — *Weber campaign, CalMatters* [Endorsements — Dr. Shirley Weber campaign; Secretary of State — CalMatters 2026 Voter Guide; 2026 general election: California Secretary of State voter guide] ### Arguments against / criticism - California's ballot count is too slow; she has done little to press lawmakers to speed it up, and she resisted calls to count faster. — *Don Wagner* [California secretary of state race (April 2026); California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown)] - Her opposition to voter ID puts her against a measure that would add confidence to elections. — *Don Wagner* [California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown); California's Election Referee Is on the Ballot – And Almost No One Is Watching] - Long counts give room for fraud claims to spread, and treating speed versus accuracy as a tradeoff is a 'false choice.' — *Kim Alexander, California Voter Foundation* [Election integrity in California (April 2026)] - The state has not done enough for voting accessibility, including electronic ballot return for voters with disabilities. — *Disability advocates (as reported by CalMatters)* [California secretary of state race (April 2026)] ## Analysis of their own words (as of 2026-10-28) Coverage: Seven samples of Weber's own words, January to September 2026: two unscripted broadcast interviews (KQED Political Breakdown, Sept. 25, 2026 [S1]; KPBS Midday Edition, Feb. 10, 2026 [S4]), two official statements issued as Secretary of State (Sept. 4, 2026 USPS injunction statement [S2]; Jan. 28, 2026 joint statement with the Attorney General on Huntington Beach [S5]), her candidate statements in the June primary [S3] and November general [S7] voter guides, and her campaign home page (undated) [S6]. In S3, only the Secretary of State section of a multi-office guide is relevant. Missing: any debate or joint forum with her opponent (S1 is two separate interviews), questionnaire answers (GrowSF and IVN report she did not respond), a detailed second-term policy platform, and anything she wrote or said before 2026, including her Assembly record. Across these samples Weber's views are consistently on the access-and-voting-rights side of election-administration debates. She defends universal vote-by-mail, generous ballot deadlines, ballot curing and same-day registration as ways to widen participation [S1, S4], opposes the voter ID measure as unnecessary and likely to deter voting [S1], and treats the defense of state control over elections and voter data against the Trump administration as central to the job [S1, S2, S4, S5]. On these election-administration questions her positions match what is commonly called the progressive or Democratic side, and she frames much of her role as opposition to the current president. She shows some openness to process change: she said she would 'probably not be opposed' to counties pre-processing mail ballots if the Legislature acted [S1]. The samples say nothing about issues beyond elections. Articulation: **adequate**. Prepared texts [S2, S3, S5, S7] are clear and well organized, but they are general: they assert court wins and a fight against opponents without naming cases or setting out second-term proposals. In unscripted interviews she answers the central questions directly. In S1 she gives reasons on voter ID ('why is it necessary?'), explains the legal basis for refusing DOJ, takes a conditional position on pre-processing ballots, and shows command of procedural detail (seven-day postmark window, curing, same-day registration, steel drop boxes). Her answers are often discursive and repetitive, though ('we do it every election... We have heightened that now' [S1]), and in S4 several answers drift from the question into broad commentary on the president. Some specifics come without detail, such as the anti-intimidation legislation she says she passed when she took office [S4]. The S4 transcript is machine-generated and garbled in places, which limits judgments about fluency. Consistency: **strong**. From January to September 2026, her positions on voter ID, voter-data privacy, federal involvement and mail voting are the same in every sample. Her primary [S3] and general [S7] statements share most of their text; the general version drops 'We are not in normal times' and the claim of '28 statewide and special elections' and adds 'I've stood up to Donald Trump.' That is a change of emphasis, not of position. Her S1 openness to pre-Election Day processing is new relative to the other samples here, but it does not contradict them. A news interview not in this sample set (CalMatters, April 2026) quotes her saying 'accuracy is far more important' than speed, which readers may want to compare. - Voter ID (Proposition 39 / the voter ID initiative): Opposes it as unnecessary, citing existing ID-at-registration rules and the absence of widespread fraud; says such rules often deter voting. - "So the question becomes why is it necessary?" [California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown)] (2026-09-25) - "Oftentimes those things are put in place merely to deter people from voting, to make it more difficult for people to vote." [California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown)] (2026-09-25) - "And yet we know in California there is no widespread fraud." [California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown)] (2026-09-25) - Federal demands for voter-roll data: Refused to provide unredacted voter data to the Department of Justice and cites her court win; frames voter data privacy as a trust obligation. - "We have not given them the data because they by law don't have a right to have that data." [California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown)] (2026-09-25) - "When you give us your data, you should know that it's not going to be shared around the world with everyone." [California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown)] (2026-09-25) - "They eventually sued me , and we won because we knew that this issue of privacy and data , I mean , data is power , you know." [CA Secretary of State responds to Trump's push to nationalize elections] (2026-02-10) - Federal 'nationalization' of elections and USPS mail-ballot rules: Opposes federal takeover of state-run elections and welcomed the injunction against new USPS mail-ballot requirements. - "So we are definitely opposed to it." [CA Secretary of State responds to Trump's push to nationalize elections] (2026-02-10) - "While the preliminary injunction is an important victory for California voters and election officials, this fight is far from over" [Secretary of State Weber issues statement on extended block of unlawful changes to mail voting] (2026-09-04) - "Voting is a fundamental right - California will continue to defend it." [Secretary of State Weber issues statement on extended block of unlawful changes to mail voting] (2026-09-04) - Speed of the ballot count: Defends the current pace as a result of access-expanding laws (seven-day postmark window, curing, same-day registration), urges early voting, and is conditionally open to pre-Election Day processing if the Legislature acts. - "We have to cure every ballot." [California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown)] (2026-09-25) - "If the legislature were to consider it, we wouldn't probably be opposed to it providing it doesn't take away people's right to vote." [California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown)] (2026-09-25) - "So there's a lot of things that California has put in to try to create greater opportunities for individuals to vote that really slows the process down." [California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown)] (2026-09-25) - Local voter ID laws and county compliance: Supports suing local governments that adopt voting rules she considers preempted by state law, and supporting counties under pressure. - "Attorney General Bonta and I have held steadfast that state law preempts the City’s attempts to impose illegal voting requirements on eligible voters and that Huntington Beach’s Measure A is unlawful." [Attorney General Bonta and Secretary of State Weber: California Supreme Court Permanently Shuts the Door on Huntington Beach's Voter ID Law] (2026-01-28) - "we have gone in full force to challenge them in court and to win" [California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown)] (2026-09-25) - Voter participation: Urges all eligible Californians to register and vote, regardless of party. - "Every eligible Californian should register to vote and cast their ballot whether we agree politically or not." [Secretary of State Candidate Statements (Nov. 3, 2026 Official Voter Information Guide)] (undated) - "I will continue to fight to make sure that nothing stands between you and the ballot box." [Secretary of State Candidate Statements (Nov. 3, 2026 Official Voter Information Guide)] (undated) Limitations: Seven samples, all from 2026 and all on election administration. There is no head-to-head debate, no written questionnaire answers and no long-form policy document, and nothing from her Assembly career, so her views on other issues and how they may have changed cannot be assessed. S4 is an automated transcript with errors. Official statements (S2, S5) may have been drafted by staff. This analysis covers how she expresses her views, not whether her factual claims are accurate. ## Timeline (newest first) - **2026-10-03** — Published: 2026 general election: California Secretary of State voter guide (LAist) - **2026-09-29** — Published: Secretary of State — CalMatters 2026 Voter Guide (CalMatters) - **2026-09-25** — Published: California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown) (PBS / KQED) - **2026-09-25** — Weber and Wagner interviewed separately on KQED's Political Breakdown (PBS / KQED) - **2026-09-04** — Published: Secretary of State Weber issues statement on extended block of unlawful changes to mail voting (California Secretary of State) - **2026-09-04** — Weber statement on federal injunction blocking USPS mail-ballot changes (California Secretary of State) - **2026-06-02** — Statewide primary election (scheduled) (IVN) - **2026-05-11** — Published: California's Election Referee Is on the Ballot – And Almost No One Is Watching (IVN) - **2026-04-29** — Published: California secretary of state race (April 2026) (CalMatters) - **2026-04-28** — Published: KSWB Fox 5 covers Secretary of State Weber's remarks on voter ID (UC Berkeley IGS) - **2026-04-27** — Weber called the voter ID measure 'a waste of money and a waste of time' at an IGS co-sponsored event (UC Berkeley IGS) - **2026-04-24** — Published: Election integrity in California (April 2026) (CalMatters) - **2026-04-23** — Published: Candidate statements, June 2, 2026 Primary Official Voter Information Guide (California Secretary of State) - **2026-04-07** — Published: Shirley N. Weber — GrowSF questionnaire, June 2026 primary (candidate did not respond) (GrowSF) - **2026-02-10** — Published: CA Secretary of State responds to Trump's push to nationalize elections (KPBS Midday Edition) - **2026-02-10** — Weber interviewed on KPBS Midday Edition about federal 'nationalizing' of elections (KPBS Midday Edition) - **2026-01-28** — Published: Attorney General Bonta and Secretary of State Weber: California Supreme Court Permanently Shuts the Door on Huntington Beach's Voter ID Law (California Attorney General) - **2026-01-28** — California Supreme Court declined review, leaving the ruling against Measure A in place (California Attorney General) - **2026-01-16** — Published: Trump administration lawsuit seeking California voter data is dismissed (GV Wire) - **2026-01-15** — Published: Federal Court Dismisses DOJ Lawsuit Seeking California Voter Data (ACLU) - **2026-01-15** — Federal court dismissed United States v. Weber (ACLU) - **2026-01-15** — Published: Judge dismisses DOJ lawsuit demanding California voter rolls (Los Angeles Times) - **2026-01-15** — Judge Carter dismissed DOJ's suit (Los Angeles Times) - **2026-01-15** — Published: Order granting motion to dismiss, United States v. Weber (C.D. Cal.) (U.S. District Court, Central District of California) - **2026-01-15** — Court granted the motions to dismiss (U.S. District Court, Central District of California) - **2025-12-04** — Hearing on the motions to dismiss (U.S. District Court, Central District of California) - **2025-09-25** — DOJ sued California (U.S. District Court, Central District of California) - **2025-09-12** — Weber sent responses to DOJ's remaining questions (U.S. District Court, Central District of California) - **2025-09** — DOJ sued Secretary of State Weber for California's unredacted voter file (ACLU) - **2025-09** — DOJ sued Weber after she refused to hand over detailed voter information (Los Angeles Times) - **2025-08-21** — Weber again offered redacted inspection and disputed DOJ's legal authority (U.S. District Court, Central District of California) - **2025-08-08** — Weber offered inspection of a redacted list in Sacramento (U.S. District Court, Central District of California) - **2025-07-22** — Weber replied that compiling the information could take up to 90 days (U.S. District Court, Central District of California) - **2025-07-10** — DOJ letter to Weber demanding the unredacted voter list (U.S. District Court, Central District of California) - **2024-04-15** — Bonta and Weber sued Huntington Beach over Measure A (California Attorney General) - **2024** — Disability advocates sued Weber over electronic ballot return; suit unsuccessful (CalMatters) - **2022** — Weber won a full term (CalMatters) - **2022** — Weber won a full four-year term (CalMatters) - **2021** — Weber appointed by Gov. Newsom (CalMatters) - **2021** — Weber appointed secretary of state (CalMatters) ## Sources ### 2026 general election: California Secretary of State voter guide - LAist · voter guide · published 2026-10-03 · stance: neutral - LAist's voter guide page for the Secretary of State race (CalMatters content, published October 3, 2026 and updated October 19, 2026). It repeats CalMatters' profiles of both candidates and lists their key endorsements. It embeds audio of LAist AirTalk interviews in which each candidate makes their case (Wagner, 18:52; Weber, 18:30), but the interviews are not transcribed on the page. This summary is written for Weber. - Profiles match the CalMatters guide: Wagner runs on election integrity and voter ID; Weber's tenure covered universal mail voting, the Newsom recall and litigation with local governments. - Wagner's key endorsements: California Republican Party, Reform California, California Republican Assembly. - Weber's key endorsements: California Democratic Party, California Federation of Teachers, SEIU California. - AirTalk audio interviews with both candidates are linked but not transcribed. - Reference: Weber campaign endorsements page - Reference: Weber campaign site - Reference: California Federation of Teachers endorsements (PDF) - Reference: California Democratic Party endorsement list (PDF) - Reference: LAist: race shows partisan divide over how to count ballots ### Secretary of State — CalMatters 2026 Voter Guide - CalMatters · voter guide · published 2026-09-29 · stance: neutral - CalMatters' 2026 voter guide page for the Secretary of State race. It describes the office and gives short profiles of both candidates. Its profile of Weber says she became the first Black secretary of state by appointment in 2021 after eight years in the Assembly, won a full term in 2022, oversaw the permanent shift to universal mail-in voting and the Newsom recall election, took local governments to court over voting laws and fielded claims of election fraud, and pledged to expand voting access, improve transparency in election filings and strengthen cybersecurity in a second term. - CalMatters describes Weber's tenure as 'eventful,' including universal mail voting, the Newsom recall, court fights with local governments, and fielding election-fraud claims. - Her listed second-term pledges: expand voting access, improve transparency in election filings, enhance cybersecurity protections. - Listed endorsements for Weber: California Democratic Party, California Federation of Teachers, SEIU California. - The Wagner profile says he supports voter ID at the polls and criticizes Weber over slow ballot counting. - Reference: California Democratic Party endorsement list (PDF) - Reference: SEIU California endorsements - Reference: CalMatters: race shows partisan divide over counting ballots ### California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown) - PBS / KQED · interview · published 2026-09-25 · stance: neutral - Transcript of KQED's Political Breakdown (aired on PBS, September 25, 2026), in which host Marisa Lagos interviews Secretary of State Shirley Weber and then Republican challenger Don Wagner in separate, back-to-back segments. They are not debating each other. Weber defends her record of supporting the 58 counties, intervening in Shasta County, suing Huntington Beach, preparing lawyers and law enforcement for the election, and refusing the federal government's demand for detailed voter data. She explains why counting takes time, says she 'wouldn't probably be opposed' to letting counties process mail ballots before Election Day if the Legislature took it up, and argues against Proposition 39, the voter ID measure, because she says it is unnecessary when 'there is no widespread fraud.' - Weber's pitch: voters need someone who 'will fight for their right to vote and not be the pawn of the current president.' - She says her office sent staff to Shasta County and has 'gone in full force to challenge them in court' when places such as Huntington Beach 'cross that line.' - On voter-roll data: 'We have not given them the data because they by law don't have a right to have that data. And we've proven that in court.' - She says the AG's office is investigating whistleblower claims that DHS directed agents to impersonate voters to access online voter data; she says she does not personally have that data. - On counting: she cites the seven-day window for postmarked ballots, ballot curing and same-day registration as reasons the count is slow, and encourages early voting. - On pre-processing mail ballots before Election Day: 'we wouldn't probably be opposed to it providing it doesn't take away people's right to vote.' - On Proposition 39 (voter ID): she asks whether it is necessary, says California already requires ID to register, and says 'we know in California there is no widespread fraud.' ### Secretary of State Weber issues statement on extended block of unlawful changes to mail voting - California Secretary of State · position statement · published 2026-09-04 · stance: not_applicable - A California Secretary of State press release (PR26-113, September 4, 2026) with Weber's statement after a federal court issued a preliminary injunction blocking new U.S. Postal Service mail-ballot requirements ahead of the November 3 election. Weber calls the ruling 'another win for California voters,' describes the changes as the Trump Administration's 'attempt at implementing unlawful changes,' and says 'this fight is far from over.' - Weber: 'Today we celebrate another win for California voters.' - She describes the injunction as 'an important victory for California voters and election officials.' - 'My office is working around the clock to ensure all eligible voters in California can cast their ballots this November and beyond.' - 'Voting is a fundamental right - California will continue to defend it.' ### California's Election Referee Is on the Ballot – And Almost No One Is Watching - IVN · news · published 2026-05-11 · stance: neutral - An Independent Voter News (IVN) article by Shawn Griffiths, published May 11, 2026 before the June primary, that profiles all four Secretary of State candidates and frames the race as trust versus access. It notes that no debates or candidate forums had been held. It describes Weber's pitch as largely a defense of the state's current approach, quotes her voter-guide statement, and reports that she called the voter ID initiative 'a waste of money and a waste of time' and told the Los Angeles Times that voter ID is 'a smoke screen.' Her office did not return IVN's questionnaire; IVN says it knows from her earlier statements that she opposes the voter ID initiative and the SAVE Act. - IVN: there 'were no debates or candidate forums held for this race' before ballots went out for the primary. - Weber is quoted as calling the voter ID initiative 'a waste of money and a waste of time.' - She was quoted by the LA Times saying, 'When you really get to it, Voter ID is a smoke screen for trying to create the idea that this is a corrupt system.' - Weber's office did not respond to IVN's questionnaire on voter ID, the SAVE Act, open primaries and a Top Four system. - IVN says Weber 'represents continuity' with automatic mail ballots and broad voting options. - Reference: Primary candidate statements (SoS PDF) - Reference: IGS: Weber's remarks on voter ID - Reference: IVN: voter ID initiative vs. SAVE Act - Reference: CalMatters SoS race guide ### California secretary of state race (April 2026) - CalMatters · news · published 2026-04-29 · stance: neutral - CalMatters article by Yue Stella Yu on the 2026 Secretary of State race, framed around the partisan divide over ballot counting. It reports that Weber, seeking a second term as the only Democrat in the field, has faced criticism over the state's slow count (counties have 30 days to count and audit), and that in a CalMatters interview she dismissed the concern as something President Trump 'drummed up' and said accuracy matters more than speed. It covers her outreach to rural areas and campuses, her litigation record (suing local governments, defending state law, and fending off the DOJ voter-data suit), and an unsuccessful 2024 disability-access lawsuit against her. - Weber: 'I know the value of being fast for some folks... For me, accuracy is far more important.' - CalMatters says projected legislative winners are often sworn in before her office certifies results. - Weber on the DOJ data fight: 'If we were giving (voter information) away like candy, who would trust us … to protect their records?' - She says she has focused on rural outreach and registration on high school and college campuses, and would continue in a second term. - Disability advocates sued her in 2024, unsuccessfully, over the lack of electronic ballot return for voters with disabilities. - Reference: CalMatters on 2024 slow vote count - Reference: AG/SoS press release on Huntington Beach litigation - Reference: LA Times on dismissal of DOJ voter-roll lawsuit - Reference: CalMatters on 2024 disability-access lawsuit - Reference: CalMatters on Prop 50 lawsuit ### KSWB Fox 5 covers Secretary of State Weber's remarks on voter ID - UC Berkeley IGS · news · published 2026-04-28 · stance: neutral - A short UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies news item (April 28, 2026) noting that KSWB Fox 5 aired a report on the voter ID initiative qualifying for the November ballot. The report included Weber's remarks from an April 27 Sacramento event co-sponsored by IGS. It says Weber called the measure 'a waste of money and a waste of time' and argued that California already has procedures to guard against voter fraud. - Weber called the voter ID measure 'a waste of money and a waste of time.' - She argued that California already has procedures in place to protect against voter fraud. - The remarks came at an April 27, 2026 IGS and UC Student and Policy Center event where the April IGS poll was presented. ### Election integrity in California (April 2026) - CalMatters · news · published 2026-04-24 · stance: neutral - CalMatters article by Maya C. Miller on California's slow ballot count and the distrust it may feed, built around an election-integrity panel co-presented by CalMatters and the UC Student and Policy Center. It does not mention Weber or Wagner, but it covers the main issue in their race. Panelists disagree: Kim Alexander of the California Voter Foundation calls speed versus accuracy a 'false choice,' while Assemblymember Gail Pellerin and UCLA's Matt Barreto defend careful verification. The article also reports a UC Berkeley IGS poll showing a deep partisan divide on democracy and on a voter ID initiative. - Kim Alexander: 'Election security is about security in reality and also security in perception.' - Alexander says the AP took eight days in 2024, nine in 2022 and seven in 2020 to call control of the U.S. House, with California races decisive each time. - Pellerin: the law requires counting 'accurately, securely,' not meeting media deadlines; signature checks keep people from being disenfranchised. - Catharine Baker says counties need more money for staffing and equipment; all panelists urged voters to return mail ballots early. - IGS poll: 56% supported a photo-ID initiative without context; support fell to 39% when told of the partisan arguments. - Reference: CalMatters on the California voter ID initiative - Reference: CalMatters on Shasta County election administration - Reference: CalMatters investigation on Sheriff Bianco ballot seizure ### Candidate statements, June 2, 2026 Primary Official Voter Information Guide - California Secretary of State · position statement · published 2026-04-23 · stance: not_applicable - The candidate-statements section of the Secretary of State's Official Voter Information Guide for the June 2, 2026 primary. Only the Secretary of State section was read. Weber's primary statement is close to her general-election statement: her family's path from Jim Crow disenfranchisement to her running the state's elections, warnings about efforts to roll back access, and threats to election officials. It adds 'We are not in normal times' and says '28 statewide and special elections were successfully held' during her tenure. - Weber: 'We are not in normal times. We need strong leaders to stand up and fight for what is right and just.' - She says '28 statewide and special elections were successfully held' while she has been Secretary of State. - She says she 'fought for us in the courts, and won' and has been 'a transparent leader because trust is everything.' - Wagner's primary statement on the same page lists three reforms: voter ID at the polls, mail ballots returned by Election Day, and a ban on paid ballot harvesting. ### Shirley N. Weber — GrowSF questionnaire, June 2026 primary (candidate did not respond) - GrowSF · other · published 2026-04-07 · stance: not_applicable - GrowSF's page for its June 2026 primary questionnaire to Shirley N. Weber, candidate for Secretary of State. It states that 'The candidate did not respond.' There are no answers. - GrowSF sent Weber a questionnaire for the June 2, 2026 primary; she did not respond. ### CA Secretary of State responds to Trump's push to nationalize elections - KPBS Midday Edition · interview · published 2026-02-10 · stance: neutral - Transcript of a February 10, 2026 KPBS Midday Edition interview in which host Jade Hindman asks Secretary of State Shirley Weber about President Trump's calls to 'nationalize' elections. Weber explains that states run elections within constitutional limits and says California will fight any federal takeover. She recounts refusing the DOJ's demand for detailed voter data and winning in court, calls the FBI seizure of Fulton County, Georgia records intimidation, says studies across the spectrum find 'no fraud,' and lays out the ways California voters can return ballots without depending on the Postal Service. She says that when she took office her first step was legislation making it a felony to intimidate voters and poll workers. - Weber: nationalizing elections is 'a popular idea with him' but not with states, including Republican ones; 'we will fight it.' - On voter data: 'They eventually sued me, and we won because we knew that this issue of privacy and data, I mean, data is power.' - On Fulton County: 'a part of it, of course, is intimidation.' - 'Everyone says openly that 2020 was an election that was not stolen.' 'The president is not God.' - Voting options she lists: mail ballots, steel drop boxes collected by election staff, in-person return, and postmarking at the post office counter. - She says that when she came into office her first step was legislation creating felonies for intimidating voters or poll workers. - Reference: NPR on Trump urging Republicans to 'nationalize' voting - Reference: California Secretary of State ### Attorney General Bonta and Secretary of State Weber: California Supreme Court Permanently Shuts the Door on Huntington Beach's Voter ID Law - California Attorney General · position statement · published 2026-01-28 · stance: not_applicable - A California Attorney General press release (January 28, 2026) with statements from Attorney General Rob Bonta and Secretary of State Weber after the California Supreme Court declined to review an appellate ruling that struck down Huntington Beach's voter ID charter amendment, Measure A, as preempted by state law. The release says this effectively ends the suit Bonta and Weber filed on April 15, 2024, in their favor. Weber says she has a duty to ensure every eligible Californian can vote and that state law preempts the city's 'illegal voting requirements.' - The California Supreme Court denied Huntington Beach's petition for review in Bonta v. Huntington Beach. - The Fourth District Court of Appeal had struck down Measure A as unlawful and preempted by state law. - Weber: 'As California Secretary of State, I have a responsibility to ensure that every eligible Californian can exercise their constitutional right to vote.' - Weber: 'This is another victory for California, for voters, and for democracy.' - Reference: California Supreme Court docket, S294368 - Reference: AG release on the appellate decision - Reference: AG release announcing the lawsuit ### Trump administration lawsuit seeking California voter data is dismissed - GV Wire · news · published 2026-01-16 · stance: neutral - ### Federal Court Dismisses DOJ Lawsuit Seeking California Voter Data - ACLU · news · published 2026-01-15 · stance: neutral - An ACLU press release (January 15, 2026) on a federal judge's dismissal of United States v. Weber, the Department of Justice suit that sought to compel California to hand over its full, unredacted statewide voter registration list. The League of Women Voters of California, represented by the ACLU and its California affiliates, had intervened. The release says DOJ sued Weber in September 2025 for data including driver's license numbers and the last four digits of Social Security numbers, and that California declined, citing state privacy laws and offering redacted versions. - A federal judge dismissed United States v. Weber. - DOJ sought names, residential addresses, dates of birth, driver's license numbers and partial Social Security numbers. - California declined, citing state privacy laws, and offered redacted versions. - LWVC and the ACLU intervened in defense of voter privacy. - Reference: Court order dismissing the case (PDF) - Reference: ACLU case page: United States v. Weber ### Judge dismisses DOJ lawsuit demanding California voter rolls - Los Angeles Times · news · published 2026-01-15 · stance: neutral - Los Angeles Times article by Kevin Rector (January 15, 2026) on U.S. District Judge David O. Carter's dismissal of the Justice Department's suit demanding California's voter rolls. It quotes the ruling calling the request 'unprecedented and illegal,' sets out DOJ's specific data demands, and quotes Weber's statements from the ruling and from when the suit was filed. It includes the view of Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, who said DOJ would 'touch every single state.' - Judge Carter, a Clinton appointee, wrote that centralizing the data 'would have a chilling effect on voter registration.' - Weber said she is 'entrusted with ensuring that California's state election laws are enforced — including state laws that protect the privacy of California's data.' - Weber: 'I will continue to challenge this administration's disregard for the rule of law and our right to vote.' - When the suit was filed, Weber called it a 'fishing expedition and pretext for partisan policy objectives.' - DOJ demanded the full voter list, duplicate-registration lists for seven counties, and records of registrations canceled for death or non-citizenship. - Reference: LA Times: DOJ sues California and other states over voter rolls (2025) - Reference: LA Times: Trump's March 2025 elections executive order - Reference: LA Times: 9th Circuit on 20,000 California ballots (Oct. 2026) - Reference: LA Times: election deniers using public records (Oct. 2026) ### Order granting motion to dismiss, United States v. Weber (C.D. Cal.) - U.S. District Court, Central District of California · docket · published 2026-01-15 · stance: not_applicable - The 33-page order of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (Judge David O. Carter), filed January 15, 2026 in United States v. Shirley Weber et al. (No. 2:25-cv-09149-DOC-ADS). It grants the motions to dismiss filed by California and Secretary Weber and by intervenors (NAACP, the NAACP California-Hawaii State Conference, SIREN, and the League of Women Voters of California). Its background section documents Weber's correspondence with DOJ: she offered in-person inspection of the voter list in Sacramento with driver's license and Social Security numbers redacted, answered DOJ's other questions, and refused to give DOJ an unredacted electronic copy, citing state and federal privacy law. - The court calls DOJ's request 'unprecedented and illegal.' - July 10, 2025: DOJ demanded an unredacted electronic copy of the statewide voter list within 14 days. - August 8 and August 21, 2025: Weber offered inspection in Sacramento with sensitive identifiers redacted and argued the cited laws did not authorize the request. - September 12, 2025: Weber sent comprehensive answers to DOJ's remaining questions; DOJ sued on September 25, 2025. - The court found the request violated the Driver's Privacy Protection Act and that DOJ had not met the E-Government Act's requirements; it says DOJ has sued 23 states and Washington, D.C. ### Endorsements — Dr. Shirley Weber campaign - Weber campaign · endorsement · published undated · stance: support - The endorsements page of Weber's campaign. It lists statewide Democratic officeholders (Attorney General Rob Bonta, Treasurer Fiona Ma, Controller Malia Cohen, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, Superintendent Tony Thurmond), state legislators, local officials, labor unions, advocacy groups and Democratic clubs. - Statewide endorsers: Bonta, Ma, Cohen, Lara, Thurmond. - Local endorsers include San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee and LA County Supervisor Holly Mitchell. - Labor endorsers include AFSCME, the SEIU State Council, the California Teachers Association, the California Federation of Teachers, California Professional Firefighters and the California Nurses Association. - Organizations include Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, California YIMBY and the Center for Biological Diversity Action Fund. ### California 2026 - Democratic Association of Secretaries of State · endorsement · published undated · stance: support - A campaign page from the Democratic Association of Secretaries of State (DASS), a partisan committee that works to elect Democratic secretaries of state. It calls California a 'must-win battleground' and asks for donations. It praises Weber as a 'steadfast leader committed to safeguarding and expanding voting access' and recounts her family's flight from Hope, Arkansas after threats from a lynch mob. It criticizes Wagner's platform as 'rooted in sowing distrust in elections and restricting access to the ballot.' - DASS describes Weber as having 'spent her career championing civil rights and protecting the right to vote.' - It says her family fled Arkansas when she was three after her father stood his ground against a white landowner and drew threats from a lynch mob, and resettled in South Los Angeles. - It attacks Wagner's support for the voter ID initiative and his criticism of universal vote-by-mail. - Reference: Brennan Center research on voter identification ### Case: United States v. Weber - Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse · docket · published undated · stance: not_applicable - ### Secretary of State Candidate Statements (Nov. 3, 2026 Official Voter Information Guide) - California Secretary of State · position statement · published undated · stance: not_applicable - The California Secretary of State's Official Voter Information Guide page for the November 3, 2026 general election, carrying the candidate-supplied statements for Secretary of State. Shirley N. Weber's statement presents her family history (born in the Jim Crow South to sharecroppers who could not vote; her parents first voted in California and used the family living room as a polling place), warns that some people want to roll back voting access, and says she has fought in court for voting rights and won, stood up to Donald Trump, and led transparently. The statement of her opponent, Don Wagner, appears on the same page. - Weber says she 'will never give up on protecting your voting rights.' - She says some people want 'shorter polling hours, fewer days to vote, and the removal of vote-by-mail ballots,' and that some have threatened election officials; she says this 'will not be tolerated in California.' - She says that when voting rights were under attack she 'fought for us in the courts, and won,' and that she has 'stood up to Donald Trump.' - She urges every eligible Californian to register and vote 'whether we agree politically or not.' - The statement gives no specific second-term proposals. - Reference: SoS voter guide: all candidates ### Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber warns of ongoing threats to voting rights - East County Magazine · news · published undated · stance: neutral - ### Dr. Shirley N. Weber for Secretary of State (campaign site) - Weber campaign · position statement · published undated · stance: support - The home page of Weber's re-election campaign site. It describes her as 'a powerful voice for justice' who has devoted her career to civil rights, including the right to vote, and says she 'will stand firm, stand straight, and stand strong to protect, secure, and expand Californians' right to vote.' It offers no issue pages or specific proposals. - The campaign says Weber has dedicated her career 'to defending and strengthening our most fundamental civil rights, including the right to vote.' - The campaign promises she will 'protect, secure, and expand Californians' right to vote' amid 'unprecedented partisan attacks on our democracy.' ## Suggested use Ask me neutral questions about this subject using the material above. Distinguish what the sources say from your own background knowledge, cite the source titles you rely on, and say when information may be out of date given the dates shown.