Secretary of State Alex Padilla was honored by California Common Cause with its Champion of Democracy award at its Spotlight on California event last week at 6:30 p.m. at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles.

“Secretary Padilla has advanced bold policies to modernize elections and eliminate unnecessary burdens on Californians’ right to vote,” said California Common Cause Executive Director Kathay Feng. “He and his staff have brought a breath of fresh air – and urgency – to expanding our democracy. He is a true ‘Champion of Democracy’ and Common Cause is pleased to recognize his many accomplishments.”

“I’m honored to be named Common Cause’s ‘Champion of Democracy,’” Padilla said. “I’ve made it my goal for the Golden State to be the nation’s gold standard for voting rights. I’m proud of the work we’ve done to make it easier for Californians to register to vote and cast a ballot. I thank Common Cause for their work and will continue to do all I can to protect and expand voting rights.”

Since taking office in 2015, Padilla has sponsored the landmark Voter’s Choice Act, which allows counties to opt-in to a system where every registered voter is automatically mailed a ballot and vote centers replace traditional polling places to provide voters greater flexibility. He also sponsored the New Motor Voter Act, which will allow for automatic voter registration at the DMV. Under Padilla’s leadership the VoteCal statewide voter registration database project has been completed and certified, clearing the way for 16- and 17-year-olds to pre-register to vote and for Californians to take advantage of a new law that allows for Election Day voter registration.

For information, visit commoncause.org/CASpotlight.