Count Every Eligible Vote
A Statement from California Business Leaders on the Integrity of Our Elections
Business leaders in California expect the transparent and consistent application of election laws and processes. We want our employees, customers and neighbors to be able to participate freely in the election system, without undue barriers or the fear of encountering masked federal law enforcement.
Such conditions are essential to business confidence, economic stability and the rule of law. The legitimacy and accountability of government at all levels rests on this fundamental foundation of democracy.
Voting in California is already underway. County election offices began mailing ballots to more than 20 million registered voters on October 5, and Californians all over the state of every political stripe are already filling them out. The officials counting those ballots are following well-established non-partisan procedures fixed long before the first one was mailed.
Recent developments by the federal government put this process at risk.
On October 15, the U.S. Department of Justice filed suit asking a federal court to stop California from counting the mail ballots of voters on a newly created federal list — more than 20,000 names, according to news reports — until each voter’s citizenship is verified to the federal government’s satisfaction. The list was delivered to state and county officials with a 48-hour deadline, and the methods and data used to build it have not been fully disclosed. Lists like this have been wrong before: in Nevada, every one of the 185 voters flagged by a federal review turned out to be a citizen. Federal law generally bars systematic removal of voters within 90 days of a federal election precisely because errors made this late cannot be corrected in time.
Under the Elections Clause (Article 1, Section 4) of the U.S. Constitution, states, not the federal government, have the power to administer elections. The action by the DOJ creates confusion, imposes unnecessary burdens on election officials that are likely illegal - and constitute an overreach on the part of the federal government.
Reports of stepped-up ICE presence in parts of California — including more than 100 arrests in the Central Valley in recent days, along with unconfirmed reports of a broader statewide operation — have left many citizens uncertain whether it is safe to visit a polling place or a ballot drop box. We take no position on the motives behind these actions. Our concern is their practical consequence: eligible citizens, including naturalized Americans and members of mixed-status households, may decide that voting is not worth the risk.
Election integrity is the foundation of constitutional democracy - it runs in both directions. Only eligible voters can cast ballots. Eligible voters should not be turned away, intimidated, or stripped of their vote based on unverified data, without notice and a fair chance to respond. The perception of free and fair elections provides the political stability and predictability on which long-term investment and economic growth depend. This contributes to a more engaged citizenry, who appreciate the benefits of our democracy.
This statement is not about any party or candidate. It is about protecting an election system that belongs to all Californians, regardless of party affiliation.
We ask that:
Every ballot cast by an eligible voter be counted. No ballot should be set aside without individual notice and a fair opportunity for the voter to confirm eligibility.
Only transparent, verifiable evidence be used to challenge a voter’s eligibility, shared openly with the election officials responsible for the rolls.
Law enforcement personnel stay away from voting locations throughout the voting period, not only on Election Day.
Election officials and poll workers be supported by all candidates and political parties.
For our part, we will encourage our employees to vote, make sure they know their right under California law to time off to vote, and respect the outcome that California’s voters decide, and we will speak out with accurate information about California’s vote counting procedures and timelines.
Confidence in elections is the basis of our democracy, which is essential to a thriving economy. If voters come to believe that a lawful ballot can be thrown out, or that showing up to vote invites trouble, trust in the result weakens. Trust and the rule of law are prerequisites for investors and employers to conduct their businesses. We ask leaders across California’s business community, and those in public office, to stand with us in protecting election integrity.
This statement will be sent to:
California Secretary of State
California Attorney General
U.S. Department of Justice
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
INVITATION TO SIGN
Bay Area Businesses for Democracy (BABD), Business Response to Authoritarian Threats (BRTAT), and UC-Berkeley Law School Center for Constitutional Democracy are inviting businesses, business associations, and business leaders across California to sign the nonpartisan statement below concerning the upcoming California election.
Signers sign as individuals; organizations are listed for identification unless an organization signs on formally.
SIGN THE STATEMENT
Add Your Name
Business leaders, businesses and business associations across California are invited to sign. Your name, title and organization will be listed publicly; your email will not be published. We review each signature before adding it to the list.
BACKGROUND FOR SIGNERS
Key facts behind the statement
As reported through October 16, 2026.
October 13: DOJ letters gave California's Secretary of State and the Los Angeles County Registrar 48 hours to act on a list of voters DOJ claims are ineligible. October 15: DOJ sued, asking the court to bar counting those voters' mail ballots until their citizenship is verified.
Elections are the provision of the states: DOJ pursuant to its own longstanding policy, is not to interfere with the procedures states use to count ballots and certify the results of elections. This policy is set forth in Section E of what is now the eighth edition of its "Federal Prosecution of Election Offenses" manual: any investigation "must be conducted in a way that minimizes the likelihood that the investigation itself may become a factor in the election.... it is the general policy of the Department not to conduct overt investigations... until after the outcome of the election allegedly affected by the fraud is certified."
Disclosure: State and county officials say DOJ has not fully explained how the list was built or what data and software were used. The L.A. County Registrar has said any removal of voters must rest on "verifiable information, not assertions of unconfirmed data matching."
Accuracy record: In Nevada, all 185 voters flagged by a federal review were citizens. On October 9, a federal judge ruled DOJ's broader policy of screening state voter rolls unlawful.
Court challenge: An emergency motion in CHIRLA v. Mullin asks a federal court to stop the list from being used to exclude ballots, or at minimum to require notice and a chance for voters to show eligibility. No California ballot has been excluded because of the list.
Enforcement: Advocates report more than 100 immigration arrests in the Central Valley since October 12. Reports of a 45-day statewide operation have not been independently confirmed; DHS declined to discuss operations.
Polling-place protection: California's SB 884 bars law enforcement arrests within 200 feet of a polling place on Election Day (November 3), with limited exceptions. It does not cover the early-voting period.
Voter resources: Track a ballot at wheresmyballot.sos.ca.gov. Election Protection Hotline: 866-OUR-VOTE. California Secretary of State hotline: 800-345-VOTE (Spanish: 800-232-VOTA).
Sources: Election Safeguards Response Network issue brief, "DOJ Lawsuit to Silence California Voters" (Oct. 15, 2026); KQED, "An ICE Surge in California Ahead of the Midterms? Here's What We Know" (Oct. 16, 2026).