California Governor Gavin Newsom announced Friday that he had signed an executive order to mail ballots to the state’s 20.6 million registered voters, citing potential health risks due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.“There’s a lot of excitement around this November’s election in terms of making sure that you can conduct yourself in a safe way, and make sure your health is protected,” Newsom said Friday. In March, the state allowed ballots to be mailed in for its primary, which saw a record-high of 72 percent of all ballots that were cast by mail.California Secretary of State Alex Padilla, who heads the state’s elections, commended the move “It’s great for public health, it’s great for voting rights, it’s going to be great for participation,” he said. California already allows for generous absentee voting, passing a 2002 decision which gives voters the option to request permanent voting by mail, regardless of the reason.While Newsom’s decision applies only to the November election, it could set a precedent for other Democratic states, with voting by mail quickly becoming a partisan issue. It comes after the state’s lawmakers and local officials requested the measure, saying coronavirus will severely hamper voting efforts, a complaint echoed by prominent Democrats.“Why should we be saying to people, ‘Stand in line for hours,’ when we don’t even want you leaving the house?” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in April. But President Trump has repeatedly slammed calls for mail-in voting, saying last month that it lets “people cheat” and involves “a lot of dishonesty.”Newsom said that his order would still allow an “appropriate number” of in-person voting sites, saying that some voters, including those that are disabled, require technological help to cast a ballot.

With the state still under stay-at-home orders due to coronavirus, the Democratic governor said postage-paid ballots for registered voters was the best solution to addressing the anxiety felt by many.

This year's Wimbledon comes to an end with Djokovic defeating Federer on the final day. Find out how to not miss out on the exciting opportunity to attend Wimbledon 2020 here,

Laura Garza, a Mexican national living in Texas, has been indicted by a grand jury on two counts of voter impersonation and ineligible voting, punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

Putin (pictured today) voted in Moscow elections which have taken on a rare significance after a series of candidates were detained and barred from the ballot, sparking mass protests.

The Brexit Party is assisting Boris Johnson by giving the Tories a clear run in 317 UK seats which they won in 2017 - but Mr Farage said he could not bring himself to vote for the Tories on Thursday.

Donald Trump may arrive at the Cleveland convention without enough 'pledged' delegates to claim the nomination. That's when the fun begins.

Going in to today, Boris Johnson had a narrowing lead in the polls and is hoping to secure a swathe of northern Labour seats. But Labour sources claim its vote is holding up amid a seemingly huge turnout.

Jerry Emmett, 102, was given the honor of reading out Arizona's votes for Hillary Clinton at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.

In the long-time UDF bastion of Wayanad, the agrarian crisis has transformed things. All have been affected, writes P Sainath.

Dewey Library - JK2160.F38 2019