SACRAMENTO, Calif — California officials have taken a critical step in ensuring the integrity of the 2020 election.
On Monday, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and California Secretary of State Alex Padilla sent a cease and desist order to the California Republican Party to stop operating unofficial ballot drop boxes.
Becerra and Padilla announced Friday that the California Republican Party has "committed to a number of significant concessions in their ballot collection activities."
Padilla said despite their client’s rhetoric in the press, he and Becerra have been in communication with legal counsel for the California Republican Party.
“Among other things, they will not make available or condone the use of unstaffed, unsecured unofficial ballot drop boxes. This is an important step in stopping the voter confusion created by their ballot collection activities,” Padilla said in a statement.
Becerra said the state will protect the integrity of the vote.
"We want to give all voters the confidence that their vote will be safeguarded and that it will count on Election Day," Becerra said. "We will continue to closely monitor election-related activities across the state to ensure compliance with the law."
Becerra said they are continuing their investigation and issuing subpoenas to obtain additional information about ballot collection activities. He said county elections officials are providing multiple safe, secure methods for voters to return their ballots.
Churches in Modesto and Turlock put out the unofficial ballot boxes, less than a month before Election Day. Watch on YouTube.