You Own My Vote’ campaign was intended to provide a safe space for American citizens to express discontent with the government and demand transparency in elections, as guaranteed by the Constitution, the right to vote, and the freedom of association.” It also seeks to educate people “about new types of voting that go beyond voting at a poll station or voting via mail, by allowing citizens to vote online, using mobile phone, fax or other systems of communication.” To that end, the website features the following videos: [All videos (click to watch) played via JWZ] The new ad is a direct response to the recent efforts by California secretary of state Alex Padilla’s, who has moved aggressively to tighten voting regulations and close poll stations in heavily minority areas. According to JWZ: California Secretary of State Alex Padilla is behind some of the most restrictive voting restrictions in the country. His attempts to change voting requirements and close polling places have disproportionately impacted the minority community. We will have to continue to fight until all Californians have the right to vote. Earlier this month, Padilla announced that his office will no longer accept the ballots of Californians whose names are not in the state’s master voter list. In October, the California Department of Motor Vehicles notified 3.5 million voters that their voter registrations had been cancelled due to the lack of recent activity, a failure to respond to the DMV or confirm the voter’s address, or because they failed to vote over the past six years. “They told people they have to ‘confirm’ their voter status with DMV,” Padilla said at a press conference held during last year’s election. “That’s why we have a $54 million budget to help people confirm that they are on the voter rolls.” As PJM previously reported, in New York City, the Republican mayoral candidate Paul Massey was arrested during the election last year for standing in front of the polling place and shouting at voters, “Why don’t you vote for me, I’m a Republican!” The voter suppression efforts in California and other states are based on the false premise that the only way to determine a person’s identity is by his or her driving records. But a new generation of identification documents that include personal fingerprints, retinal scans, or tattoos and/or biometric data offer better accuracy and more control than anything DMV can generate. In addition, voters should remember that casting a valid vote does not require going to a polling place. If they have already taken out a California drivers license or identification card or received a voter registration card, they can use that ID to vote. They can also obtain a State of California voter identification card by visiting their local county elections office and by calling the office to find out more about voter registration, or visit here. And if they still haven’t yet registered to vote, there is no reason for them to fear that DMV will notify the registrar’s office that they are ineligible to vote. While California may be ground zero for the battle to control the voting process, as JWZ notes, it is just the latest battleground state to push voting laws that favor a political party over the popular will of its citizens. Just ask Wisconsin. Related Articles President Trump signed an executive order Thursday making it easier for people to prove their identity at the polls, and harder for election officials to cheat in November. It could prevent millions from voting illegally. Just don’t call it that. […] The U.S. Army is investigating reports of widespread voter fraud in military and absentee ballots across the country, after a recent probe revealed large discrepancies between the number of ballots received in the mail and the number of ballots […] President Donald Trump has called on the Department of Justice to “look into” potential widespread voter fraud in the presidential election and election fraud in the midterm elections, although he did not provide any evidence of widespread fraud. […] On a regular basis, the Obama Administration is violating the terms of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) of 1965. While the Obama Justice Department has a long history of selectively interpreting or ignoring the requirements of the VRA, it has […][…] A federal judge has denied a request by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development to dismiss a lawsuit aimed at restoring voting rights to more than 300,000 people who have been convicted of crimes who were barred from participating […][…][…] On October 23rd, the Obama Administration released documents stating the Department of Justice (DOJ) will not appeal a federal court ruling allowing Kansas and Wisconsin to require voters to prove their citizenship before casting a ballot in November. “Because […][…] On Election Day, November 6, people who are registered in Florida must make two votes. First, they vote for the mayor, the attorney general and all other statewide constitutional officers — the governor, lieutenant governor and representatives. Second, voters […][…] Rachel Maddow’s latest book is entitled “Drift: The Unmooring of American Military Power.” During her latest show, she addressed the allegations of election fraud in key swing states — Florida