California’s top elections official says efforts to roll back federal voting laws by the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress will disenfranchise voters, with impacts felt primarily by low-income and people of color. California Secretary of State Doctor Shirley Weber is speaking out against an executive order by President Donald Trump, as well as a bill making its way through Congress, called the SAVE Act. Both of these efforts would essentially require people to show proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. A federal judge recently decided to block portions of the president's executive order. Weber knows what voter suppression looks like. Her family moved from the South to California when she was a toddler. Her grandfather was never given the opportunity to vote, and her father didn’t cast a ballot until his thirties.

<p>California&rsquo;s top elections official says efforts to roll back federal voting laws by the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress will disenfranchise voters, with impacts felt primarily by low-income and people of color. California Secretary of State Doctor Shirley Weber is speaking out against an executive order by President Donald Trump, as well as a bill making its way through Congress, called the SAVE Act. Both of these efforts would essentially require people to show proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. A federal judge recently decided to block portions of the president's executive order. Weber knows what voter suppression looks like. Her family moved from the South to California when she was a toddler. Her grandfather was never given the opportunity to vote, and her father didn&rsquo;t cast a ballot until his thirties.</p>

KQED serves the people of Northern California with a community-supported alternative to commercial media. We provide citizens with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions; convene community dialogue; bring the arts to everyone; and engage audiences to share their stories.

<p>KQED serves the people of Northern California with a community-supported alternative to commercial media. We provide citizens with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions; convene community dialogue; bring the arts to everyone; and engage audiences to share their stories.</p>