Rep. Eric Swalwell has officially launched his campaign for governor of California, and in classic Swalwell fashion, he immediately stepped on a rake. While most candidates roll out their campaigns talking about crime, affordability, education, or the mass exodus out of California, Swalwell decided the urgent issue facing the state is… letting people vote by phone.
Yes, he wants Californians to pick their leaders the same way America chose winners on American Idol.
In his newest pitch to “modernize democracy,” Swalwell declared:
“I want us to be able to vote by phone. I think every Californian… by phone, by phone, yeah, if we can do our taxes, do our… healthcare appointments… do your banking online, you should be able to vote by phone.”
This is what he believes the gubernatorial race is about: not affordability, not crime, not the homeless crisis, not the cost of living, not failing schools. No. Phone voting.
He kept going:
“Make it safe, make it secure. But it’s actually already happening all over the United States. I want us to be a blue state that doesn’t do just a little bit better than like Georgia or Alabama… I want us to max out democracy.”
Swalwell, who announced his campaign on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, because of course he did, is pitching this as proof of forward-thinking leadership. But conservatives (and anyone who has ever used a phone, really) know exactly why this is a terrible idea.
Phone voting is unverifiable, insecure, vulnerable to hacking, spoofing, coercion, malware, SIM swaps, mass-scale fraud, and there is no way to create a chain of custody or guarantee that the person holding the phone is the person casting the vote. Elections cannot operate like a customer-service hotline menu. You don’t “Press 1 for Governor, Press 2 for Lieutenant Governor.” Voting is not a popularity contest and not a texting poll for your favorite singer. It is the most serious civic act in a constitutional republic.
But Swalwell wasn’t done. He floated another idea, apparently intended to revolutionize Election Day:
“If you wait in line for 30 minutes or more… I think you should fine every county for every minute that a person has to wait longer.”
Under his plan, counties would essentially pay a late fee because people choose to vote in person. Even the DMV couldn’t escape his futuristic dreams:
“I don’t think Californians should have to go in person to the DMV anymore… We can modernize the state.”
Meanwhile, NBC News notes that Swalwell insists he is running because Californians are scared of high costs and instability, something he says he’ll solve while simultaneously turning the state’s elections into a tele-voting experiment.
“I’m running for Governor because prices are too high and people are scared… A lot of candidates talk about taking on Trump. I’m taking him on in real time.”
Yet instead of addressing the issues that actually drive Californians out of the state, Swalwell seems convinced the future of democracy hinges on voting the same way people order DoorDash.
If this is how his campaign starts, with phone-in elections, Californians may decide Swalwell isn’t preparing to lead the state; he’s rehearsing a reality-TV gimmick. And if this is his big idea, his run for governor may be over before it starts.
FULL TRANSCRIPT:
“I want us to be able to vote by phone. I think every California… by phone, by phone, yeah, if we can do our taxes, do our, you know, our, make our health care appointments, you know, make, essentially, your, do your banking online, you should be able to vote by phone. Make it safe, make it secure. But it’s actually already happening all over the United States. I want us to be a blue state that doesn’t do just a little bit better than, like, Georgia or Alabama when it comes to like voting access. I want us to max out democracy. Also, as it relates to democracy, if you wait in line for 30 minutes or more, if you do want to vote in person, I think you should fine every county for every minute that a person has to wait longer. We have to be better, not just a little bit better than the other states, the DMV. I don’t think Californians should have to go in person to the DMV anymore. I think we can do that virtually. I think you.. You can have the DMV employees do it virtually, but that’s a lot of real estate. Is that the most popular position we can modernize the state? And I look forward to, you know, bringing these ideas to Californians.”
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