The new law enacted last year to send every registered voter a ballot in the mail was a major change to California elections. This year, three other reforms were also signed into law:

• Senate Bill 1131 by Sen. Josh Newman, a Democrat from Fullerton, allows election workers to keep their addresses confidential to protect them from harassment. A report from the California Voter Foundation notes that 15% of local election officials have left the job since November 2020.

• Assembly Bill 2815 by Assemblymember Marc Berman, a Democrat from Menlo Park, requires vote by mail ballot drop-off locations at California State University campuses.

• AB 1631 by Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes, a Democrat from Riverside, requires county election offices to post on their websites a list of precincts where there are officials who speak a language other than English and can help voters.

One bill that failed — for at least the fourth time since 2012 — was the latest effort to expand online voting. While supporters say that will make voting more accessible, others oppose the idea due to its security risks.

And while new laws can improve the voting process, Ryan Ronco, president of the California Association of Clerks and Election Officials, said some consistency for a few elections would ease the workload on elections officials, and also allow candidates and voters to “understand what the rules are right now … and not feel like things will be changed as they’re playing the game.”

What’s the role of election observers and poll workers?

Anyone can be an election observer, including representatives of political parties and of nonpartisan groups such as the League of Women Voters. You can sign up through your county elections office.

Allowing the public to see each step of the voting process — from equipment testing through ballot counting — is one significant way to ensure integrity. Observers must follow some rules: Signing in and out, wearing a badge at all times, and not taking photos or using cell phones while in a polling place.

But the proliferation of election fraud claims is leading to more incidents of harassment by election observers of official poll workers. In late September, the California Voter Foundation held an online briefing for election and law enforcement officials on ways to defuse conflicts at polling sites. Weber said any attacks on poll workers will be fully prosecuted. “If you allow that to happen, you really get to begin to destroy the democracy,” she said.

Poll workers set up polling places, respond to voters’ questions and protect ballots and voting equipment. But due to the fears of harassment, as well as ongoing concerns about COVID-19, it hasn’t been easy to recruit poll workers. Any U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident can be a poll worker, including high school students 16 and older who have at least a 2.5 GPA. Poll workers receive a stipend that varies by county. In Los Angeles County, it’s $100 a day, plus $80 for training time.

“Most polling place workers are retired,” Ronco said. “They have other options and may not want to argue with people about the politics of the day, or put themselves in a position where they’re going to be stressed out.”

Yet, in these hyperpartisan times, some even worry that right-wing activists will try to infiltrate the ranks of poll workers, undermining security and public trust.

How is California fighting disinformation?

Other words you may be hearing a lot this election — misinformation and disinformation. While they are often used interchangeably, there’s a key difference — the intent of the person spreading it.

Misinformation is any kind of false information, including what people pass along out of confusion or by mistake. Disinformation is false information that’s spread deliberately, and sometimes covertly, to influence public opinion or obscure the truth.

Here are some efforts to combat misinformation and disinformation:

• The Secretary of State’s office has a rumor control team that monitors false information and responds to it. It also has a #VoteSafeCA social media campaign providing correct information.

• Weber’s office is also taking part in a bipartisan campaign by the National Association of Secretaries of State to promote trust in elections.

• And Weber is supporting candidates in other states whom she says will uphold impartial elections.

• California’s Fair Political Practices Commission has an AdWatch campaign to monitor violations by campaigns and candidates, such as misleading information.

• There are also local efforts, including by the Coalition of Bay Area Election Officials. Registrars of voters and county clerks in nearly a dozen counties have teamed up to curb misinformation and promote public trust.

• The News Literacy Project, a nonpartisan education nonprofit, has webinars and a podcast to help people learn to spot disinformation.

What are Twitter and Facebook doing?

From CalMatters politics intern Ariel Gans: Social media and technology platforms are hotspots for spreading false claims, yet there are no government regulations on how they address them. Building on what they did in 2020, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and Twitter are all boosting more reliable information around candidates and voting in their users’ feeds. They’re also removing false claims, labeling falsehoods and, in some cases, discouraging users from spreading them.

Going into the 2022 election, none of the top platforms completely ban election misinformation or have a distinct disinformation policy, according to a study from the Anti-Defamation League. The efforts are also lacking transparency: None of the platforms allow third parties to fully audit their efforts.

Starting with the 2020 election, both Twitter and TikTok have blocked political ads in the final days of campaigning. Facebook will ban new ones during the week before Election Day. Google has also previewed new features that will elevate reliable sources in election-related searches.

In August, Twitter renewed its civic integrity policy, allowing the platform to label and restrict tweets containing misleading election information. Also in August, TikTok, whose user base jumped from 700 million to 1.5 billion since the second quarter of 2020, launched an elections center that will connect users to reputable election information.

But protecting voters at this scale comes with challenges, experts say. For example, fact-checking can be time-intensive. And when platforms do remove unreliable content, users can get suspicious and seek out unmonitored information elsewhere. Labeling this content, on the other hand, can cause information to spread even further, a New York University study found.

Some platforms also make exceptions for prominent people who spread misinformation. Facebook grants newsworthiness exemptions, while Twitter gives public interest exemptions.

What are your rights as a voter?

The comprehensive CalMatters Voter Guide has a detailed FAQ for voters. Here are some key points on election integrity:

• You are eligible to vote if you’re a U.S. citizen living in California, at least 18 years old and you’re registered where you currently live.

• You can vote as long as you’re in line when polls close.

• You have the right to cast a secret ballot.

• You have the right to a new ballot if you have made a mistake, if you haven’t already cast your ballot.

• You can get help casting your ballot from anyone other than your employer or union representative.

• You have the right to ask questions to elections officials about election procedures and watch the election process.

• You have the right to report any illegal or fraudulent election activity to an elections official or the Secretary of State’s office.