To defend democracy in California, we need to fund it

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OPINION — Over the past 25 years, California has been a national leader in strengthening democracy. We have expanded access to voter registration, made voting more convenient and this year enacted some of the strongest voting-rights protections in the country.

But with democracy under attack, we need to do more. Longstanding federal voting-rights protections have been weakened, trust in elections has been tested and participation remains deeply unequal. And in October, we have seen extraordinary abuses of federal power in an attempt to intimidate voters and elections officials. These attacks threaten California’s efforts to build a more inclusive, multiracial democracy.

To meet these threats, California’s next governor should build on our state’s leadership record by establishing a permanent California democracy fund.

Our leaders routinely describe democracy as our most fundamental institution. But California has no sustained strategy for investing in democratic infrastructure. Critical democracy programs compete for resources in the state budget and regularly get shortchanged. In fact, the state has periodically suspended payments to local governments for election services, even as it has expanded their responsibilities. We tend to spend only when a crisis forces us to.

After the disputed 2000 presidential election exposed problems with voting equipment, federal funding and a state bond helped California replace outdated machines. And when the Trump administration threatened the 2020 Census, California responded with an unprecedented $187 million investment in outreach and public education. This year, amid attacks on mail voting, threats of law enforcement intimidation and interference, and pressure to speed up our vote count, California committed nearly $40 million in new funding for election administration and voter education ahead of the November election. 

As the democracy program director at the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, I see the consequences of this approach firsthand. The organizations we support are constantly looking for ways to bring more people into our democracy, improve elections and innovate. Many want to go bigger to meet this moment, but they also know the resources may not be there.

Philanthropy can help organizations respond quickly to emerging threats, test new ideas and fill funding gaps. This year, the Haas, Jr. Fund supported the California Democracy Partnership, which successfully advocated for increased election funding and helped enact the California Voting Rights Act of 2026, putting California at the forefront of voting-rights protections. But the long-term responsibility for implementing that law and funding California’s democratic infrastructure belongs to the state. 

California has more than 27 million eligible voters, residents who speak hundreds of languages, and counties with vastly different election administration needs. Meeting those needs requires sustained investment, not short-term funding and improvised solutions.

Some of the state’s most important democracy assets take time to build. For example, trusted community organizations play a critical role in educating underrepresented voters and encouraging broad participation in the Census. These groups build relationships and credibility in their communities through years of sustained work.

A California democracy fund would help the state protect and strengthen our democracy. Community organizations that help voters navigate changing election rules and misinformation could count on a more reliable source of state funding. Counties would be able to replace aging election systems before they fail and adopt practices that make voting easier and more accessible. And with the 2030 Census approaching, California needs to invest now in research and partnerships to reach communities that have historically been undercounted.

Of course, creating a democracy fund would not be simple. The state would have to decide where the money comes from, who controls it and how it gets spent. Safeguards would be needed to keep the fund nonpartisan and accountable. Those decisions will require input from organizations across California and leadership from the governor.

California voters are ready for that conversation. A 2026 UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll found that 67% of voters believe American democracy is under attack, while 86% support taking steps to strengthen democracy and voting rights in California. Another 61% supported creating a state “democracy fund.”

California should not wait for the next crisis. The next governor can replace our reactive approach with a lasting investment in democracy. A permanent democracy fund would give California the resources to meet new challenges, strengthen voting rights, and make our democracy work for everyone.

Raúl Macías is the democracy program director at the Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr. Fund.