Several Los Angeles candidates walked into vote centers on Tuesday, June 2 expecting the usual quick check-in, only to be told their names were nowhere to be found on the printed voter rosters. With no standard in-person ballot available to them, they were pushed into backup options like dropping off completed mail-in ballots or filling out provisional ballots while election workers dug into the registration system.
What Happened at the Polls
The hiccups hit City Controller Kenneth Mejia, City Council candidate Maria Lou Calanche and Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, who each said poll workers could not locate their names on the roster when they showed up to vote. Mejia said he filled out his mail-in ballot at the polling place and turned it in on the spot, Hernandez cast a provisional ballot, and Hugo Soto-Martínez reported that his name appeared only after staff realized he was a candidate. The county later linked the confusion to a new confidentiality rule for candidates, according to the Los Angeles Times.
How AB 1392 Works
At the center of all this is AB 1392, a state law that makes a candidate or elected official’s residence address, telephone number and email confidential by default. It directs county elections officials to omit those confidential records from lists, rosters and indexes that poll workers normally use. Counties must flip a candidate’s registration to confidential status within five business days of receiving notice, and the statute lays out a narrow process for journalists or government entities to request access to the information. The bill was signed and chaptered in October 2025. The statutory language and requirements are detailed in the bill text on LegInfo and in the governor’s legislative update.
Why Some Candidates Couldn’t Vote in Person
Because confidential registration records are excluded from the printed rosters, poll workers sometimes cannot locate a candidate’s name and are required to follow backup procedures. That typically routes the voter to a vote-by-mail drop-off or a provisional ballot instead of a regular in-person ballot. A county spokesperson told reporters that candidates were informed about an option to opt out of confidentiality when they filed for office and that the confidentiality flag prevents routine in-person lookup unless a candidate chooses to be removed from that status. Several candidates said the issues were resolved quickly but still pointed to the extra friction at already busy vote centers, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Critics Warn About Transparency
The bill drew opposition from press-freedom and news organizations during its passage, with critics arguing that blanket confidentiality for candidates could undercut reporting and public oversight. The First Amendment Coalition and other transparency advocates formally opposed AB 1392, noting that routine access to candidate registration records has long helped journalists confirm residency and scrutinize potential conflicts or eligibility questions. Coverage and analysis of the debate are available from the First Amendment Coalition and CalMatters.
What Voters Should Do if Their Name Is Missing
If a voter shows up at a vote center and their name is not on the roster, they should ask for a provisional ballot or drop off a completed vote-by-mail ballot at the same location. California also allows same-day, or conditional, registration at vote centers while polls are open. County materials for candidates and voters spell out key deadlines and local vote-center procedures, and the Secretary of State’s website offers guidance on provisional ballots and ballot tracking. For specifics, see the elections pages of the California Secretary of State and the L.A. County registrar’s candidate handbook from the L.A. County Registrar.
Legal Note
AB 1392 does carve out a limited disclosure path. Anyone seeking a candidate or elected official’s confidential contact information for bona fide journalistic or governmental purposes must apply to the Secretary of State or to the county elections official. Applicants must meet documentation and declaration requirements spelled out in the statute. Those rules and protections are detailed in the bill text now being implemented by counties, available on LegInfo.
County officials say the law was crafted to protect candidates from threats and harassment in the wake of violent attacks elsewhere. The Election Day snags, however, highlight how a safety-focused privacy rule can create operational headaches at the polls. Candidates and voters who hit roadblocks at vote centers are advised to tell poll workers they want a provisional ballot or to use mail-in ballot drop-off options while staff verify their records.
