Assemblymember Corey A. Jackson Unveils Democracy Package to Teach Democracy and bring Citizens Closer to their Democracy

The package includes AB 1552 and AB 1562, two bills that respond to growing voter confusion, disengagement, and distrust by strengthening civic education and opening the doors to participation.

• Daniel Peeden
• [email protected]

Sacramento, CA- Democracy does not survive on autopilot. It has to be learned, practiced, and protected. That is why Assemblymember Dr. Corey A. Jackson is introducing a Democracy Package to help Californians better understand how democracy works and to make sure Californians are closer to democracy through the elections process.

The package includes AB 1552 and AB 1562, two bills that respond to growing voter confusion, disengagement, and distrust by strengthening civic education and opening the doors to participation.

"When people do not understand how democracy works, it becomes easier to manipulate and easier to break," said Assemblymember Jackson. "And when only a small group of people are running our elections, trust starts to crumble. These bills are about fixing both problems."

AB 1552 ensures that college students across the CSU and community college systems, and encourages the UC system, are actually learning what democracy is, how it works, and how it can fail.

The bill requires campuses to review and update their history and government courses to include real conversations about civic engagement, conflict in democracy, and the role of democratic institutions.

"We graduate students every year who can analyze complex systems but were never taught how to engage in the democracy they live under," Jackson said. "That is not an accident and it is not acceptable."

AB 1562 changes how poll workers, also known as precinct board members, are chosen. Instead of relying on who has the time or connections to volunteer, the bill randomly selects eligible voters, similar to jury duty.

That means elections will not be run by the same small group of people year after year. They will be run by a true cross section of the community.

"If everyday people are trusted to sit on juries, they can be trusted to help run our elections," Jackson said. "Democracy works best when more people are inside the room, not locked out of it."

The bill includes reasonable opt outs for hardship and allows people 70 years of age or older to decline service.

Democracy does not disappear overnight. It weakens slowly when people stop learning about it, stop participating in it, or stop trusting it.

"This package is about stopping the quiet erosion of democracy," Jackson said. "It is about making sure people understand their power and are invited to use it."

Both bills include protections to ensure local governments are reimbursed for any state mandated costs.