California officials address growing conspiracy theories tied to Proposition 50 ballots

Published October 14, 2025 12:19pm ET



California Secretary of State Shirley Weber is pushing back on conspiracy theories on social media sites that mail-in ballots for the state’s Nov. 4 special election are purposefully designed to disclose how people voted.

Weber spent Monday refuting claims by some Republicans that holes on ballot envelopes allow election officials to see how Californians voted on Proposition 50, the controversial ballot measure that could allow Democrats to lock in five more House seats ahead of next year’s midterm elections. 

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