Their names were on the ballot, but a number of candidates in Tuesday's election were surprised to learn they couldn't vote – even themselves – at the polls in person this week.
The new state law keeps candidates' names and contact information private — and thus off the voter rolls from election workers — unless the candidates opt out of a confidentiality provision, said Michael Sanchez, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County registrar/county clerk.
This apparently surprised Los Angeles City Administrator Kenneth Mejia, City Council candidate Maria Lou Calanche and Council Member Eunisses Hernandez, who all showed up at the polls to find their names were not on the list, according to the candidates or their representatives.
The new law, AB 1392, sponsored by state Rep. LaShae Sharp-Collins (D-San Diego), was passed after two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses were shot in their homes. Minnesota state representative Melissa Hortman and her husband were killed in the June 2025 attack, prompting lawmakers across the country to reexamine privacy laws for elected officials and political figures more broadly.
“In light of the increase in threats and harassment against public officials, AB 1392 provides timely and necessary protection,” Sharp-Collins wrote in support of the bill.
Sanchez said the move automatically keeps the names, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses of political candidates and elected officials off the voter rolls. Candidates can opt out of confidentiality, he said, but if they don't they can't vote in person. Candidates were given information about the law passed in January when they registered for the race, he said.
“The truth is that this law is in effect, the candidates have been given information to exit. Unfortunately, fortunately, even if you look, there is a limit to vote only by mail to ensure that the confidential situation remains the same,” said Sanchez.
Mejia, who is running for re-election as city manager, said he showed up at the polling station and was first told he had to register to vote. He ended up voting by filling out his ballot and sending it to the polling station, he said.
The issue only took about 15 minutes to fix, he said, but he said election workers should have a full list of registrations so candidates can vote in person.
“We're in 2026, we have the technology,” Mejia said. “We should be able to do that.”
Calanche also found out she couldn't vote in person Monday after election workers couldn't find her information, according to her political adviser, David Meraz. He decided to give up his postal vote.
Hernandez was able to vote in person, but only by filling out a provisional ballot, said Chelsea Lucktenberg, the council's deputy chief of staff. Lucktenberg said Hernandez did not immediately recall any information or documents indicating that he could not vote in person.
Hernandez's council colleague Hugo Soto-Martínez faced the same problem. He called the county registrar to inquire about the status of his ballot, he said, but election workers did not see him on the list of registered voters.
The issue was resolved when staff realized he was a candidate, Soto-Martínez said, although as of Monday he was still waiting for his ballot to arrive in the mail.
