California Gubernatorial Hopeful Eric Swalwell Peddles Voting By Phone To ‘Max Out Democracy’

Democratic California Rep. Eric Swalwell said he wanted people to vote using their phones to “max out democracy” during a CNN appearance Saturday.

Swalwell announced his candidacy for governor of California during a Thursday appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” joining a crowded field of Golden State Democrats including former Rep. Katie Porter and former Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra. Swalwell told “The Story Is” host Elex Michaelson he wanted to “modernize” the state government.

“I want us to be able to vote by phone. I think every California— ” Swalwell said before Michaelson interrupted to ask, “Vote by phone?”

“Vote by phone, yeah. If we can do our taxes … make our health care appointments, you know, make, essentially your — do your banking online,” Swalwell responded. “You should be able to vote by phone. Make it safe, make it secure. But it’s actually already happening all over the United States. I want us to be a blue state that doesn’t do just a little bit better than like Georgia or Alabama when it comes to like voting access, I want us to max out democracy.”

Swalwell also proposed penalizing counties where voters had to wait to vote in-person.

“As it relates to democracy, if you wait in line for 30 minutes or more, if you do want to vote in person, I think you should fine every county for every minute that a person has to wait longer,” Swalwell said, “We have to be better, not just a little bit better than the other states.”

Swalwell allegedly had an affair with Christine Fang, who reportedly worked with the Ministry of State Security of the People’s Republic of China. Swalwell has denied any wrongdoing in his relationship with Fang, but then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Jan. 24, 2023 removed Swalwell from the House Intelligence Committee, citing Swalwell’s reported relationship with Fang.