California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, who made history in 2021 as the first Black person to hold the position, is seeking a second four-year term. She is likely to easily win against Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner, who has not won a statewide race since 2006. During her tenure, Weber has faced criticism for her slow ballot-counting process, which critics argue undermines voters' trust in state elections. Wagner plans to roll back the practice of sending universal mail-in ballots to every voter, which would require legislative approval, and also support legislation to move up the deadline to certify election results. Weber has overseen contentious elections over the past five years, focusing on expanding voter outreach to rural corners of California and encouraging voter registration on high school and college campuses.