Name: Behind the Alleged Ballot Petition Fraud in California
Uploaded: 2026-04-19T02:28:39.000Z
Description: Paid signature gatherers are operating inside homeless encampments in San Francisco to collect ballot petition signatures for California’s November 2026 propositions.

Siyamak Khorrami has been the general manager and chief editor of the Southern California edition of The Epoch Times since 2017. He is also the host of the “California Insider” show, which showcases leaders and professionals across the state with inside information about trending topics and critical issues in California.

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California, as the wealthiest and most populated state in the nation, carries many leading roles in policy making, economic growth, cultural influences and technology development. California Insider, hosted by Siyamak Khorrami with The Epoch Times Southern California, showcases leaders and professionals across the state with inside information about trending topics and critical issues. Our mission is to inform California residents through the experiences and knowledge of our guests. 

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Paid signature gatherers are operating inside homeless encampments in San Francisco to collect ballot petition signatures for California’s November 2026 propositions. Video evidence captured on the street shows signers being offered payment and instructed by gatherers to use other people’s names and addresses, and the operation was still running the next day at a different location. When something goes wrong at street level, who is actually responsible?

In this episode, we sit down with JJ Smith, the San Francisco videographer who filmed the operation firsthand; James A. Kus, Fresno County clerk and registrar of voters; and Susan Shelley, editorial writer at the Southern California News Group, to examine how the legal market for paid signature gathering creates the economic conditions for this kind of fraud. They break down the per-signature price spike driven by the November ballot deadline and why the subcontractor chain behind commercial signature gathering makes accountability difficult to trace.

<em>Views expressed in this video are the opinions of the host and guest and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.</em>

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Behind the Alleged Ballot Petition Fraud in California

Full Episodes

Mail-in Voting in California: Where Concerns Hold and Where They Don’t | Bob Page

California’s Vacancy Tax: What It Could Force Homeowners to Do If It Passes | Shane Harris

Why California Is Losing Its Avocado Industry

The China Conversation California Isn’t Having | Jan Jekielek

What’s Really Happening Inside Iran Right Now | Siyamak Khorrami

California Ballot Measures: What Voters Can and Can’t Hold Them To | Matt Klink

Behind the Alleged Ballot Petition Fraud in California

LAPD Commander on What Keeps LA’s Homelessness Problem Going | Blake Chow

California’s Land, Water, and Fire: What’s Really Driving the Decisions

Talking With California Gubernatorial Candidate Steve Hilton

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