Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell isn’t just pushing mail-in ballots anymore, now he’s promoting a plan to allow Californians to vote from their phones.
During his interview on CNN’s “The Story Is” with host Elex Michaelson, Swalwell said he wanted to overhaul how California residents participate in elections.
He claim’s the plan was created to modernize the state government and make voting resemble the digital tools Americans already use every day.
He described his idea as an extension of routine online tasks, asserting that citizens handle sensitive information constantly without incident.
“I want us to be able to vote by phone. I think every California…” Swalwell began, before Michaelson interrupted in disbelief, asking him directly, “Vote by phone?”
ELECTION INTEGRITY? Rep Eric Swalwell wants to allow voting by telephone. Presumably this would allow noncitizens who could not make it across the border to vote. pic.twitter.com/IkNfcoePI4
— @amuse (@amuse) November 22, 2025
Swalwell repeated his position, insisting that if Americans can manage bank accounts, book medical appointments and file their taxes online, they should be able to vote through the same devices.
“You should be able to vote by phone. Make it safe, make it secure,” he said, maintaining that the technology could be implemented without jeopardizing election integrity.
He contended that similar systems had already been adopted in scattered areas across the United States, arguing that California should aim to lead the nation in voter access instead of competing only with states like Georgia or Alabama.
He insisted the state must avoid complacency and strive to “max out democracy.”
Swalwell then proposed an additional measure aimed at counties that experience long lines at in-person voting locations.
He argued that when voters are forced to stand in line for more than half an hour, local officials should face financial penalties.
“I think you should fine every county for every minute that a person has to wait longer,” he said, claiming California must do far better than other states when it comes to convenience and accessibility.
The congressman formally entered the race for California governor just days earlier, unveiling his campaign on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and joining a high-profile lineup of Democrats.
His competitors include former Rep. Katie Porter, former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and State Superintendent Tony Thurmond.
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On the Republican side, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and former Fox News host Steve Hilton are seeking the nomination.
Swalwell’s announcement on Kimmel’s program presented him as a candidate prepared to confront President Donald Trump, with the congressman portraying himself as California’s defender.
“Our state, this great state, needs a fighter and a protector. Someone who will bring prices down, lift wages up,” he told Kimmel, highlighting previous battles as a city council member, prosecutor and impeachment manager in Congress.
He described California in glowing terms but suggested the state was being undermined by federal actions.
“I love California, it’s the greatest country in the world,” Swalwell said, before detailing scenes he found disturbing, from residents running from immigration authorities to essential research being slashed.
He argued the state required a leader who could shield it from what he characterized as harmful national policies.
“It’s awful to look at and our state, this great state, [which] needs a fighter and a protector, someone who will bring prices down, lift wages up,” he remarked to Kimmel.
Swalwell told viewers the stakes were high, noting that economic measures mean little if Californians cannot afford to live where they work.
“We can say that we’re the fourth-largest economy in the world—and we are and I love to brag about that—but what does that mean if you can’t afford to live here?”
His profile on the national stage has long been tied to his role in the impeachment effort against Trump and his outspoken criticism of the president.
“What the American people are saying right now is they want Donald Trump out of our homes, out of our streets, out of our lives, and out of this studio,” he said during the interview.
However, Swalwell is facing scrutiny of his own. Earlier this month, Bill Pulte, Trump’s director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, submitted a criminal referral to the Department of Justice accusing Swalwell of possible mortgage fraud.
The California Democrat denied wrongdoing and claimed he was being targeted for political reasons.
“I refuse to live in fear in what was once the freest country in the world,” he said, adding that he would continue speaking out.
The congressman, who has represented part of the Bay Area since 2013, already made one attempt at higher office during the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, though his campaign ended quickly after he failed to gain traction.
Swalwell has also dealt with controversy over his reported relationship with Christine Fang, who was believed to be connected to Chinese intelligence.
He denied any inappropriate behavior, but then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy removed him from the Intelligence Committee in January 2023 due to concerns about the association.
His entry into the governor’s race coincides with another high-profile Democrat launching a bid.
San Francisco billionaire Tom Steyer, known for his climate-focused activism and his own short-lived 2020 presidential campaign, declared his candidacy one day before Swalwell.
Steyer spent hundreds of millions of dollars of personal wealth on his prior White House effort, and his new campaign video featured him railing against wealthy elites.
“The richest people in America think that they earned everything themselves,” he said in his campaign video.
“Bulls***, man. That’s so ridiculous. There’s a reason everybody comes here to start businesses; because this is the place that invents the future.”
Porter, considered a frontrunner, criticized Steyer immediately.
She argued he profited from industries that harmed Californians, including fossil fuels, tobacco and immigration detention.
“I call bulls***,” Porter wrote in response to his campaign launch. “A new billionaire in our race claims he’ll fight the very industries he got rich helping grow — fossil fuel companies, tobacco, and private immigration detention facilities — at great cost to Californians.”
Porter urged supporters to help her confront what she described as billionaire influence.
“Californians are looking for a Governor who actually understands how a spike in utility bills or an increase in housing costs cripples our families’ budgets.”
Californians are looking for a Governor who actually understands how a spike in utility bills or an increase in housing costs cripples our families’ budgets.
But I need your help to fight back against the billionaires and corporate-funded campaigns. Chip in:…
— Katie Porter (@katieporteroc) November 19, 2025
She asked voters to contribute financially to her effort, saying they needed a leader who truly understood their struggles.
Steyer has financially supported Porter in the past, with Federal Election Commission records showing he donated to her earlier congressional campaigns.
Porter ran unsuccessfully for Senate in 2024, finishing well behind both Democrat Adam Schiff and Republican Steve Garvey.
BREAKING: California Democrat Governor Hopeful Katie Porter Caught on Video Yelling at Staffer "GET OUT OF MY F*CKING SHOT!" pic.twitter.com/fOO5qcNIFf
— TaraBull (@TaraBull) October 8, 2025
Her own bid has been complicated by recent controversies, including a resurfaced video in which she was seen telling a staffer to “get out of my f***ing shot.”
