California Congressman Eric Swalwell is making headlines again, this time not for his usual cable news appearances or past controversies, but for officially announcing his bid for governor of California in 2026. The Democratic lawmaker, who represents the 14th congressional district in the East Bay area, unveiled his campaign during a recent appearance on late-night television. But itās what he said after the announcement that has people talking.
Speaking in a follow-up interview with CNN, Swalwell pitched a new election idea that raised eyebrows across the political spectrum. He said he wants Californians to be able to vote by phone.
āI want us to be able to vote by phone,ā Swalwell said. āIf we can do our taxes, our healthcare appointments, and our banking online, you should be able to vote by phone.ā He went on to say that the technology already exists and claimed that some parts of the country are doing it already. āI want us to be a blue state that doesnāt do just a little bit better than, like, Georgia or Alabama, when it comes to voting access. I want us to max out democracy.ā
The comment sparked immediate backlash online and drew criticism from both election experts and concerned voters. Many pointed to the obvious security and verification risks that come with phone-based voting. Currently, no state in the U.S. allows universal voting by phone for any major election, and for good reason.
Election security professionals have long warned that phone-based voting systems carry major risks. From SIM-swapping and spoofing to the challenge of verifying who is actually voting on the other end of the line, experts agree that vote-by-phone systems are vulnerable to fraud, coercion, and technical manipulation. In fact, even limited online voting pilotsālike those used for military or overseas votersāare heavily restricted and require multiple forms of verification to ensure security.
As Swalwell pushes the idea of mobile voting forward, critics say the plan would remove the safeguards in place to ensure elections remain secure and trustworthy. Some believe allowing people to vote using just a phone number could lead to an increase in unverifiable ballots. Others point out that elections arenāt just about accessātheyāre also about maintaining confidence that every legitimate vote is counted and that no fraudulent votes are sneaking through the system.
Though Swalwell did say he wants the system to be āsafeā and āsecure,ā he didnāt give details on how such a system would be built or what safeguards would be in place to protect voter identity, ballot secrecy, or the accuracy of vote counts.
Public reaction was swift. Social media users criticized the idea, some calling it ādisastrousā and āreckless.ā Critics also pointed out that opening up phone voting could lead to an environment where elections are more difficult to audit or verify.
So far, Swalwell has not responded to the backlash but has continued to push the message of making elections more accessible. His gubernatorial campaign is still in its early stages, and it remains unclear whether vote-by-phone will be a central part of his platform or just a passing idea.
As the 2026 California governorās race takes shape, Swalwellās entry is likely to draw attention from both the left and right. California, a deep blue state, has often led the way on election reform, but it also faces questions about how far itās willing to go when it comes to expanding access versus protecting election security.
For now, Swalwellās proposal to let Californians vote by phone is getting national attention ā and not necessarily the kind his campaign was hoping for.
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