California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a series of bills on Saturday aimed at strengthening election security and safeguarding voting rights, during a ceremony held at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo district. The package addresses concerns about law enforcement interference in elections, ballot handling, voter intimidation, language access, and political advertising transparency.
The legislative push comes amid controversies over recent actions by law enforcement agencies and election officials. Notably, the bills respond to incidents such as the seizure of ballots by Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a Republican gubernatorial candidate who ordered deputies last February to confiscate over 650,000 ballots from the county elections office. The seizures were based on allegations of voter fraud in a 2025 special election focused on redistricting. Voting rights advocates and Attorney General Rob Bonta challenged the warrant-based seizures, and the matter is currently under review by the California Supreme Court.
One cornerstone of the new legislation, Senate Bill 884, authored by Sen. Tom Umberg (D-Santa Ana), takes immediate effect and mandates counties to open ballot drop-off locations 30 days before an election, two days earlier than prior requirements. It also empowers counties to ban electioneering within 200 feet of polling places and restricts law enforcement from making arrests near voting sites except for serious offenses such as crimes against persons, property, or disruptions of the voting process. The bill cites concerns about “weaponizing law enforcement authority for political purposes” and points to the 2025 deployment of U.S. Justice Department monitors at polling stations in multiple counties as examples of troubling interference.
In addition, Newsom approved Assembly Bill 282, which criminalizes the seizure or ordering of seizure of ballots, election records, or voting equipment, elevating such actions to a felony punishable by up to four years in prison. The new law seeks to prevent the kind of ballot seizures seen earlier in the year and reinforces protections against improper interference. Assemblymember Gail Pellerin (D-Santa Cruz), the bill’s author, emphasized its role in ensuring that every legitimate vote is counted and respected.
Republican lawmakers have voiced opposition, arguing in legislative hearings that existing laws already prohibit ballot theft, rendering some provisions redundant.
Other bills in the package include Senate Bill 259, which makes it a crime to tamper with mail ballots in transit or to order their seizure, and Assembly Bill 1664, requiring elections officials to promptly notify the attorney general and secretary of state if they receive warrants or subpoenas related to election materials or equipment.
To further protect voter access, Newsom signed legislation enhancing the California Voting Rights Act with explicit prohibitions on voter suppression and expanded language assistance for non-English speakers.
The governor also approved Assembly Bill 1130, targeting social media transparency in politics. This measure requires paid political influencers to disclose their financial ties to campaigns, prompted by controversies during the June primary when unnamed influencers posted favorable content on behalf of candidates, including Democratic donor Tom Steyer, without clear disclosure.
Attorney General Rob Bonta and Secretary of State Shirley Weber praised the legislative efforts as vital steps to defend democratic participation and prevent voter intimidation. Weber underscored the state’s commitment to ensuring that Californians’ voices remain free from interference. The bills represent a multi-pronged response to emerging challenges in modern elections amid sharply polarized political dynamics.