SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Diya TV) — Gov. Gavin Newsom signed 13 bills Saturday that tighten California’s election laws, including new penalties for interfering with ballots, voting equipment and mail-in voting.
Assembly Bill 282 makes it a felony to seize ballots, election records or certified voting technology before officials certify election results. The law also applies to supervisors who order such seizures.
The measure follows Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco’s seizure of about 650,000 ballots from the November 2025 special election. Bianco obtained search warrants as part of an investigation into alleged voting discrepancies. Attorney General Rob Bonta, voting-rights groups and Riverside County voters challenged the seizure, and the California Supreme Court is reviewing the dispute.
Senate Bill 259 makes it a felony for someone in authority to direct another person to interfere with the delivery or return of a mail ballot. It also makes it a misdemeanor for anyone responsible for a mail ballot to obstruct its delivery to a voter.
Senate Bill 884 restricts law enforcement arrests within 200 feet of polling places, with exceptions for crimes against people or property and disruptions to voting. It also allows counties to extend electioneering restrictions from 100 to 200 feet, lengthen voting hours after certain disruptions and open ballot drop-off locations at least 30 days before an election. The law took effect immediately and applies through 2029.
Other measures require election officials to alert the secretary of state and attorney general about warrants, subpoenas or investigations involving election records or voting technology. The package also expands translated voting materials, strengthens cybersecurity reviews and extends restrictions on deceptive political media.
Newsom said the package would protect California elections from interference, including potential action by the Trump administration. Republican lawmakers questioned whether some of the new criminal penalties were necessary, noting that state law already prohibits ballot theft.
