California Governor Signs Election Security Bill
Governor Gavin Newsom has enacted a new law aimed at enhancing election security in California just ahead of the upcoming Election Day on June 2. This legislation limits official access to ballots, voter information, and voting technology.
Signed on Wednesday, the bill explicitly prohibits anyone, particularly federal workers, from participating in election administration, although exceptions can be made for urgent public health or safety issues.
Additionally, the law introduces civil penalties for violations related to ballot storage, which could lead to fines as high as $50,000, even if a packet containing a completed ballot is taken out of an election official’s control.
“We need to clarify the rules of engagement, and that’s why this bill is so important. It carries fines, criminal penalties and three years in prison,” Newsom stated during the signing ceremony.
This new measure, known as Senate Bill 73, takes effect after an incident last fall where Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco seized 650,000 ballots during a special election connected to Proposition 50. That investigation was later stopped due to legal challenges from California Attorney General Rob Bonta.
Bianco, who is campaigning for governor this November, claimed the ballots were taken as part of an inquiry into alleged voting discrepancies, a claim that election officials countered.
The Sheriff described the suspension of the investigation as politically motivated.
The legislation also mandates that the Attorney General provide guidance to local election authorities in responding to law enforcement inquiries.
“SB73 puts safeguards in place to ensure ballots are secured and voters have confidence in our election system that their voices will be heard at the polls,” remarked California State Senator Sabrina Cervantes, one of the bill’s primary authors.
The signing of this bill coincided with Congressional Democrats introducing 23 separate bills regarding U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
These proposals include limiting federal law enforcement presence near polling places, preventing ICE agents from acting as peace officers in the state, requiring hotels to inform people of ICE agents’ presence, and denying state tax incentives to companies working with the Department of Homeland Security.
The measure has encountered bipartisan pushback.
“Please don’t do that,” urged Congressman James Gallagher. “There are some folks across the aisle I’m looking at. You know that’s wrong, right?”
“This is a stupid law, but the reason it’s stupid is because we shouldn’t be living in a time like this,” said Rep. Isaac Bryan. “In this moment, it went from being ridiculous to something very necessary, because what we’re seeing is unprecedented.”
Rep. Davis Tangipa expressed doubt that the Democratic bill would withstand legal scrutiny.
“A lot of the bills and a lot of what’s happened in the courts have already ruled that states can’t replace the federal government in a lot of the federal enforcement that we’re seeing out there,” Tangipa noted.
Meanwhile, officials from the Trump administration revealed that there are no current plans to deploy federal immigration agents to polling places, despite earlier concerns voiced by Democrats.
“We have to be prepared for everything,” Newsom said, adding, “There are no rules for the Trump administration anymore.”
White House Press Secretary Abigail Jackson stated that President Donald Trump is dedicated to ensuring confidence in the country’s election processes.
“Instead of launching false attacks on the president, Mr. Newscam should look in the mirror,” she said in a statement.
