With less than a week before the Nov. 3 general election, Attorney General on Oct. 28 released four publications meant to guide election officials, law enforcement and voters, and urged Californians who have not voted to cast their ballots early.
The four are a legal alert on state protections against seizures of election materials; a law enforcement bulletin under Senate Bill 73, signed by Gov. earlier this year, on responding to law enforcement attempts to enter sites where ballots are cast, processed or counted; a bulletin on protections for voters and poll workers against intimidation; and a consumer alert on election misinformation, especially from artificial intelligence and social media.
The SB 73 bulletin directs election officials to immediately notify the Attorney General, the Secretary of State and county officials of law enforcement requests or attempts to access election sites. It also explains federal and state limits on armed law enforcement and security personnel at polling places, chain-of-custody rules for ballots and election records, and the requirement that any search warrant be judge-approved and supported by probable cause.
The legal alert summarizes California's chain-of-custody requirements for ballots and election materials and recommends steps to limit disruption if an officer tries to obtain a search warrant for them.
The intimidation bulletin notes that it is a felony in California to use coercion or intimidation to make someone vote or not vote, or to vote for or against a candidate or measure, and a felony to trade a vote for money or something of value. The consumer alert notes that state law makes it a crime to intentionally mislead voters about their eligibility or about where and when to vote.
“The Trump Administration is waging unprecedented attacks on our elections. California will not back down. We’re using every tool at our disposal, including new resources released today, to protect voters and defend our democracy from unlawful interference,” Bonta said.
Every eligible California voter has received a ballot by mail. To avoid possible postal delays, the office encouraged voters to use an official drop box or vote in person; those who mail a ballot should take it to a post office counter and ask that it be postmarked. Eligible Californians who missed the online registration deadline can still register and vote in person through same-day voter registration.
The Department of Justice will have attorneys and staff across the state on call to help the Secretary of State's Office enforce election law through Election Day. Voters can track their ballots at wheresmyballot.sos.ca.gov and report denial of voting rights to the Secretary of State's Voter Hotline at (800) 345-VOTE (8683) or elections@sos.ca.gov.
State
Rob Bonta
Attorney General · Democrat
Named once in this story.
Portrait: Official portrait
State
Gavin Newsom
Governor · Democrat
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Portrait: Official portrait
Sources & methodology
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