Elections.
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SB 73 — Elections.
Last action — Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 10, Statutes of 2026.
No card. One bill, free forever — alerts when it moves.
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✓Introduced
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✓In Committee
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✓Passed Senate
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✓Passed Assembly
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5To Executive
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6Enacted
This bill has been sent to the executive. Introduced January 15, 2025. It awaits signature.
Next likely step: the executive signs it into law or issues a veto.
Prognosis
Where this bill stands today.
Odds of enactment
ModerateHow often bills like it became law.
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To Executive
Current position in the legislative process.
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1 sponsor
1 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.
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Single-party support
Sponsorship is currently within one party (1 D).
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Cleared a recorded vote
Passed 9 recorded votes so far.
Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.
In plain language
The bill regulates law enforcement access to elections and voting processes.
This bill prohibits law enforcement from interfering with elections and restricts access to voting materials without authorization. It also outlines the rights of election observers and expands the definition of election-related crimes.
What this means for you
- Workers: If you work in the elections office, this bill outlines new protocols for handling election materials.
- Consumers: As a voter, this legislation helps ensure that your voting rights are protected from unauthorized access or interference.
Summary
(1) Existing state and federal law provides for the enforcement of laws related to elections. This bill would prohibit a peace officer from interfering with the administration of an election, as specified. This bill would authorize certain persons to enforce those prohibitions by filing a civil action, as specified. This bill would also prohibit any individual from permitting an agent of a law enforcement agency, as specified, to access, disrupt, modify, or take possession of rosters, combined rosters, or voter lists unless authorized by a court order or to investigate certain types of voting fraud. The bill would additionally require the Attorney General to provide guidance and information regarding how to respond to requests by law enforcement, as defined, to access areas where ballots are present. (2) Existing law requires an elections official, upon receiving a vote by mail ballot, to compare the signature on the identification envelope with the voter's prior signatures, and it also provides a mechanism by which a voter can verify their signature and cure this defect. Existing law provides that the processing of vote by mail ballots is open to the public and permits specified persons and organizations to observe this processing. This bill would prohibit a vote by mail observer from challenging a signature on a vote by mail ballot that has been verified by the voter. (3) Under existing law, it is a crime for a person in possession of a firearm, a uniformed peace officer, private guard, or security personnel, or any person wearing the uniform of a peace officer, guard, or security personnel, to be stationed in the immediate vicinity of, or posted at, a polling place without authorization from the appropriate elections official. It is also a crime for a person to hire or arrange for such a person to be stationed in the immediate vicinity of, or posted at, a polling place without authorization from the elections official. This bill would authorize the Secretary of State or Attorney General to object to authorization provided by the appropriate elections official, in which case the person stationed or posted at the polling place, or the person who hired or arranged for such a person to be stationed or posted at the polling place, is guilty of a crime. By expanding the scope of these crimes, the bill would create a state-mandated local program. (4) Existing law authorizes the Secretary of State, Attorney General, and any local elections official in the county in which the act occurs, to bring a civil action against an individual, business, or other legal entity that commits any specified act of tampering with a voting system or voting equipment before, during, or after an election. This bill would additionally authorize the Secretary of State, Attorney General, and the appropriate local elections official to bring a civil action against a person, business, or entity that takes a package containing ballots from the custody of an elections official. (5) Existing law makes it a crime for an individual to undertake a number of enumerated actions that would result in interference with an election, including displaying a container for the purpose of collecting ballots with the intent to deceive a voter into casting a ballot in an unofficial ballot box. This bill would also make it a crime to take a package containing voted ballots out of the custody of an elections official. By expanding the scope of this crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (6) Existing law requires the elections official of any county or city using a voting system to inspect the machines or devices at least once every 2 years. This bill would prohibit an individual from permitting an agent of a law enforcement agency, as defined, to access, disrupt, modify, or take possession of certified voting technology unless authorized by a court order. To the extent this bill would establish new procedures for the conduct of elections, it would create a state-mandated local program. (7) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above. (8) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Bill Text
- Chaptered 05/27/26 - Chaptered Current pdf May 27, 2026
- Enrolled 05/26/26 - Enrolled pdf May 26, 2026
- Amended 05/18/26 - Amended Assembly pdf May 18, 2026
- Amended 05/11/26 - Amended Assembly pdf May 11, 2026
- Amended 04/27/26 - Amended Assembly pdf April 27, 2026
- Amended 01/05/26 - Amended Senate pdf January 05, 2026
- Introduced 01/15/25 - Introduced pdf January 15, 2025
- SB73 View text html
Action History
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Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 10, Statutes of 2026.
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Approved by the Governor.
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Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3:30 p.m.
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Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 29. Noes 8.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
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In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
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Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. (Ayes 57. Noes 19. Page 5251.) Ordered to the Senate.
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Ordered to third reading.
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Read third time and amended.
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Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
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From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 11. Noes 3.) (May 13).
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Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
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Assembly Rule 56 suspended. (Ayes 52. Noes 16. Page 4947.)
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From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 1.) (May 6).
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From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on PUB. S. (Ayes 6. Noes 1.) (May 6). Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.
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Assembly Rule 56 suspended. (Ayes 45. Noes 15. Page 4873.)
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From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on ELECTIONS.
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Referred to Coms. on ELECTIONS and PUB. S.
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In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
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Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. (Ayes 30. Noes 10. Page 3296.) Ordered to the Assembly.
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Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
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From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 5. Noes 2. Page 3268.) (January 22).
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Set for hearing January 22.
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January 20 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
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Set for hearing January 20.
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From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 4. Noes 1. Page 3212.) (January 13). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
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Set for hearing January 13.
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Re-referred to Com. on E. & C.A.
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Re-referred to Com. on RLS.
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Withdrawn from committee.
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From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on E.Q.
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March 19 set for second hearing canceled at the request of author.
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Set for hearing March 19.
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March 5 set for first hearing canceled at the request of author.
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Set for hearing March 5.
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Referred to Coms. on E.Q. and HOUSING.
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From printer. May be acted upon on or after February 15.
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Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.
Sponsors
- Sabrina Cervantes · Primary
Sponsorship breakdown
Export CSV (upgrade) →1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 121 not signed on · 29 voted No
Sponsors (1)
- Cervantes, Sabrina Democratic
Co-sponsors (0)
None.
Not signed on (121)
121 members have not signed on to this bill.
Show all 121 →"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.
Votes
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | 29 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Republican | 0 | 8 | 0 | 2 |
| Total | 29 | 8 | 0 | 3 |
| % of votes cast | 73% | 20% | 0% | 8% |
How each member voted (40)
| Member | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Allen, Benjamin | Democratic | Yea |
| Archuleta, Bob | Democratic | Yea |
| Arreguín, Jesse | Democratic | Yea |
| Ashby, Angelique V. | Democratic | Yea |
| Becker, Josh | Democratic | Yea |
| Blakespear, Catherine S. | Democratic | Yea |
| Cabaldon, Christopher | Democratic | Yea |
| Caballero, Anna M. | Democratic | Yea |
| Cervantes, Sabrina | Democratic | Yea |
| Cortese, Dave | Democratic | Yea |
| Durazo, Maria Elena | Democratic | Yea |
| Gonzalez, Lena A. | Democratic | Not Voting |
| Grayson, Timothy S. | Democratic | Yea |
| Hurtado, Melissa | Democratic | Yea |
| Laird, John | Democratic | Yea |
| Limón, Monique | Democratic | Yea |
| McGuire, Mike | Democratic | Yea |
| McNerney, Jerry | Democratic | Yea |
| Menjivar, Caroline | Democratic | Yea |
| Padilla, Stephen C. | Democratic | Yea |
| Pérez, Sasha Renée | Democratic | Yea |
| Reyes, Eloise Gómez | Democratic | Yea |
| Richardson, Laura | Democratic | Yea |
| Rubio, Susan | Democratic | Yea |
| Smallwood-Cuevas, Lola | Democratic | Yea |
| Stern, Henry I. | Democratic | Yea |
| Umberg, Thomas J. | Democratic | Yea |
| Wahab, Aisha | Democratic | Yea |
| Weber Pierson, M.D., Akilah | Democratic | Yea |
| Wiener, Scott D. | Democratic | Yea |
| Alvarado-Gil, Marie | Republican | Nay |
| Choi, Steven S. | Republican | Nay |
| Dahle, Megan | Republican | Not Voting |
| Grove, Shannon | Republican | Nay |
| Jones, Brian W. | Republican | Nay |
| Niello, Roger W. | Republican | Not Voting |
| Ochoa Bogh, Rosilicie | Republican | Nay |
| Seyarto, Kelly | Republican | Nay |
| Strickland, Tony | Republican | Nay |
| Valladares, Suzette Martinez | Republican | Nay |
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | 56 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Unaffiliated | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican | 0 | 19 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 57 | 19 | 0 | 4 |
| % of votes cast | 71% | 24% | 0% | 5% |
How each member voted (80)
| Member | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Ávila Farías | — | Yea |
| Addis, Dawn | Democratic | Yea |
| Aguiar-Curry, Cecilia M. | Democratic | Yea |
| Ahrens, Patrick | Democratic | Yea |
| Alvarez, David | Democratic | Yea |
| Arambula, Joaquin | Democratic | Not Voting |
| Bains, Jasmeet | Democratic | Yea |
| Bauer-Kahan, Rebecca | Democratic | Yea |
| Bennett, Steve | Democratic | Yea |
| Berman, Marc | Democratic | Yea |
| Boerner, Tasha | Democratic | Yea |
| Bonta, Mia | Democratic | Yea |
| Bryan, Isaac G. | Democratic | Yea |
| Calderon, Lisa | Democratic | Yea |
| Caloza, Jessica | Democratic | Yea |
| Carrillo, Juan | Democratic | Yea |
| Connolly, Damon | Democratic | Yea |
| Elhawary, Sade | Democratic | Yea |
| Fong, Mike | Democratic | Yea |
| Gabriel, Jesse | Democratic | Not Voting |
| Garcia, Robert | Democratic | Yea |
| Gipson, Mike A. | Democratic | Yea |
| González, Mark | Democratic | Yea |
| Haney, Matt | Democratic | Yea |
| Harabedian, John | Democratic | Yea |
| Hart, Gregg | Democratic | Yea |
| Irwin, Jacqui | Democratic | Yea |
| Jackson, Corey A. | Democratic | Yea |
| Kalra, Ash | Democratic | Yea |
| Krell, Maggy | Democratic | Yea |
| Lee, Alex | Democratic | Yea |
| Lowenthal, Josh | Democratic | Yea |
| McKinnor, Tina | Democratic | Yea |
| Muratsuchi, Al | Democratic | Yea |
| Nguyen, Stephanie | Democratic | Yea |
| Ortega, Liz | Democratic | Yea |
| Pacheco, Blanca | Democratic | Yea |
| Papan, Diane | Democratic | Yea |
| Patel, Darshana R. | Democratic | Yea |
| Pellerin, Gail | Democratic | Yea |
| Petrie-Norris, Cottie | Democratic | Yea |
| Quirk-Silva, Sharon | Democratic | Yea |
| Ramos, James C. | Democratic | Yea |
| Ransom, Rhodesia | Democratic | Yea |
| Rivas, Robert | Democratic | Yea |
| Rodriguez, Celeste | Democratic | Not Voting |
| Rodriguez, Michelle | Democratic | Yea |
| Rogers, Chris | Democratic | Yea |
| Rubio, Blanca E. | Democratic | Yea |
| Schiavo, Pilar | Democratic | Yea |
| Schultz, Nick | Democratic | Yea |
| Sharp-Collins, LaShae | Democratic | Yea |
| Solache, Jr., José Luis | Democratic | Yea |
| Soria, Esmeralda | Democratic | Yea |
| Stefani, Catherine | Democratic | Yea |
| Valencia, Avelino | Democratic | Yea |
| Ward, Christopher M. | Democratic | Yea |
| Wicks, Buffy | Democratic | Yea |
| Wilson, Lori D. | Democratic | Yea |
| Zbur, Rick Chavez | Democratic | Yea |
| Alanis, Juan | Republican | Nay |
| Castillo, Leticia | Republican | Nay |
| Chen, Phillip | Republican | Not Voting |
| Davies, Laurie | Republican | Nay |
| DeMaio, Carl | Republican | Nay |
| Dixon, Diane | Republican | Nay |
| Ellis, Stan | Republican | Nay |
| Flora, Heath | Republican | Nay |
| Gallagher, James | Republican | Nay |
| Gonzalez, Jeff | Republican | Nay |
| Hadwick, Heather | Republican | Nay |
| Hoover, Josh | Republican | Nay |
| Johnson, Natasha | Republican | Nay |
| Lackey, Tom | Republican | Nay |
| Macedo, Alexandra | Republican | Nay |
| Patterson, Joe | Republican | Nay |
| Sanchez, Kate | Republican | Nay |
| Ta, Tri | Republican | Nay |
| Tangipa, David J. | Republican | Nay |
| Wallis, Greg | Republican | Nay |
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 11 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| % of votes cast | 73% | 20% | 0% | 7% |
How each member voted (15)
| Member | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Bauer-Kahan, Rebecca | Democratic | Yea |
| Calderon, Lisa | Democratic | Yea |
| Caloza, Jessica | Democratic | Yea |
| Fong, Mike | Democratic | Yea |
| González, Mark | Democratic | Yea |
| Krell, Maggy | Democratic | Yea |
| Pacheco, Blanca | Democratic | Yea |
| Pellerin, Gail | Democratic | Yea |
| Sharp-Collins, LaShae | Democratic | Yea |
| Solache, Jr., José Luis | Democratic | Yea |
| Wicks, Buffy | Democratic | Yea |
| Ellis, Stan | Republican | Nay |
| Hoover, Josh | Republican | Not Voting |
| Ta, Tri | Republican | Nay |
| Tangipa, David J. | Republican | Nay |
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| % of votes cast | 78% | 11% | 0% | 11% |
How each member voted (9)
| Member | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| González, Mark | Democratic | Yea |
| Harabedian, John | Democratic | Yea |
| Hart, Gregg | Democratic | Yea |
| Nguyen, Stephanie | Democratic | Yea |
| Ramos, James C. | Democratic | Yea |
| Schultz, Nick | Democratic | Yea |
| Sharp-Collins, LaShae | Democratic | Yea |
| Alanis, Juan | Republican | Not Voting |
| Lackey, Tom | Republican | Nay |
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| % of votes cast | 75% | 13% | 0% | 13% |
How each member voted (8)
| Member | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Addis, Dawn | Democratic | Yea |
| Bennett, Steve | Democratic | Yea |
| Elhawary, Sade | Democratic | Yea |
| Pellerin, Gail | Democratic | Yea |
| Solache, Jr., José Luis | Democratic | Yea |
| Stefani, Catherine | Democratic | Yea |
| Gallagher, James | Republican | Nay |
| Johnson, Natasha | Republican | Not Voting |
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 30 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| % of votes cast | 75% | 25% | 0% | 0% |
How each member voted (40)
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| % of votes cast | 71% | 29% | 0% | 0% |
How each member voted (7)
| Member | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Cabaldon, Christopher | Democratic | Yea |
| Caballero, Anna M. | Democratic | Yea |
| Grayson, Timothy S. | Democratic | Yea |
| Richardson, Laura | Democratic | Yea |
| Wahab, Aisha | Democratic | Yea |
| Dahle, Megan | Republican | Nay |
| Seyarto, Kelly | Republican | Nay |
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| % of votes cast | 100% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
How each member voted (7)
| Member | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Cabaldon, Christopher | Democratic | Yea |
| Caballero, Anna M. | Democratic | Yea |
| Grayson, Timothy S. | Democratic | Yea |
| Richardson, Laura | Democratic | Yea |
| Wahab, Aisha | Democratic | Yea |
| Dahle, Megan | Republican | Yea |
| Seyarto, Kelly | Republican | Yea |
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| % of votes cast | 80% | 20% | 0% | 0% |
How each member voted (5)
| Member | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Allen, Benjamin | Democratic | Yea |
| Cervantes, Sabrina | Democratic | Yea |
| Durazo, Maria Elena | Democratic | Yea |
| Umberg, Thomas J. | Democratic | Yea |
| Choi, Steven S. | Republican | Nay |
Subjects
Frequently asked questions
- What does SB 73 do?
- (1) Existing state and federal law provides for the enforcement of laws related to elections. This bill would prohibit a peace officer from interfering with the administration of an election, as specified. This bill would authorize certain persons to enforce those prohibitions by filing a civil action, as specified. This bill would also prohibit any individual from permitting an agent of a law enforcement agency, as specified, to access, disrupt, modify, or take possession of rosters, combined rosters, or voter lists unless authorized by a court order or to investigate certain types of voting fraud. The bill would additionally require the Attorney General to provide guidance and information regarding how to respond to requests by law enforcement, as defined, to access areas where ballots are present. (2) Existing law requires an elections official, upon receiving a vote by mail ballot, to compare the signature on the identification envelope with the voter's prior signatures, and it also provides a mechanism by which a voter can verify their signature and cure this defect. Existing law provides that the processing of vote by mail ballots is open to the public and permits specified persons and organizations to observe this processing. This bill would prohibit a vote by mail observer from challenging a signature on a vote by mail ballot that has been verified by the voter. (3) Under existing law, it is a crime for a person in possession of a firearm, a uniformed peace officer, private guard, or security personnel, or any person wearing the uniform of a peace officer, guard, or security personnel, to be stationed in the immediate vicinity of, or posted at, a polling place without authorization from the appropriate elections official. It is also a crime for a person to hire or arrange for such a person to be stationed in the immediate vicinity of, or posted at, a polling place without authorization from the elections official. This bill would authorize the Secretary of State or Attorney General to object to authorization provided by the appropriate elections official, in which case the person stationed or posted at the polling place, or the person who hired or arranged for such a person to be stationed or posted at the polling place, is guilty of a crime. By expanding the scope of these crimes, the bill would create a state-mandated local program. (4) Existing law authorizes the Secretary of State, Attorney General, and any local elections official in the county in which the act occurs, to bring a civil action against an individual, business, or other legal entity that commits any specified act of tampering with a voting system or voting equipment before, during, or after an election. This bill would additionally authorize the Secretary of State, Attorney General, and the appropriate local elections official to bring a civil action against a person, business, or entity that takes a package containing ballots from the custody of an elections official. (5) Existing law makes it a crime for an individual to undertake a number of enumerated actions that would result in interference with an election, including displaying a container for the purpose of collecting ballots with the intent to deceive a voter into casting a ballot in an unofficial ballot box. This bill would also make it a crime to take a package containing voted ballots out of the custody of an elections official. By expanding the scope of this crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (6) Existing law requires the elections official of any county or city using a voting system to inspect the machines or devices at least once every 2 years. This bill would prohibit an individual from permitting an agent of a law enforcement agency, as defined, to access, disrupt, modify, or take possession of certified voting technology unless authorized by a court order. To the extent this bill would establish new procedures for the conduct of elections, it would create a state-mandated local program. (7) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above. (8) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
- Who sponsors SB 73?
- SB 73 is sponsored by Cervantes, Sabrina (Democratic).
- What is the current status of SB 73?
- This bill has been sent to the executive. Introduced January 15, 2025. It awaits signature.
- Where can I track SB 73?
- Track SB 73 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.
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