California Gov. Gavin Newsom Signs 13 Bills to Tighten Election Security Ahead of 2026 Midterms

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed 13 bills on May 28, 2026, in a late‑afternoon ceremony at the state capitol, marking a decisive response to a series of disputes with the Trump administration over mail‑voting procedures and alleged manipulation of election results. The package follows a recent court case where the state challenged a sheriff’s seizure of 650,000 ballots in Riverside County and a Supreme Court ruling that blocked the federal government’s attempt to limit mail voting through the Postal Service.

The legislation makes it a felony for any person, including officials, to seize ballots, election records or certified voting technology before results are certified. It also criminalizes directing others to interfere with the delivery or return of mail‑ballot votes, while a misdemeanor applies to direct interference by a ballot handler. These provisions aim to deter the kind of pre‑election tampering that sparked the Riverside incident.

Another set of bills tackles political content on social media. Candidates and campaigns that pay creators to produce or share content supporting or opposing a candidate must now disclose the financial relationship, or face penalties. The laws also extend restrictions on AI‑generated political deepfakes to January 2031, allowing such material only with clear disclosure, a move that follows criticism over undisclosed payments to influencers in the recent Newsom race.

The package also addresses the chronic delays in California’s vote‑counting process. Election officials will now be required to notify the Secretary of State and Attorney General within one day of any warrant, subpoena or investigation involving election records or voting technology. Early‑voting information will be made more accessible, and voters will be encouraged to submit mail ballots at polling places to reduce the backlog on Election Day. A local clerk in San Diego, who has processed thousands of ballots each election cycle, said the new rules will help ensure that every ballot counts and every voter’s voice is heard. The next step will be the implementation of these laws, with training sessions for election staff scheduled for the coming months.