Voting & Elections

Requires notice to SOS and AG within 3 days of federal-law election actions. Requires 14 days before settlements to share drafts with SOS and AG and keeps exchange confidential. Revises voting system standards to meet minimum federal requirements and include best practices. Requires escrow of voting and ballot marking system source code within 10 days of certification.

Extends the timeline for challenging local election methods from 45 to 90 days under the California Voting Rights Act. Allows cities under 50,000 residents to elect up to 20% of council members at-large while using district elections. Requires jurisdictions to publish demographic data 9 months before redistricting elections. Mandates comprehensive public outreach plans and translation services for redistricting hearings.

Makes technical changes to existing definitions for vote by mail and military voters.

Establishes an 11-member independent Citizens Redistricting Commission in Merced County to redraw supervisor districts. Requires commissioners to meet strict eligibility criteria including no recent political involvement. Mandates at least five public hearings across all districts before drawing new district boundaries. Prohibits commissioners from holding public office or lobbying positions for up to five years after service.

Replaces the old voter registration program with county voter education plans to boost registration. Requires plans to cover online registration, preregistration, vote-by-mail, and ballot tracking. Establishes SOS to provide a plan template and publish current versions on state and county sites. Requires amendments by October 1 of odd years and allows reimbursements if the state mandates costs.

Requires online publication of vote-by-mail system certification reports on the Secretary of State's website. Mandates public posting of certification results within 60 days after testing remote voting systems. Enhances transparency of vote-by-mail system approval process through digital accessibility.

Expands in-person voting for mail ballots at offices or satellites 29 days before elections. Adds Saturday early voting for statewide elections in counties not all-mailed-ballot. Repeals the envelope-based mail-ballot requirement. Establishes campus Civic and Voter Empowerment Coordinator with outreach, UC participation optional.

Requires election officials to post updated election results twice weekly instead of once weekly after elections. Mandates detailed updates including processed ballot counts and estimates of remaining unprocessed ballots. Requires officials to specify the date and time of the next planned results update. Provides state reimbursement to local agencies for any additional costs from increased reporting requirements.

Requires ballot measures to display the three largest financial contributors supporting and opposing the initiative. Mandates petition signers to confirm they reviewed funding disclosures before signing. Expands ballot labels to include detailed lists of supporters and opponents with strict formatting rules. Requires verification of supporter and opponent organizations' eligibility through documentation and signed statements.

Expands the Voter Bill of Rights to guarantee replacement ballots for lost or damaged ballots. Establishes a toll-free hotline for reporting voting rights violations and election fraud. Requires the Voter Bill of Rights to be displayed at polling places and in voter guides in 12-point type.

Makes technical changes to provisions regarding interpretation of food and agriculture laws.

Extends campaign contribution limits to judicial, school district, and community college district elections starting January 2027. Sets a base contribution limit of $5,900 per election for most offices, with higher limits for statewide positions. Authorizes local education boards and the Judicial Council to impose stricter campaign contribution limits. Establishes criminal penalties for violations while empowering local authorities to enforce their own contribution limits.

Streamlines voter registration by removing redundant provisions for military and overseas voters. Maintains voter protections through the existing conditional voter registration process. Takes effect upon enactment on August 28, 2025.

Expands online voter registration to Californians without a driver's license starting September 2027. Requires voters without state ID to provide the last four digits of their Social Security number for verification. Mandates development of an accessible electronic signature system for voters with disabilities. Establishes new identity verification protocols to ensure registration security and accuracy.

Requires immediate enforcement of court orders against illegal voting districts even during appeals. Authorizes the Secretary of State to pause enforcement if needed for orderly election administration. Mandates violating jurisdictions to reimburse counties for all election costs from enforcement actions. Takes effect for new voting rights cases filed after January 1, 2026.

Prohibits DMV from offering voter registration to individuals who show proof of non-citizenship. Requires DMV to transmit voter registration applications to Secretary of State within 10 days. Mandates secure data sharing between DMV and Secretary of State through formal agreement. Protects confidential voter information from unauthorized third-party access.

Establishes a statewide system for voters to correct mistakes on their ballots. Requires the Secretary of State to develop uniform ballot correction standards with county election officials. Authorizes the Secretary of State to implement regulations ensuring consistent application statewide.

Authorizes local agencies to require property owners to certify ADUs are occupied at least 6 months per year. Mandates annual recertification of ADU occupancy for the first 10 years of operation. Requires local agencies to send two notices before enforcing occupancy requirements. Prohibits excessive fines and prevents forced demolition of non-compliant ADUs.

Protects voting rights for residents temporarily displaced by natural disasters. Allows displaced voters to maintain their original voting address while using a temporary mailing address. Preserves voter registration at original residence if planning to return or relocate within same jurisdiction.

Transfers responsibility for ballot measure titles and summaries from Attorney General to Legislative Analyst. Requires committees to create detailed 'Official Top Funders' sheets for ballot measure petitions. Mandates disclosure of major financial contributors on ballot materials with specific formatting rules. Makes all changes contingent upon voter approval of Senate Constitutional Amendment 3.

Establishes new data collection duties for complaints by the Education Department and the Civil Rights Department. Requires annual deidentified summary reports online, PRA-aligned. Initiates Education data collection on July 1, 2026; summaries begin July 1, 2027. Initiates Civil Rights data collection on July 1, 2027; summaries by October 1 yearly.

Extends timely receipt for mail ballots to seven days after election day. Overhauls recounts to set order by batch or precinct and by county. Implements upfront deposits to cover recount costs and reimburses counties for board costs. Requires posting within one day for 30 days and expands notices; ties to AB1513.

Establishes confidential voter status protections for individuals with cognitive impairments like dementia. Authorizes power of attorney holders to apply for voter confidentiality on behalf of cognitively impaired individuals. Requires county election officials to exclude protected voters from all public voter lists and rosters. Mandates annual reporting to the Legislature on confidential voter status applications and misuse allegations.

Requires county nonpartisan offices to advance top two primary candidates to the general election. Aligns district attorney and sheriff elections with presidential election cycles. Eliminates primary elections when only two candidates qualify for a county office. Mandates six-year terms for district attorneys and sheriffs elected in 2022.

Updates signature verification timelines and notices for mail ballots to speed certification. Allows a ballot drop box to receive verification forms and unsigned statements. Establishes a statewide mail-ballot tracking system with opt-in status alerts. Conditions effectiveness on enactment sequencing with related bills and local reimbursements.