With less than a week until the Tuesday, November 3, General Election, California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced four new resources to help ensure California’s elections remain safe, fair, and secure: (1) a legal alert on California election law protections against seizures of election materials; (2) a law enforcement bulletin pursuant to Senate Bill (SB) 73, which was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom earlier this year, that provides elections officials and election site managers with guidance on responding to law enforcement attempts to access election sites where ballots are cast, processed, or counted; (3) a law enforcement bulletin on protections for voters and poll workers against intimidation; and (4) a consumer alert warning about the prevalence of election-related misinformation and disinformation, especially involving artificial intelligence and social media.

Attorney General Bonta also urged Californians who have not yet voted to make a plan and cast their ballots as soon as possible. Every eligible California voter has received a ballot by mail and can return their completed ballot at an official drop box, mail it back, or vote in person before or on Election Day. To avoid potential postal delays, voters now are encouraged to use a drop box or vote in person. Voters who choose to mail their ballot should bring it to a post office counter and ask that it be postmarked. While the deadline to register to vote online has passed, eligible Californians can still register and vote in person through Same Day Voter Registration (Conditional Voter Registration).

“We’re using every tool at our disposal, including new resources released today, to protect voters and defend our democracy from unlawful interference,” said Attorney General Bonta. “With Election Day just around the corner, I urge every Californian who hasn’t voted to make a plan and cast their ballot early. We will remain vigilant in defending the right to vote — the right from which all other rights flow.”

The Attorney General enforces California’s election laws to ensure free and fair elections. In the lead-up to and on Election Day, the California Department of Justice will be on call to assist the Secretary of State’s Office in enforcing California’s election laws through a team of attorneys and administrative staff located across the state. For up-to-date information on how to vote, check official websites, including sos.ca.gov/elections. Voters can register to track their ballot and confirm that it is counted at wheresmyballot.sos.ca.gov.

Denial of voting rights can be reported in English through the Secretary of State’s confidential toll-free Voter Hotline at (800) 345-VOTE (8683). Other language options, including Spanish, Tagalog, and Chinese, are available. In addition, reports can be made via email at elections@sos.ca.gov.

Publication #1: Legal Alert on Protections Against Seizure of Election Materials

The legal alert provides an overview of relevant California law regarding chain-of-custody and other strict requirements for handling ballots and elections materials, and provides recommended guidance to minimize disruption if any law enforcement official attempts to obtain a search warrant for ballots or other elections materials.

Publication #2: SB 73 Bulletin on Restrictions to Law Enforcement Access to Voting Sites

The bulletin explains how election officials should respond to law enforcement requests involving election sites and materials, including:

• Provide Immediate Notice of Law Enforcement Investigations: Directs elections officials to immediately notify the Attorney General, Secretary of State, and county officials of law enforcement requests or attempts to access election sites.
• Law Enforcement Presence at Election Sites: Explains federal and state restrictions on armed law enforcement and security personnel at polling places and limits on law enforcement interference with election administration.
• Law Enforcement Access to Election Materials: Describes requirements for securely maintaining and preserving chain of custody of election records. It also explains restrictions on law enforcement access to or seizure of ballots, voter lists, certified voting technology, and other election materials.
• Search Warrants: Explains the legal requirement for a judge-approved search warrant supported by probable cause and outlines procedures for notifying legal counsel, documenting searches, monitoring compliance with the warrant’s scope, and safeguarding election materials.

Publication #3: Law Enforcement Bulletin on Protections for Voters and Poll Workers Against Intimidation

This bulletin explains California laws that prohibit anyone, including law enforcement, from engaging in election interference, voter intimidation, and voter deception. For example:

• It is a felony to use tactics of coercion or intimidation to induce or compel a person to vote or refrain from voting, or to vote or refrain from voting for any particular person or measure, at any election.
• It is a felony to agree to vote in a certain way or induce others to vote in a certain way in exchange for money or something of value.

Publication #4: Consumer Alert on Misinformation’s Impact on Voting Rights

The consumer alert warns of prevalent sources of election misinformation — including artificial intelligence and social media — and explains how election misinformation can interfere with voting rights. California law makes it a crime to intentionally mislead voters about their eligibility to vote, or about where and when to vote.