California Governor Gavin Newsom announced approval of a legislative package focused on election security, according to his office on Sunday. The measures address several electoral concerns at both state and federal levels, with provisions including extended hours for mail-in voting drop-off locations and new penalties related to ballot handling.
Newsom characterized the vote-by-mail provisions as a response to what he described as the Trump administration’s attempts to restrict mail voting through claims of fraud. The U.S. Supreme Court recently blocked proposed federal changes to mail-voting procedures that would have required states to submit voter approval lists to the postal service. In a statement, Newsom argued that protecting voting access was critical to democracy and pledged California would counter what he framed as federal interference.
One bill elevates ballot or election record seizure to felony status. This measure appears connected to an incident earlier this year when Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco took possession of over 650,000 ballots from a 2025 redistricting special election. Additionally, the package includes provisions requiring disclosure of paid political content by social media influencers, establishing penalties for those who fail to properly identify compensated political promotion.
The influencer disclosure measure reflects concerns raised during California’s recent gubernatorial race, in which billionaire philanthropist Tom Steyer, a candidate in the succession race, faced criticism for compensating content creators who promoted him without adequate transparency. His campaign indicated at the time that Steyer believed fair payment for creators’ work was appropriate. Secretary of State Shirley Weber stated that California was committed to protecting its democratic processes, while Trump had previously questioned the legitimacy of California’s election procedures without providing supporting evidence.
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