The California Legislature adjourned its regular session on Aug. 31 after sending 34 election-related bills to Gov. Gavin Newsom (D). Newsom signed 32 of the bills between May and September and vetoed two of them in September.
These 32 bills make California the state with the second-most election-related bills enacted so far this year, behind only Virginia, which enacted 49 election bills in its 2026 session.
California’s new laws include several regulating the ability of law enforcement to be present near polling places or to access election-related materials. One of those bills, SB 884, prohibits law enforcement officers from arresting individuals within 200 feet of polling places on election day. Crimes related to disrupting the operation of the polling place or crimes against people or property are exempt from this prohibition on law enforcement activity.
