State Senators Strengthen Protections at the Ballot Box

What you need to know: In California, we believe every eligible voter should have their voice heard at the ballot box. This year, California State Senators stepped up to protect voters’ constitutional rights by passing key legislation to ensure they could have their voices heard come election day.

SACRAMENTO – The California State Senate made significant strides in protecting the right to vote during election season. In 2026, California voters are facing an uphill battle as the federal administration continues to obstruct their right to the voting booth through intimidation tactics, limits on mail-in voting, and attempts to seize ballots cast by voters. Now more than ever, the state needs to strengthen and codify laws to ensure any overreach on the local and federal levels can be stopped. It is imperative that voters feel they can cast their ballot safely and that their ballot will be properly counted, without interference.

I am proud that the Senate stood up for eligible voters across California. The bills passed by members of the Senate this year took exceptional measures to ensure our rights are protected at the ballot box.

Senate President pro Tempore Monique Limón

The right to vote has long been a key pillar of the democratic freedom of the nation. That is why Senate Democrats led the way as the California Legislature passed bills prioritizing the prevention of voter intimidation and the protection of local election workers. Without election workers, the state cannot ensure that ballots are being properly filled out, counted, or certified. These workers serve as the frontline protection for a fair and equal election. With California’s next election in less than two months, these bills help make sure all eligible voters can cast a ballot.

Safeguarding elections and voting rights reflects core values I was raised on – integrity, fairness, accountability. A quarter of the bills I authored this session focus on protecting the right to vote and ensuring the systems in place are working. Elections should be inclusive, accessible, and reliable for all who participate. And as states are the first line of defense between voters and unprecedented federal attacks on our democracy, we understand that California voters want us to defend their voices and their ability to cast their ballots freely and fairly. Strengthening our state-level voter protections is our best defense against attempts by the federal administration to silence our voices.

 

Senator Sabrina Cervantes (D-Riverside)

The Senate also focused on increasing voter education, outreach, and participation efforts – critical tools to ensure communities are not vulnerable to disinformation. This includes outreach opportunities aimed at educating California communities on where, how, and when to vote. Through the State Budget, the Senate also invested in educational materials that outline what is and is not legal in the voting process to ensure everyone knows their voting rights. These efforts are imperative to protecting communities from disinformation, making voting less intimidating while also empowering voters to make their voices heard.

Voter intimidation is not hypothetical for me. In 1988, as a federal prosecutor in Santa Ana, I witnessed an orchestrated effort to intimidate Latino voters at the polls. That experience ultimately shaped my career and my commitment to protecting the right to vote. Today, we are facing serious threats of intimidation and federal interference in our elections. Californians should never have to fear exercising their right to vote. The Legislature’s passage of SB 884 is a major victory for voters across our state and affirms our responsibility to run safe and secure elections.

Senator Tom Umberg (D – Santa Ana)

Bills Passed By the Legislature
 

Budget Act of 2026: Includes several key investments in the state’s election system: 

• Increased staffing, technology, and equipment upgrades and purchases for counties to speed up counting and increase capacity.
• Voter outreach and education at the county level to help Californians know resources and tools available in their community.
• Voter outreach and education at the statewide level via the office of the Secretary of State.
• Statewide efforts to combat mis- and disinformation and ensure the state is prepared to guard against federal interference.

Sen. Richardson SB: 1420 – Directs the Secretary of State to create new regulations for voters to turn in vote-by-mail ballots and in-person ballots (referred to as “Sign, Sign, and Go” voting) and to promote voter education on both this voting option and Saturday-before-election-day voting through official election resources. 

Sen. Umberg: SB 884 - Strengthens protections at the ballot box by preventing voter intimidation, limiting federal interference, and expanding access to safe, secure voting. 

Sen. Cervantes: SB 1164 - Ensures that California continues to lead on voting rights by codifying protections against voter discrimination that existed under Section 2 of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 before the Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais. It would also give the California Attorney General and individual voters stronger tools to enforce state election laws.

Sen. Cervantes: SB 1360 - Helps the more than 3.2 million lawfully registered Californians who self-identify as limited-English proficient access the ballot box and exercise their right to vote by making translated election materials more available and accessible.

Sen. Cervantes: SB 73 - Protects election integrity by safeguarding the chain of custody of voted ballots and making unauthorized removal of ballots a felony. It also prohibits any individual from allowing law enforcement—whether local, state, or federal—to access, modify, or take possession of voting machines or voter rosters without a court order.

Sen. Arreguín: SB 239 - Adds local election and other local officials to the list of public officials with added protections against criminal threats, strengthening public safety and confidence in the democratic process.

Sen. Wahab: SB 259 – Protects Californians’ right to vote by strengthening safeguards against interference with vote-by-mail ballots. The bill makes it a crime to intentionally disrupt the delivery or return of a voter’s ballot, helping ensure every eligible voter can cast their ballot safely and securely.