California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 73 into law on Wednesday, adding new protections to the state's election code ahead of the upcoming primary. The law prohibits any person, including federal agents, from accessing voter rolls or election technology without a court order. It also restricts law enforcement from disrupting election workers except in public safety emergencies and criminalizes the removal of voted ballots from election officials' custody.
The legislation, authored by Democratic state Sens. Sabrina Cervantes and Tom Umberg, was signed just days before California's primary election, which is set for next Tuesday. Newsom's office stated the law aims to safeguard state elections from potential interference by the Trump administration and its allies. The governor warned of possible federal meddling, citing past actions by the Trump administration in Democratic-led states.
Newsom emphasized the need for preparedness, stating, 'We have to be prepared for everything because there’s no rules anymore with the Trump administration.' He also criticized Trump's tactics, saying, 'I expect the worst with Trump because he’s done the worst.'
The White House responded through spokeswoman Abigail Jackson, who asserted that President Trump is committed to ensuring public confidence in election administration. 'Instead of levying...,' she said, before the quote was cut off in the source material.
California's primary features a crowded field of Democratic and Republican candidates vying for the top two spots in the state's open primary system, where only the highest vote-getters advance to the general election, regardless of party affiliation.