Overview
- Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bill Wednesday and used an urgency clause so the law took effect immediately before the June 2 primary.
- SB 73 makes knowingly taking a package of voted ballots from election custody a crime punishable by up to three years in prison and a $1,000 fine and it authorizes civil penalties and injunctions.
- The measure responds to Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco’s seizure of more than 650,000 certified ballots in February 2026 and the California Supreme Court’s subsequent order pausing his probe.
- The statute bars law enforcement or federal agents from accessing, modifying, or seizing voter rolls, voting machines, or ballot areas without a court order and requires the California Department of Justice to issue county guidance.
- Supporters say the law shields election workers and voter confidence while critics predict legal and political challenges and opponents warn of federal‑state authority conflicts as Bianco campaigns for governor.