CaliforniaElections in 2026 through 2029.
What it does
Existing law generally requires county elections officials to divide the county into precincts and designate a polling place for each precinct. As an alternative, a county elections official may conduct any election using vote centers instead of polling places. Existing law requires counties to provide ballot dropoff locations that are open beginning at least 28 days before the election.
More detail
Under existing law, a vote by mail ballot is timely cast if it is postmarked on or before election day and received in the mail by the voter's elections official no later than 7 days after election day. Existing law prohibits and makes it a misdemeanor to engage in specified electioneering activities within 100 feet of a polling place, elections official's office, satellite location, or an outdoor site at which a voter may cast or drop off a ballot.
This bill, for any regular or special election, beginning with the November 3, 2026, statewide general election, held in 2026 through 2029, inclusive, or proclaimed in 2029, would do the following: (1) require all ballot dropoff locations to be open beginning at least 30 days before the election; (2) prohibit law enforcement officers from making arrests within 200 feet of a polling place on election day, except for a crime related to disrupting the operation of the polling place or a crime against a person or property; (3) authorize a county board of supervisors to extend the prohibition on electioneering activities to up to 200 feet of the specified voting locations; (4) require law enforcement officers to notify the Secretary of State and Attorney General of a suspected, planned, or actual violation of the prohibitions on arrests or electioneering activities near polling places; (5) authorize the state and local governments to place reasonable restrictions on polling places located on their property; and (6) authorize a county elections official to extend the time for closing the polls at any polling place if the county elections official determines that voting at the polling place was disrupted as a result of a violation of the prohibitions on arrests or electioneering activities near polling places.
By increasing the duties of county elections officials, and by expanding the scope of an existing crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Where do you stand?
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed Assembly
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Sep 19Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 340, Statutes of 2026.Latest
- Sep 19Approved by the Governor Gavin Newsom.Became Law
- Sep 9Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.To Governor
- Sep 1
- Vote recorded SB 884 Umberg Third Reading Urgency By Valencia. Result: pass.Lower
- Aug 31Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 30. Noes 10.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.Major
- Vote recorded W/O REF. TO FILE (Urgency Clause). Result: pass.Upper
- Aug 31Unanimous consent granted to take up without reference to file.
- Aug 31In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
- Aug 31Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. (Ayes 57. Noes 18. Page 7031.) Ordered to the Senate.Passed Assembly
- Aug 21Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Aug 21Read third time and amended.Major
- Aug 21Assembly Rule 69(b)(1) suspended. (Ayes 55. Noes 17. Page 6296.)
- Aug 17Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Aug 13Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.Major
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended. Result: pass.Lower
- Aug 13From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 4.) (August 13).Major
- Aug 13Assembly Rule 63 suspended.
- Aug 5August 5 set for first hearing. Placed on suspense file.
- Jul 2Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Major
- Jul 1From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 6. Noes 2.) (July 1).Major
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Lower
- Jun 30From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on ELECTIONS. (Ayes 7. Noes 1.) (June 30). Re-referred to Com. on ELECTIONS.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Elections]. Result: pass.Lower
- Jun 22Assembly Rule 56 suspended.
- Jun 18Pursuant to Assembly Rule 51.
- Jun 18Referred to Coms. on PUB. S. and ELECTIONS.Minor
- May 20In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.Minor
- May 19Read third time. Urgency clause adopted. Passed. (Ayes 30. Noes 9. Page 4351.) Ordered to the Assembly.Passed Senate
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading SB884 Umberg et al. Urgency Clause. Result: pass.Upper
- May 18Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- May 14Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.Major
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended. Result: pass.Upper
- May 14From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 5. Noes 2. Page 4255.) (May 14).Major
- May 8Set for hearing May 14.
- May 4May 4 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
- Vote recorded Placed on suspense file. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 28From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Major
- Apr 24Set for hearing May 4.
- Apr 22From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 0. Page 3976.) (April 21). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Apr 21From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 4. Noes 1. Page 3971.) (April 21). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]. Result: pass.Upper
- Vote recorded Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 15From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on E. & C.A.Major
- Apr 10Set for hearing April 21 in JUD. pending receipt.
- Apr 9Set for hearing April 21.
- Apr 7April 7 set for first hearing canceled at the request of author.
- Mar 26From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on E. & C.A.Major
- Mar 19From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on E. & C.A.Major
- Mar 16Set for hearing April 7.
- Mar 4Re-referred to Coms. on E. & C.A. and JUD.Minor
- Feb 19From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.Major
- Feb 11Referred to Com. on RLS.Minor
- Jan 14From printer. May be acted upon on or after February 13.
- Jan 13Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.Introduced