CAL.Regulation
California rewrites deceptive-campaign-ad rules for the November election
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 502 on September 19 as an urgency statute so it governs the November 3, 2026 general election. The bill rewrites Elections Code section 20012: the ban on knowingly distributing materially deceptive election communications now turns on content material to a voter's electoral decisions or to public confidence in an election's process or outcome, the window narrows from 120 days to 30 days before an election, and disclosures must meet new color and font-size rules.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Governor of California, The Nerd Stash
Key points
- The prohibition now turns on content material to electoral decisions or public confidence in the process or outcome, as specified.California Legislative Information
- Disclosures must meet new color and font-size requirements set out in the bill.California Legislative Information
- The window is 30 days before an election, or 30 days before through 38 days after for elections officials and voting machines; previously 120 days.California Legislative Information
- Satire or parody is exempt where a reasonable person would understand the content as such; the depicted individual, not any recipient, may sue.California Legislative Information
- The urgency clause makes the act effective immediately so it applies to the November 3, 2026, statewide general election.California Legislative InformationGovernor of California
Sources3 articles across 3 outlets
California Legislative Information
Governor of California
The Nerd Stash
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RegulationCal.AB 502 — Deceptive Campaign Advertisement RulesRegulatoryTechnologyFor practitionersFor governance