CAL.Regulation
California bars destroying election records during contests and widens the ballot-taking crime
Governor Newsom signed SB 1418 (Chapter 341) on September 19, 2026, as an urgency statute effective immediately. No required election document, record, certified voting technology or electronic data, including source code, may be destroyed while an election contest or criminal prosecution is pending. Retained electronic media must be stored in sealed containers. The ballot-taking crime, and civil penalties up to $50,000 per act, now cover any election-related document, record, technology or data.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) →
Key points
- Chapter 341, urgency statute; approved and effective September 19, 2026.California Legislative Information
- Preservation extends to certified voting technology and electronic data, including source code, pending final determination.California Legislative Information
- Electronic media holding federal-election data must be stored unaltered in sealed containers for 22 months.California Legislative Information
- The crime of taking packages of ballots now covers any election-related document, record, technology, or data.California Legislative Information
- Civil actions by the Secretary of State or Attorney General may seek up to $50,000 per act plus injunctive relief.California Legislative Information
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California Legislative Information