California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law additions to the election code on Wednesday, which his office says will protect state elections against any attempts of political interference by the Trump administration and its allies ahead of the November midterm elections.
The new law, Senate Bill 73, authored by state Democratic Sens. Sabrina Cervantes and Tom Umberg, 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 makes it a crime to knowingly remove voted ballots from the custody of election officials.
