Governor Gavin Newsom signed a new law on Wednesday that prohibits law enforcement officers from interfering in California elections, effective immediately for the June 2 primary elections. - The law makes it a crime to remove ballots from election officials' custody, following Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco's seizure of over 600,000 ballots.
- It also allows the attorney general and secretary of state to override county election officials in certain situations. - The law bans law enforcement from accessing voting technology without a court order and prohibits election observers from challenging voters' signatures.
- Advocates are pushing for $55 million in state funding to speed up vote counting and prevent conspiracy theories.