ARTICLE 1. General Provisions [18500 - 18504]
( Article 1 enacted by Stats. 1994, Ch. 920, Sec. 2. )
Any person who commits fraud or attempts to commit fraud, and any person who aids or abets fraud or attempts to aid or abet fraud, in connection with any vote cast, to be cast, or attempted to be cast, is guilty of a felony, punishable by imprisonment for 16 months or two or three years.
(Enacted by Stats. 1994, Ch. 920, Sec. 2.)
Any public official who knowingly violates any of the provisions of this chapter, and thereby aids in any way the illegal casting or attempting to cast a vote, or who connives to nullify any of the provisions of this chapter in order that fraud may be perpetrated, shall forever be disqualified from holding office in this state and upon conviction shall be sentenced to a state prison for 16 months or two or three years.
(Enacted by Stats. 1994, Ch. 920, Sec. 2.)
(a) Any person who in any manner interferes with the officers holding an election or conducting a canvass, as to prevent the election or canvass from being fairly held and lawfully conducted, or with the voters lawfully exercising their rights of voting at an election, is punishable by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 of the Penal Code for 16 months or two or three years.
(b) For purposes of this section, “officers holding an
election or conducting a canvass” include, but are not limited to, the Secretary of State as the chief elections officer, and their staff, as it relates to performance of any of their duties related to administering the provisions of the Elections Code, and elections officials and their staff, including temporary workers and poll workers, and members of a precinct board, in their performance of any duty related to assisting with
holding an election or conducting a canvass.
(c) For purposes of this section, “holding an election or conducting a canvass” includes, but is not limited to, the election observation process governed by
the Elections Code and applicable regulations adopted by the Secretary of State.
(d) For purposes of this section, “voting at an election” includes, but is not limited to, voting in person at a polling place or at the office of the elections official, including satellite locations pursuant to Section 3018, and voting by mail and returning a voted ballot pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 3017.
(Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 611, Sec. 1. (SB 485) Effective January 1, 2024.)
An employer who violates Section 14004 shall be subject to a civil fine of up to ten thousand dollars ($10,000) per election. An action for a civil fine under this subdivision may be brought by the Secretary of State or any public prosecutor with jurisdiction.
(Added by Stats. 2019, Ch. 223, Sec. 4. (AB 17) Effective January 1, 2020.)
Notice regarding the prohibitions on activity related to corruption of the voting process set forth in this chapter shall be provided to the public. The Secretary of State shall promulgate regulations specifying the manner in which such notice shall be provided.
(Added by Stats. 2021, Ch. 318, Sec. 6. (SB 35) Effective January 1, 2022.)