AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JULY 3, 2025

AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 21, 2025

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

95

CHAPTER 246

Statutes of 2025

[ Approved by Governor October 2, 2025. Filed with Secretary of State October 2, 2025. ]

Introduced by Senator Umberg

(Coauthor: Senator Becker)

February 14, 2025

An act to add Section 18107.5 to the Elections Code, relating to elections.

Vote: majority   Appropriation: no   Fiscal committee: yes   Local program: yes

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

Under existing law, it is a crime for a person to receive money or other valuable consideration to assist another to register to vote by receiving the completed affidavit of registration if the person fails to sign the affidavit and include certain other information, including the name and telephone number of the person, company, or organization, if any, that has agreed to pay the money or other valuable consideration.

This bill would make it a crime, punishable by a fine of up to $10,000, imprisonment for up to 3 years, or both, for a person to knowingly or willfully pay or offer to pay money or other valuable consideration to another person with the intent to induce the person to vote or to register to vote, or where the payment is contingent upon whether the person voted or the person’s voter registration status. By creating a new crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 18107.5 is added to the Elections Code, to read:

18107.5.

(a) (1) A person who knowingly or willfully pays or offers to pay money or other valuable consideration to another person with the intent to induce the person to vote or to register to vote, or where the payment is contingent upon whether the person voted or the person’s voter registration status, is guilty of a crime.

(2) For purposes of paragraph (1), “other valuable consideration” includes, but is not limited to, a chance to win a lottery or similar prize-drawing contest.

(3) This section does not apply to any of the following:

(A) Transportation to or from a voting location.

(B) Compensation provided to an individual by a governmental entity.

(C) Granting time off to an employee to vote.

(b) A violation of subdivision (a) shall be punishable by a fine of up to ten thousand dollars ($10,000), by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 of the Penal Code for 16 months or two or three years, or in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by both that fine and imprisonment.

SEC. 2.

No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIIIB of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIIIB of the California Constitution.