California Elections Code

§ 18545

ELEC § 18545 Effective May 27, 2026Div. 18 · Ch. 6 · Art. 3

Statute text

(a)Any person who hires or arranges for any other person in possession of a firearm or any uniformed law enforcement officer, private guard, or security personnel or any person who is wearing a uniform of a law enforcement officer, private guard, or security personnel, to be stationed in the immediate vicinity of, or posted at, a polling place or a county elections office, is punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for a period not to exceed one year, by a fine not to exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment, or by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 of the Penal Code and by a fine not to exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000).

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

(1)The owner or manager of the facility or property in which the polling place is located if the private guard or security personnel is not hired or arranged solely for the day on which the election is held.

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Legislative history

Amended by Stats. 2026, Ch. 10, Sec. 7. (SB 73) Effective May 27, 2026.