California should strip local sheriffs of any role in election oversight

Policing, prosecution and the agencies that carry them out, from patrol and arrest through detention and the courts. Covers oversight, accountability and the conduct of officers as much as crime itself, and the legal limits placed on the use of state force.

A set of California statutes signed by Gavin Newsom on September 19, 2026, enacted 13 election laws; AB 282 makes seizing ballots or voting technology before certification a felony. SB 884 applies through 2029, extending ballot-drop-off availability and changing rules for conduct near polling locations.