Governor Gavin Newsom approved a sweeping set of measures to safeguard California's voting equipment and the chain of custody for ballots. The laws create new felony penalties for interference and the unauthorized seizure of mail-in ballots to ensure the integrity of the upcoming November election.

The measures address what the governor described as attacks on vote-by-mail systems and attempts by Donald Trump to rig the process. Newsom stated that election safeguards in the state can no longer be taken for granted and urged for the protection of ballots and voting equipment.