New legislation will strengthen voter access and defend state control of elections

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Today, Senator Thomas J. Umberg (D-Santa Ana), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and former Senate Elections Committee Chair, and Senator Sabrina Cervantes (D-Riverside), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and former Senate Elections Committee Chair, announced joint legislation to strengthen safeguards for California’s elections and protect voters from federal overreach and intimidation.

The legislative package advances through two vehicles — SB 884 (Umberg-Cervantes) and SB 73 (Cervantes-Umberg). Together, the measures expand voter access, allow earlier operation of vote centers and ballot drop boxes, strengthen protections around polling places, ensure timely counting of valid ballots and reinforce California’s authority to administer its own elections.

“Voter intimidation is not a hypothetical for me,” said Senator Umberg. “On Election Day in 1988, I was an Assistant U.S. Attorney on duty at a polling place in Santa Ana when a bad actor dressed as a police officer stood outside holding a sign that said ‘Non‑Citizens May Not Vote,’ questioning Latino voters. That effort was part of an orchestrated attempt to scare voters away and influence the outcome of that election.”

SB 884 and 73 are in response to a troubling and unprecedented string of federal moves and rhetoric aimed at undermining state election authority. These include President Donald Trump’s recent calls to “nationalize” elections, efforts by the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to access state election records, public statements from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem asserting federal authority over election infrastructure, and calls from Steve Bannon to deploy ICE and military personnel to polling places.

“Our state is facing serious threats from the Trump administration, and we will not treat them as idle or theoretical," said Senator Umberg. “California has both the constitutional right and responsibility to run our own safe and secure elections, and we intend to do exactly that. We will protect our voters, defend local control, and uphold our democracy regardless of whether the federal government chooses to respect those principles.”

“Last year, my Senate Bill 851 took the first steps towards improving California’s defenses against federal interference in our elections,” said Senator Cervantes. “While we’ve made significant progress strengthening voter protections and defending California against federal interference in our elections, there is still work to be done. I look forward to partnering with my colleagues to advance these critical protections and defend the Golden State.”

Both senators emphasized the legislation is proactive, limited in duration, and designed to ensure California remains prepared to safeguard its election infrastructure and voters in the face of unprecedented federal actions that threaten the integrity of state elections.

For full text of the bills, visit: SB 73 and SB 884

###

 Senator Thomas J. Umberg represents the 34th Senate District, which includes the cities of Anaheim, Buena Park, Fullerton, Garden Grove, La Habra, Orange, Placentia, Santa Ana, and East and South Whittier. Umberg is a retired U.S. Army Colonel, former federal prosecutor, and small businessman. He and his wife, Brigadier General Robin Umberg, USA (ret.), live in Orange County.