As in-person voting picks up before Tuesday, Nov. 3, county election offices are required to post two official notices at every polling place and drop box: one on electioneering, and one on what the law calls corruption of the voting process. The notices must also appear on county websites and in each language the county is required to provide under the federal Voting Rights Act.

The 100-foot zone

The Secretary of State's voter guide says electioneering is banned within 100 feet of the entrance to a building with a polling place, of an outdoor curbside voting area, or of a ballot drop box, and in the immediate vicinity of a voter waiting in line. Inside that zone, people may not:

  • Ask someone to vote for or against a candidate or ballot measure
  • Display a candidate's name, image or logo
  • Block access to, or loiter near, a ballot drop box
  • Circulate petitions, including for initiatives, referenda or recalls
  • Wear clothing such as hats, shirts or buttons, or hand out items such as stickers, that include a candidate's name, image or logo, or support or oppose a ballot measure
  • Talk to a voter about their qualifications to vote

Corruption of the voting process

The second notice covers conduct that can interfere with voters. According to the Secretary of State's regulations, it is illegal to:

  • Photograph or record voters entering or leaving a polling place
  • Obstruct the entrance, exit or parking at a polling place
  • Challenge a person's right to vote, or ask a voter about their right to vote, except as allowed by law
  • Possess a firearm in or near a polling place, with limited exceptions
  • Show up in the uniform of a peace officer, guard or security officer, with limited exceptions
  • Set up an unofficial ballot collection box that could be mistaken for an official one
  • Use coercion or deception on voters who can't read or write, or elder voters

The notice also bars employers from paying employees in envelopes containing political messages meant to influence their votes.

Who enforces it

Attorney General Rob Bonta has published guidance for voters and law enforcement on election protections, as we reported in our story on the state's election safeguards. Voters who see a problem can tell a poll worker or contact their county elections office.

How to vote

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls and vote centers close at 8 p.m., and mailed ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and arrive within seven days. You can check your registration and ballot status at sos.ca.gov/elections. California lets you register and vote the same day at a vote center.

More races and measures: our 2026 election hub.