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SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday signed legislation to increase security for the state’s voting systems and protect Californians’ ability to cast ballots in an effort to guard against potential interference in the Nov. 3 election, including by the Trump administration.

Newsom pointed to the Trump administration’s recent effort to restrict mail-in voting through the U.S. Postal Service, which was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court, and the presence of federal monitors at California polls last year as evidence that Trump “will continue his efforts to interfere with the November election.”

“Donald Trump won’t stop until he can exert dictatorial control over your free vote and disenfranchise millions of people this November. California will stop him at every opportunity,” Newsom said in a statement.”We have no bigger task than fighting to protect the right to vote from interference and meddling — the future of democracy is on the line. These bills today build upon the wall California has built to safeguard our electoral process.”

The governor signed the package of bills at the Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo, where a year earlier federal agents gathered outside a political rally he was hosting. Then Border Patrol Sector Chief Gregory Bovino, who had been leading the immigration operations in California, was among those outside the event, joined by agents in helmets, camouflage, masks and holding guns. Newsom described their presence as political intimidation.

One bill Newsom signed Saturday cites efforts to “weaponize law enforcement authority for political purposes,” including Republican “Sheriff Chad Bianco’s seizure of ballots in Riverside County,” and the election monitors sent by the U.S. Justice Department to polling sites in five counties during a 2025 special election on redistricting.

Such moves “have given rise to unprecedented concerns about law enforcement interference” in elections and “[demonstrate] that these threats are not merely hypothetical,” the bill by Sen. Tom Umberg (D-Santa Ana) reads.

The law, Senate Bill 884, which takes effect immediately, requires counties to open ballot drop-off locations 30 days before an election — two days earlier than usual — and allows counties to ban electioneering, or trying to influence voters’ decisions, within up to 200 feet of polling sites. It also bans police from making arrests near voting locations except for crimes against people, property, or disrupting the voting process.

Bianco, a GOP candidate for governor who placed fourth in the primary, drew swift condemnation and legal challenges this spring after he ordered deputies to seize more than 650,000 ballots from the Riverside County elections office. Voting rights groups and Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta challenged the move, which is being decided by the California Supreme Court.

Bianco carted off truckloads of ballots from the Riverside County Registrar of Voters in February after securing a warrant based on claims that the office allowed fraudulent votes in the special election to redraw California’s congressional districts under Proposition 50 in 2025.

Earlier this year, Newsom signed a bill preventing local and federal law enforcement agencies from taking ballots without a warrant.

On Saturday the Democratic governor signed a bill making it a felony to seize or order the seizure of ballots, election records or voting machines. Future seizures could be punishable by up to four years in prison.

“The federal administration and those seeking to spread lies about our democracy continue to call for interference in elections in ways we have never seen before in this country,” Assemblymember Gail Pellerin (D-Santa Cruz), the bill’s author and a former longtime county elections chief, said last month. “AB 282 helps ensure that every lawfully cast vote can be counted, and that the will of the voters of every political party will be respected.”

Republican lawmakers argued in previous hearings that the bill is unnecessary because it is already a crime to steal ballots.

Another bill, Senate Bill 259, makes it a crime to interfere with a mail ballot on the way to or from a voter or order the seizure of ballots that are in transit to a local elections office.

Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1664, which requires elections officials to immediately notify the attorney general and secretary of state immediately upon learning of any warrants, subpoenas or law enforcement investigations involving election records or voting equipment.

Newsom also signed bills to boost protections under the California Voting Rights Act, including an explicit ban on voter suppression and expanded access to election materials in languages other than English.

The governor also signed legislation to require more transparency from social media influencers who are paid by political campaigns. The measure, Assembly Bill 1130, came in the wake of a controversy in the June primary election when social media influencers took on a more visible role in the campaigns.

Candidates including Democratic billionaire Tom Steyer paid thousands of dollars to influencers who posted videos endorsing Steyer or talking about him in a positive light. These videos did not always disclose that influencers were paid by a candidate’s campaign.

For reality TV network Bravo, the boat has sailed on any future work with “Below Deck Mediterranean” cast member Nathan Gallagher after he was convicted this week of assaulting his partner and castmate.

“Bravo does not plan on working with Nathan in the future,” a spokesperson for the network said Thursday in a statement shared with The Times. Gallagher has appeared in the last three seasons of the “Below Deck” spinoff, including its 11th season that premiered in June. Filming on the current season concluded before the superyacht bosun was arrested and charged in December on three counts of domestic violence against a 29-year-old woman. Bravo has no intentions to remove footage of Gallagher from the current season, The Times has learned.

Bravo cut ties with Gallagher after law enforcement officials in Australia announced Tuesday that Gallagher is “wanted on an outstanding arrest warrant.” The New South Wales Police Force said in a news release that Gallagher, 28, is believed to be offshore. Gallagher failed to appear for a court hearing on Tuesday but a judge still convicted him on the domestic violence charges, the New York Times reported.

According to an August police report shared with The Times, Ryde Police Area Command responded on Dec. 27, 2025, to reports of an alleged assault and arrested Gallagher at an apartment complex in the Australian suburb of Melrose Park. He was accused of assaulting an unidentified 29-year-old woman the day prior to his arrest. Although not named in the initial report, Gallagher’s “Below Deck” co-star Gael Cameron later filed an Apprehended Violence Application — a request made to a court to protect a person from somebody they believe could cause them harm — against Gallagher, according to Rolling Stone. The two share a young son.

Police also said in the August report that there were no “serious” injuries at the time of Gallagher’s arrest. He was booked at the Gladesville Police Station on three domestic violence charges: common assault, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and intentionally choking a person without consent. Gallagher was eventually released on bail.

The “Below Deck” star addressed his arrest for the first time last week, telling Rolling Stone in a statement he doesn’t believe the public “has heard the full story surrounding what happened” and he is prioritizing care for their son. “What has been publicly reported, however, represents only one side of what was an extremely complicated situation,” he said.

Police urged anyone with information about Gallagher’s location to get in contact.