California · Elections Code

ELEC §18581: (a) A person shall not intimidate, threaten, or coerce, or attempt to intimidate, threaten, or coerce, any other person for any of the following: (1) Voting or attempting to vote.

What this law says, in plain English

It is illegal to intimidate, threaten, coerce, or attempt to intimidate, threaten, or coerce another person to prevent them from voting or attempting to vote.

Read the full statutory text
(a) A person shall not intimidate, threaten, or coerce, or attempt to intimidate, threaten, or coerce, any other person for any of the following: (1) Voting or attempting to vote. (2) Urging or aiding any person to vote or attempt to vote, whether as part of official election administration activity or otherwise. (3) Exercising any powers or duties to administer elections, including counting votes, canvassing, and certifying an election in accordance with Division 15. (4) That other person’s status as a past or present participant in the administration of elections. (b) (1) In any suit to enforce this section, a person who openly carries a firearm or imitation firearm while interacting with or observing any of the activities described in paragraphs (1) to (3), inclusive, or interacting with or observing a person due to their status described in paragraph (4), of subdivision (a) shall be presumed to have engaged in intimidation prohibited by this section in the absence of an affirmative showing to the contrary by a preponderance of the evidence. (2) A law enforcement officer acting within the scope of their official duties is not subject to this presumption, but a court may nonetheless consider a law enforcement officer’s possession of a firearm in determining whether the officer violated subdivision (a).

Verify at the official source: California legislative text

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This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.