Governor Newsom Signs Bill Banning Hate Speech in Voter Guides

SACRAMENTO, CA – Governor Gavin Newsom today signed into law Assembly Bill 1853, legislation that bans threatening, false, and misleading content from California’s voter guides. The bill passed the Senate 32-0, with 8 abstentions, and passed the Assembly 63-10, with 6 abstentions.

AB 1853 was introduced after a candidate statement containing antisemitic conspiracy theories and white nationalist rhetoric was printed and mailed, at taxpayer expense, to 23 million California households ahead of the June 2026 primary. Authored by Assemblymembers Gail Pellerin (D-Santa Cruz) and Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park) and sponsored by Jewish California (formerly JPAC), the bill limits candidate statements to a candidate’s education, professional experience, public service, community involvement, and qualifications for office, and gives the Secretary of State and county elections officials clear authority to reject statements that violate those standards.

Fifty-four Jewish organizations signed on in support within 48 hours of the bill’s introduction.

"Hate speech can no longer be included in a California voter guide," said David Bocarsly, CEO of Jewish California. "AB 1853 boldly declares that our state’s official election documents can’t be used to spread conspiracy theories and bigotry. We’re grateful to Governor Newsom for signing the bill, to Assemblymembers Pellerin and Berman for their leadership, and to our 54 partner organizations in support of this important bill."

"Today, Governor Newsom signed AB 1853 to ensure hate speech has no place in California's official voter materials," said Assemblymember Gail Pellerin (D-Santa Cruz). “With today’s bill signing, California is putting an end to the loophole that allows hateful, racist, and bigoted content unrelated to a candidate’s fitness for office to appear in a publication voters expect to find trusted information. This milestone wouldn't have been possible without the tremendous effort of Assembly Elections Committee staff, the support of my colleagues in the Legislature, and the coalition-building that Jewish California did around AB 1853."

The law goes into effect January 1, 2027.

Follow the status of all Jewish California bills at our Policy Agenda Tracker: https://tracker.jewishcal.org/.