California allows Election Day campaigning, but restricts political appeals near vote centers, ballot drop boxes and voters waiting in line.
As Los Angeles voters head to the polls on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, candidates will have one final opportunity to make their case to voters. But while campaigning is generally permitted on Election Day, California law places specific restrictions on political activity near polling places, vote centers and ballot drop boxes.
The rules are designed to protect voters from pressure, intimidation, and interference while allowing candidates to continue campaigning in permitted locations. For candidates, campaign staff and voters, understanding where those boundaries fall is essential.
What candidates can do
Candidates can generally hold public appearances, give interviews, post campaign messages online, and participate in rallies away from restricted voting areas. Election Day does not automatically prohibit public campaign events throughout Los Angeles.
Candidates can also speak to reporters, publish statements, and communicate with supporters, provided their activities comply with applicable laws. A candidate holding a news conference in a public location is not necessarily violating election law simply because voting is underway.
Campaign representatives may also observe voting procedures under applicable rules. In Los Angeles County, election observers must follow established procedures and cannot disrupt voting, interfere with election workers, or handle ballots.
However, the location of an event matters. A campaign appearance near a vote center or ballot drop box may be subject to restrictions that do not apply to the same activity elsewhere.
What candidates cannot do near voting locations?
California Elections Code Section 18370 prohibits electioneering within 100 feet of the entrance to a building containing a polling place, an elections official’s office, or a satellite voting location. The restriction also applies to designated outdoor voting and ballot return sites.
Within these restricted areas, candidates and campaign workers cannot solicit votes, display campaign signs or distribute political materials advocating for or against a candidate or ballot measure. Campaign clothing and other visible political messages may also violate the rules.
California Elections Code Section 319.5 defines electioneering and identifies prohibited campaign displays and communications. The restrictions can cover a candidate’s name, image, or logo, campaign buttons, shirts, stickers, signs, and audible campaign messages.
The rules also address conduct around voters waiting in line. Electioneering is prohibited in the immediate vicinity of people waiting to vote or return ballots, meaning that campaigners cannot assume every activity is permissible simply because they have moved beyond a marked 100-foot boundary.
Candidates and campaign workers should also avoid obstructing access to ballot drop boxes, interfering with election officials or engaging in conduct that intimidates voters. Separate laws may apply to voter intimidation, obstruction, and other interference with the voting process.
Violations of Section 18370 can be prosecuted as misdemeanors. Other conduct may trigger additional penalties depending on the circumstances and the specific law involved.
Can candidates greet voters or film campaign videos?
These activities require particular care because their legality depends on what happens, where it happens, and whether the conduct constitutes prohibited electioneering.
A candidate greeting people in a public area is not automatically violating the law. However, asking voters for support, displaying campaign messages, or making audible appeals within a restricted area can cross the legal boundary.
Filming a campaign video is not categorically prohibited everywhere near a voting location. But a video shoot that displays campaign branding or communicates political appeals within a restricted area may violate electioneering rules. Recording voters to discourage them from voting can also raise separate legal concerns.
Candidates considering a news conference or campaign appearance near a vote center should verify the precise location of the restricted area and seek guidance from election officials or legal counsel when necessary.
Holding an event just outside the 100-foot boundary is not automatically unlawful. However, candidates must still comply with rules addressing voter intimidation, obstruction, and electioneering near people waiting in line.
Who enforces the rules?
The Los Angeles County Registrar Recorder/County Clerk administers elections in the county and provides guidance about voting procedures and conduct at vote centers. The California Secretary of State publishes statewide electioneering guidance.
Questions about suspected violations should be directed to the appropriate election officials or law enforcement agency. Campaigns and observers should document concerns without interfering with voters or election workers.
For Election Day, voters and candidates can consult the Los Angeles County election website and the California Secretary of State’s electioneering guidance.
