§ 18106 Voter Affidavit Tampering Penalty

Elections Code·California

AI SummaryVerified

This law makes it a crime to change or mess with someone's party choice on their voter registration form without their permission, if you do it to affect how they can vote.

Key Takeaways

•You cannot alter another person's party affiliation on their voter registration without their consent.
•The person must do it on purpose to affect the other person's voting rights.
•If caught, they can face up to three years in state prison or up to one year in county jail.
•Election officials doing their job are not covered by this rule.

Example

A neighbor sneaks into the local elections office and changes your party affiliation from Democrat to Republican on your voter registration without asking you.

Because they did it on purpose to change how you can vote, they could be sent to state prison for up to three years or to a county jail for up to one year.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source

View on CA.gov

§ 18106 Voter Affidavit Tampering Penalty

Every person is punishable by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 of the Penal Code for 16 months or two or three years, or in a county jail for not more than one year who, without the specific consent of the affiant, willfully and with the intent to affect the affiant’s voting rights, causes, procures, or allows the completion, alteration, or defacement of the affiant’s party affiliation declaration contained in an executed, or partially executed, affidavit of registration pursuant to paragraph (8) of subdivision (a) of Section 2150 and Section 2151. This section shall not apply to a county elections official carrying out his or her official duties. (Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 162, Sec. 47. (SB 1171) Effective January 1, 2013.)

Last verified: January 10, 2026

Key Terms

affiant party affiliation declaration affidavit of registration county elections official

References

Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
California Legislature. Elections Code. Section 18106.

§ 18106 Voter Affidavit Tampering Penalty

Elections Code·California

AI SummaryVerified

§ 18106 Voter Affidavit Tampering Penalty

This law makes it a crime to change or mess with someone's party choice on their voter registration form without their permission, if you do it to affect how they can vote.

Key Takeaways

•You cannot alter another person's party affiliation on their voter registration without their consent.
•The person must do it on purpose to affect the other person's voting rights.
•If caught, they can face up to three years in state prison or up to one year in county jail.
•Election officials doing their job are not covered by this rule.

Example

A neighbor sneaks into the local elections office and changes your party affiliation from Democrat to Republican on your voter registration without asking you.

Because they did it on purpose to change how you can vote, they could be sent to state prison for up to three years or to a county jail for up to one year.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source

View on CA.gov

§ 18106 Voter Affidavit Tampering Penalty

Last verified: January 10, 2026

Key Terms

affiant party affiliation declaration affidavit of registration county elections official

References

Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
California Legislature. Elections Code. Section 18106.

Key Takeaways

Example

Key Terms

Related Statutes

References

Key Takeaways

Example

Key Terms

Related Statutes

References