§ 18563 Voter Ballot Secrecy Violation

Elections Code·California

AI SummaryVerified

This law makes it a crime for a precinct board member to tell anyone who a voter voted for, unless the voter gave permission.

Key Takeaways

•Precinct board members must keep a voter's choice secret.
•Sharing that information without the voter's okay is a misdemeanor.
•The rule applies to any candidate the board member learns about while doing their job.

Example

A precinct board member looks at a voter's ballot and sees they chose Candidate A. The board member then tells a friend, "That person voted for Candidate A," without asking the voter first.

Because the board member shared the voter's choice without consent, they would be guilty of a misdemeanor under this law.

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

Official Source

View on CA.gov

§ 18563 Voter Ballot Secrecy Violation

Every member of a precinct board is guilty of a misdemeanor who, without the consent of a voter, discloses the name of any candidate the board member has discovered in his capacity as a member of the board to have been voted for by the voter. (Enacted by Stats. 1994, Ch. 920, Sec. 2.)

Last verified: January 10, 2026

Key Terms

precinct board misdemeanor discloses candidate voter's consent

References

Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
California Legislature. Elections Code. Section 18563.

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Key Takeaways

Example

Key Terms

Related Statutes

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