LawWiki
HomeCodesSearchGlossaryAPIAbout
LawWiki

Plain English summaries of California law with zero-hallucination AI. Every summary is verified against official source text.

Product

  • Search
  • Codes
  • About

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Disclaimer

© 2026 LawWiki. All rights reserved.

HomeElections CodeDiv. 19Ch. 3Art. 1§ 19218 Voting System Tampering Penalties

§ 19218 Voting System Tampering Penalties

Elections Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 19218 Voting System Tampering Penalties

This law says that if someone messes with voting machines or hides problems with them, they can get fined or even banned from doing business in California. It also says the state can get money back if they paid for broken voting machines.

Key Takeaways

  • •If someone changes voting machines without permission, they can be fined up to $10,000 for each machine they messed with.
  • •If a company knows about a problem with voting machines but doesn’t tell anyone, they can be fined up to $50,000 for each problem and $1,000 for each day they were late in reporting it.
  • •The state can make companies pay back all the money spent on broken or tampered voting machines.
  • •The state can also ban companies from selling voting machines in California for up to 3 years if they break these rules.

Example

A company sells voting machines to a county but doesn't tell them about a problem that makes the machines crash.

The state can make the company pay back all the money the county spent on those machines and fine them up to $50,000 for each problem they hid.

How to Calculate

Civil penalty = Number of violations × Penalty per violation

  1. Find out how many separate problems or unauthorized changes there are in the voting machines.
  2. Multiply the number of problems by the penalty amount per problem ($10,000 for unauthorized changes or $50,000 for hidden problems).
  3. If the problem is hiding a defect, add $1,000 for each day they were late in telling the state about it.

A company hid a problem with 5 voting machines and was 10 days late in telling the state.

Result: $50,000 (for the hidden problem) + $10,000 (for being late) = $60,000 total fine

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

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 19218 Voting System Tampering Penalties

(a) The Secretary of State may seek all of the following relief for an unauthorized change in hardware, software, or firmware in a voting system certified or conditionally approved in California: (1) A civil penalty from the offending party or parties, not to exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000) per violation. For purposes of this subdivision, each voting system component found to contain the unauthorized hardware, software, or firmware shall be considered a separate violation. A penalty imposed pursuant to this subdivision shall be apportioned 50 percent to the county in which the violation occurred, if applicable, and 50 percent to the office of the Secretary of State for purposes of bolstering voting systems security efforts. (2) Immediate commencement of proceedings to withdraw certification or conditional approval for the voting system in question. (3) Prohibiting the manufacturer or vendor of a voting system from doing elections-related business in the state for one, two, or three years. (4) Refund of all moneys paid by a local agency for a voting system or a part of a voting system that is compromised by an unauthorized change or modification, whether or not the voting system has been used in an election. (5) Any other remedial actions authorized by law to prevent unjust enrichment of the offending party. (b) (1) The Secretary of State may seek all of the following relief for a known but undisclosed defect, fault, or failure in a voting system or part of a voting system certified or conditionally approved in California: (A) Refund of all moneys paid by a local agency for a voting system or part of a voting system that is defective due to a known but undisclosed defect, fault, or failure, whether or not the voting system has been used in an election. (B) A civil penalty from the offending party or parties, not to exceed fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) per violation. For purposes of this subdivision, each defect, fault, or failure shall be considered a separate violation. A defect, fault, or failure constitutes a single violation regardless of the number of voting system units in which the defect, fault, or failure is found. (C) In addition to any other penalties or remedies established by this section, the offending party or parties shall be liable in the amount of one thousand dollars ($1,000) per day after the applicable deadline established in Section 19215 until the required disclosure is filed with the Secretary of State. (2) A penalty imposed pursuant to subparagraph (B) or (C) of paragraph (1) shall be deposited in the General Fund. (c)  Before seeking any measure of relief under this section, the Secretary of State shall hold a public hearing. The Secretary of State shall give notice of the hearing in the manner prescribed by Section 6064 of the Government Code in a newspaper of general circulation published in Sacramento County. The Secretary of State also shall transmit written notice of the hearing, at least 30 days prior to the hearing, to each county elections official, the offending party or parties, a person that the Secretary of State believes will be interested in the hearing, and a person who requests, in writing, notice of the hearing. (d) The decision of the Secretary of State to seek relief under this section shall be in writing and state his or her findings. The decision shall be open to public inspection. (Added by renumbering Section 19214.5 by Stats. 2013, Ch. 602, Sec. 29. (SB 360) Effective January 1, 2014.)

Last verified: January 10, 2026

Key Terms

unauthorized changeknown but undisclosed defectcivil penaltypublic hearingvoting system

Related Statutes

  • § 19200 Voting System Approval Requirements
  • § 19201 Voting System Conditional Approval
  • § 19202 Voting System Certification Requirements
  • § 19203 Voting System Paper Requirements
  • § 19204 Voter Ballot Copy Prohibition

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Elections Code. Section 19218.
View Official Source