Any person who hires or arranges for any other person in possession of a firearm or any uniformed peace officer, private guard, or security personnel or any person who is wearing a uniform of a peace officer, guard, or security personnel, to be stationed in the immediate vicinity of, or posted at, a polling place without written authorization of the appropriate elections official is punishable by a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars ($10,000), by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of § 1170 of the Penal Code for 16 months or two or three years, or in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by both that fine and imprisonment. This section shall not apply to the owner or manager of the facility or property in which the polling place is located if the private guard or security personnel is not hired or arranged solely for the day on which the election is held.

(Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 15, Sec. 79. (AB 109) Effective April 4, 2011. Operative October 1, 2011, by Sec. 636 of Ch. 15, as amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 39, Sec. 68.)

Terms Used In California Elections Code 18545

  • Election: means any election including a primary that is provided for under this code. See California Elections Code 318
  • Elections official: means the county elections official, registrar of voters, or city clerk. See California Elections Code 18546
  • Immediate vicinity: means the area within a distance of 100 feet from the room or rooms in which the voters are signing the roster and casting ballots. See California Elections Code 18546
  • Polling place: means a location where a voter casts a ballot and includes the following terms, as applicable: poll, polling location, and vote center. See California Elections Code 338.5