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AB 2691, Chapter 480, Statutes of 2026 · Sunday 27 September 2026

Elections: elective office: felony conviction

California bars people convicted of felony sexual assault or human trafficking from state and local elected office.

The law expands existing disqualification rules beyond public-corruption crimes to specified sex-crime convictions, limiting who may run for or win public office.

What the law does ​

  • Makes a person convicted of a felony involving sexual assault ineligible to be considered a candidate for or elected to any state or local elective office.
  • Makes a person convicted of a felony involving human trafficking ineligible to be considered a candidate for or elected to any state or local elective office.
  • Defines sexual assault as a crime requiring sex-offender registration under the specified Penal Code provision.
  • Defines human trafficking as specified felony human-trafficking offenses under the Penal Code.
  • Applies to qualifying convictions from California, other states, the United States, and foreign jurisdictions, unless the person has received an authorized pardon.

Who it affects ​

  • Prospective candidates for California state and local elective offices with covered felony convictions.
  • Voters choosing candidates for California state and local elective offices.