§ 18523 Election Bribery Prohibition

Elections Code·California

AI SummaryVerified

This law says you can’t give money or anything valuable to someone so it can be used to bribe anyone in an election, and you also can’t pay back anyone who spent money on election bribery.

Key Takeaways

•Don’t give money or anything valuable to be used as a bribe in any election.
•Don’t reimburse anyone who spent money on election bribery.
•If you do, you could be sent to jail for about 16 months up to three years.

Example

A campaign manager gives $500 to a voter and tells them to give it to a city council candidate in exchange for the voter’s vote.

Because the money is meant to be used as a bribe to influence the election, the manager is breaking this law. If the manager later pays the voter back for the $500, that also breaks the law.

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

Official Source

View on CA.gov

§ 18523 Election Bribery Prohibition

A person shall not directly or through any other person advance or pay, or cause to be paid, any money or other valuable thing to or for the use of any other person, with the intent that it, or any part thereof, shall be used in bribery at any election, or knowingly pay or cause to be paid any money or other valuable thing to any person in discharge or repayment of any money, wholly or in part, expended in bribery at any election. Any person violating this section is punishable by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 of the Penal Code for 16 months or two or three years. (Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 15, Sec. 75. (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.)

Last verified: January 10, 2026

Key Terms

bribery election imprisonment

References

Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
California Legislature. Elections Code. Section 18523.

§ 18523 Election Bribery Prohibition

Elections Code·California

AI SummaryVerified

§ 18523 Election Bribery Prohibition

This law says you can’t give money or anything valuable to someone so it can be used to bribe anyone in an election, and you also can’t pay back anyone who spent money on election bribery.

Key Takeaways

•Don’t give money or anything valuable to be used as a bribe in any election.
•Don’t reimburse anyone who spent money on election bribery.
•If you do, you could be sent to jail for about 16 months up to three years.

Example

A campaign manager gives $500 to a voter and tells them to give it to a city council candidate in exchange for the voter’s vote.

Because the money is meant to be used as a bribe to influence the election, the manager is breaking this law. If the manager later pays the voter back for the $500, that also breaks the law.

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

Official Source

View on CA.gov

§ 18523 Election Bribery Prohibition

Last verified: January 10, 2026

Key Terms

bribery election imprisonment

References

Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
California Legislature. Elections Code. Section 18523.

Key Takeaways

Example

Key Terms

Related Statutes

References

Key Takeaways

Example

Key Terms

Related Statutes

References