Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 20500. Section 20500.
The provisions of Part 2 (commencing with Section 43) of Division 1 of the Civil Code, relating to libel and slander, are fully applicable to any campaign advertising or communication.
CHAPTER 6. Libel and Slander [20500. - 20502.]
Cal. Elections Code - ELEC 6.
in effectCal. Elections Code - ELEC § 20501. Section 20501.
(a)
A candidate or state measure proponent is liable for any slander or libel committed by a committee that is controlled by that candidate or state measure proponent as defined by Section 82016 of the Government Code if the candidate or state measure proponent willfully and knowingly directs or permits the libel or slander.
(b)
A person who is a sponsor of a sponsored committee, as defined by Section 82048.7 of the Government Code, is liable for any slander or libel committed by the sponsored committee if the sponsor willfully and knowingly directs or permits the libel or slander.
Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 20502. Section 20502.
(a)
In any action for libel or slander brought by a candidate, the willingness or unwillingness of the defendant to retract or correct a communication made in the course of a campaign, and his or her action in doing so, shall be admissible in evidence in the exemplary damages phase of a bifurcated trial.
(b)
The remedy provided by this section is in addition to any other remedy provided by law.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026