Electrical connector includes a housing and a connector position assurance (CPA) element mounted to the housing. The housing has a latch configured to secure a mating connector to the electrical connector. The CPA element includes a base and an arm extending therefrom. The CPA element is translatable relative to the housing between a pre-lock position and a lock position. As the CPA element is moved from the pre-lock position towards the lock position prior to the latch securing the mating connector, the arm of the CPA element engages the latch and deflects the latch away from a resting position with an increasing amount of deflection until the base of the CPA element abuts against a landing pad of the housing to block further movement of the CPA element towards the lock position.