Trump Administration Sues California Over Mail-In Ballots
President Donald Trump urged voting while his administration sued California to block mail-in ballots from suspected noncitizens as early voting surges nationwide.
The Donald Trump administration filed a lawsuit against California election officials to prevent the counting of mail-in ballots from individuals the federal government identifies as likely noncitizens. This legal action coincides with a warning from the United States Department of Justice that local officials who process ballots from suspected noncitizen voters may face investigation and prosecution.
These developments occur as the United States prepares for November 3 midterm elections. Early voting has already seen 6 million ballots cast across 39 states, with California reporting the highest volume at over 757,000. On Saturday, the No Kings network held hundreds of rallies across the country to encourage early voting, following nearly two years of protests against the presidency.
President Trump encouraged citizens to vote but claimed that "There is a lot of cheating in vote by mail, a lot of cheating, all over." Washington state officials countered these claims, with Secretary of State Steve Hobbs noting that voter fraud is "incredibly rare," citing only five cases out of 90 million ballots cast between 2008 and 2025. King County Elections Communications Manager Halei Watkins defended the system as accurate and secure, citing a paper trail and strict chain-of-custody requirements for drop boxes.
