California to Sue Trump Administration Over Mail-In Voting Rules

Governor Gavin Newsom announced plans to file a new lawsuit against the Trump administration to block an executive order that restricts mail-in voting. The legal action follows a 6-3 Supreme Court of the United States ruling that allows the administration to proceed with parts of a March executive order, effectively pausing a previous lower-court victory for California and 22 other states.

The executive order mandates that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security create state-by-state citizenship lists, which the U.S. Postal Service must then verify before sending mail-in ballots. Newsom characterized the rules as "Orwellian" and warned they would disenfranchise voters. To counter the federal order, California is advancing an Election Protection legislative package and allocating $39.75 million for election upgrades and anti-disinformation efforts.

White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis defended the measures, calling the Supreme Court ruling a "major win for the security of American elections." The Supreme Court noted that the internal directive does not regulate state voter registration processes or impinge on the authority of states to create and enforce a legal code for elections.