President Trump criticized California’s mail-in voting system and a contentious redistricting measure, calling it a “GIANT SCAM.” He indicated that his administration is conducting a “very serious legal and criminal review” of all mail-in ballots.
On Tuesday morning, Trump took to Truth Social to express his views on Proposition 50.
He didn’t specify which agencies would be reviewing California’s election processes, but the Department of Justice confirmed it would send federal poll observers to five counties in response to a request from the California Republican Party.
Should the proposition pass, which recent polling suggests is likely, the control over the state’s congressional map would move from an independent commission set up by voters in 2008 to the Democrat-controlled legislature, which would have the authority to redraw districts until 2030.
Analysts expect the proposed map could give Democrats five additional House seats.
Governor Gavin Newsom has been advocating for the measure, particularly after Texas Republicans approved new maps earlier this year. If Prop 50 were to fail—though that seems unlikely—the congressional districts would remain unchanged until after the 2030 census.
Since the 2020 presidential election, which featured an increase in mail-in voting, Trump has been a vocal opponent of the practice. It’s worth noting that mail-in voting in the U.S. differs significantly from similar systems in many other countries, where postal voting is usually more regulated.
In March, Trump signed an Executive Order asking Attorney General Pam Bondi to look into states that count absentee or mail-in ballots received after Election Day, warning that non-compliant states could lose federal funding. In August, he initiated another Executive Order aimed at completely abolishing mail-in voting.
He also succeeded in a lawsuit against Bucks County, Pennsylvania, where a court determined that voters had been wrongly prevented from submitting mail-in ballots while waiting in line before the deadline. Federal election observers will be present in California’s Los Angeles, Orange, Kern, Riverside, and Fresno counties.
In light of the latest developments, Newsom criticized the DOJ’s involvement, posting on X that:
“This administration has made no secret of its goal to undermine free and fair elections. Deploying these federal forces appears to be an intimidation tactic meant for one thing: suppress the vote,” he said.
However, it’s notable that under the Biden administration, the DOJ also sent federal election observers to various jurisdictions across 27 states for the 2024 election, California included. These observers are intended to witness and verify fair election processes, enhance public confidence, and address any potential discrepancies.
