Tipsheet

California Sues the Trump Administration to Block an Executive Order Targeting Mail-In Ballot Fraud

Dmitri Bolt
Dmitri Bolt  |  April 01, 2026 2:30 PM

The state of California has filed a lawsuit challenging a Trump administration executive order signed on Tuesday that sought to protect U.S. elections.

The order requires states to enforce tighter mail-in ballot restrictions and directs the federal government to create a database of verified U.S. voters in preparation for the 2026 midterm elections.

"President Trump’s Executive Order marks a dangerous and unprecedented escalation in his ongoing attacks on our elections," California Attorney General Rob Bonta wrote in a statement. "The power to regulate elections belongs to the States and to Congress — he has no role to play. We blocked his previous Executive Order on elections in court, and we are prepared to stop him again. The reality is that President Trump and Congressional Republicans see the writing on the wall — that they are likely to lose in the upcoming midterms — and they are pushing to make it harder for people to vote. We won’t stand idly by."

This comes as Democrats have repeatedly dismissed Republican concerns over election security, insisting U.S. elections are among the safest in the world, and using that claim to block legislation like the SAVE Act, which remains stalled in Congress despite being a top priority for the president.