{"id":108073,"date":"2026-04-05T12:53:29","date_gmt":"2026-04-05T12:53:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/05\/california-sues-to-block-trumps-order-on-vote-by-mail\/"},"modified":"2026-04-05T12:53:29","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T12:53:29","slug":"california-sues-to-block-trumps-order-on-vote-by-mail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/05\/california-sues-to-block-trumps-order-on-vote-by-mail\/","title":{"rendered":"California Sues to Block Trump\u2019s Order on Vote-by-Mail"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n

Kim Alexander, president of the California Voter Foundation, called Trump\u2019s order an \u201cextremely alarming\u201d attempt to sow distrust ahead of the election.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s sending a very clear message: if there\u2019s anything we can count on right now, it is that we are going to continue to see these attacks on vote-by-mail all the way until November,\u201d she said on KQED\u2019s Forum<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Bonta said Trump\u2019s order directs the beginning of a lengthy rulemaking process, making it unlikely that it will have any effect on California\u2019s June 2 primary, even in the absence of court action.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut it could \u2026 affect and impact the midterms through the November election and, of course, all the more reason and all the import for us to bring our legal case forward,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

In the lawsuit, Bonta and the other attorneys general argue that the Constitution vests the powers to regulate elections solely with the states and Congress.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Left to right: Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Roberts, Justice Elena Kagan, Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, and retired Justice Anthony Kennedy attend U.S. President Donald Trump\u2019s address to a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on March 4, 2025 in Washington, D.C. President Trump was expected to address Congress on his early achievements of his presidency and his upcoming legislative agenda. (Win McNamee\/Getty Images)<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cNeither the Constitution nor any act of Congress confers upon the President the authority to mandate sweeping changes to States\u2019 electoral systems or procedures,\u201d they wrote in the complaint.<\/p>\n

The executive order is just one of many headwinds<\/a> facing California\u2019s system of universal vote-by-mail. Trump is pushing for legislation in Congress that would ban states from automatically sending every voter a ballot.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court is considering a challenge to state laws (like one in California) that allow ballots cast by Election Day to be counted even if they arrive days later.<\/p>\n

At the local level, Bonta is also locked in a legal battle against Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a Republican candidate for governor, over mail ballots.<\/p>\n

\"\"
California Attorney General Rob Bonta speaks to reporters as Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, left, and Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield, right, listen outside the Supreme Court on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Mark Schiefelbein\/AP Photo)<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Earlier this year, Bianco seized ballots cast in the 2025 election in a self-described attempt to investigate fraud.<\/p>\n

The state has sued Bianco, challenging his assertion that there was any criminal activity that warranted such a seizure.<\/p>\n

The lawsuit is ongoing, but earlier this week, Bianco said he would pause<\/a> his inquiry.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n