As our Deputy Managing Editor and resident Legal Beagle Susie Moore reported, the Supreme Court granted the Trump administration's request for an emergency stay of a lower-court injunction that blocked key provisions of the president's election-integrity executive order from being implemented against 23 states and D.C. ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Because SCOTUS did not decide whether Trump's directives ultimately would be found lawful, it left the door open for additional lawsuits, and right on cue, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) was first out the gate to do so.
Newsom called out "Trump's latest attack on voting," and announced he would introduce new legislation to "defend democracy."
WOW. The Supreme Court just let the Trump Admin move ahead (for now) with its plan to disenfranchise voters across the country.
— Governor Gavin Newsom (@CAgovernor) August 24, 2026
California will be suing AGAIN to block these Orwellian rules from being implemented. https://t.co/4N5mDXV248
From the breathless press release from the Office of the California Governor.
Following the signing of election safeguarding bills earlier this summer, Governor Newsom and the California Legislature are doubling down to ensure California continues to defend democracy as new threats from Donald Trump and his election-rigging allies emerge. Today, that legislation is in print:
- AB 282 (Pellerin) — establishes two new felonies. Prohibits any person from seizing or causing the seizure of ballots, election records, or certified voting technology before election results are certified, punishable up to 3 years in prison. Prohibits any person with authority from directing someone in their supervision to do the same, punishable by up to 4 years in prison.
- SB 259 (Wahab) — establishes a new felony punishable by up to 4 years in prison for a person in a position with authority who directs another person subject to their supervision and authority to interfere with a ballot’s delivery to a voter or return to the local elections official. Additionally adds a misdemeanor punishing anyone who interferes with the delivery of a vote by mail ballot to a voter.
This “Election Protection” legislative package builds on lessons learned from recent actions and threats to interfere with election administration — ensuring California has the strongest legal protections in the nation to safeguard every lawful vote.
Then Newsom announced more spending on his twisted version of what he calls election integrity. Where is this money coming from, exactly?
New investments to safeguard election and help speed up ballot counting
In his final budget, the Governor and Legislature included several key investments in the state’s election system"
- $29 million for increased staffing, technology and equipment upgrades and purchases for counties to speed up counting and increase capacity.
- $5 million for voter outreach and education at the county level to help Californians know resources and tools available in their community.
- $5 million for voter outreach and education at the statewide level via the office of Secretary of State.
- $750,000 to support statewide efforts to combat mis- and disinformation and ensure the state is prepared to guard against federal interference.
Mind you, Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom are still under DOJ investigation, so inviting further scrutiny with yet another lawsuit against the Trump administration may just be enough rope for him to hang himself legally and politically.
Speaking of mail-in ballots, former L.A. mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt, who was robbed of a second-place finish in the mayoral race thanks to potentially fraudulent mail-in ballots, is sounding a clarion call on the mishandling of mail that occurs through the United States Post Office.
Postal workers busted stealing checks from mail routes & selling them in $23M fraud case.
— Spencer Pratt (@spencerpratt) August 24, 2026
If they can steal your checks, what do you think they can do with your ballots?
They only got caught because banks audit $$. There's ZERO mechanism to audit CA ballots.… pic.twitter.com/H3S5WrvOlh
Postal workers busted stealing checks from mail routes & selling them in $23M fraud case.
If they can steal your checks, what do you think they can do with your ballots?
They only got caught because banks audit $$. There's ZERO mechanism to audit CA ballots.
Read more here:
Five people, including three U.S. Postal Service mail carriers, are facing federal charges in an alleged stolen-check operation prosecutors say involved nearly $24 million worth of checks.
A federal grand jury indicted Tryston Tremaine Vaughn, Catherine Clauzelle Kilpatrick, Drakkor Jamar Alexander, Malcolm Tiree Joubert and Alyssa Nadine Bryant.
The indictment, filed Aug. 19 in the Southern District of Texas, accuses the group of participating in a scheme involving checks stolen from the mail and later resold.
As Pratt so ably noted, these are the workers handling our mail, and they stole checks, which can be traced federally. So, imagine what they can and possibly have done with mail-in ballots, which have no chain-of-custody? This opposition to the safeguards Trump is attempting to put in place is all sound and fury, and it is no surprise that Gov. Hair Gel is the first out the gate to try to stop it under the pretense of defending democracy.
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
Help RedState continue to report on the Democrats’ radicalism and inform voters as our nation faces a crossroads. Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member