California Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation on Wednesday aimed at shielding the state's elections from federal interference, citing what he described as 'legitimate anxiety' about potential meddling by the Trump administration in the upcoming midterm elections.
New Law Takes Effect Immediately
The law, which took effect immediately and just days before next Tuesday's primary, prohibits any person—including federal agents—from accessing voter rolls or election technology without a court order. Law enforcement officers are also restricted from disrupting election workers, except in cases of public safety emergencies.
While Trump administration officials have stated they have no plans to send immigration agents to polling locations across the U.S., a concern raised by several Democratic secretaries of state, Newsom warned that 'we have to be prepared for everything' because 'there's no rules any more with the Trump administration.'
California's Open Primary Underway
Voting is already underway in California's closely watched primary for governor, where a crowded field of Democrats and two viable Republicans are competing for just two spots on the November ballot. Under the state's open primary system, only the top two vote-getters advance to the general election, regardless of party affiliation.
Newsom, who cannot seek a third term, said the election law was a response to 'legitimate anxiety' about Trump's tactics, particularly in Democratic-led states where the president has deployed federal agents over local objections. The Democratic governor warned against underestimating someone who 'doesn't believe in free and fair elections.'
'I expect the worst with Trump because he's done the worst,' Newsom said at a news conference.
White House Responds
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told the Associated Press that Trump is committed to ensuring Americans have full confidence in election administration. 'Instead of levying false attacks at the President, Newscum should look in the mirror,' she said, using Trump's derogatory nickname for Newsom.
In an interview last year with Vanity Fair, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles rejected the idea that Trump would deploy the military to suppress voting, calling it 'categorically false.'
Additional Protections and Context
The California law also makes it a crime to knowingly take voted ballots out of the custody of election officials. This provision comes after the FBI under Trump seized 2020 general election ballots from Georgia's most populous county, which is heavily Democratic and has been at the center of Trump's false claims of election fraud. The FBI and Justice Department have also sought records from previous elections in the largest counties of Arizona and Michigan.
Trump triggered a national redistricting frenzy ahead of the midterms by urging Republicans in Texas and elsewhere to redraw U.S. House districts to help the party retain control of the closely divided chamber. Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Florida, and Tennessee have enacted new maps that could benefit Republicans, with Louisiana expected to follow.
Republicans believe they could gain as many as 14 seats from redistricting in November, while Democrats think they could gain six in California and Utah.
