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"content": "\u003cp>\u003c!-- Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ -->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the eve of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/elections\">Election Day\u003c/a>, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a last-minute legal challenge from the Trump administration that would have forced California to not count over 20,000 ballots that the administration had flagged as being cast by possible noncitizens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The rejection came the same day prosecutors filed new federal charges against noncitizens accused of voting improprieties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here’s where things stand on the unprecedented legal war the federal government is waging on California’s elections.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>U.S. Supreme Court rejects Trump\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>On Monday — a day before the election — the Trump Administration appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which almost \u003ca href=\"https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/110226zr_3eb4.pdf\">immediately rejected\u003c/a> the federal government’s request to force California to set aside the 20,000 ballots.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087079\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12087079 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/CaliforniaElection2026Getty-e1781204236548.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1353\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An election worker processes mail-in ballots for the California state primary election at the Los Angeles County Ballot Processing Center on June 5, 2026, in City of Industry, California. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>None of the judges dissented, and no explanation was provided.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The ruling came after U.S. District Court Judge David O. Carter issued a \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/10/trump-ballot-claims-california-ruling/\">blistering ruling\u003c/a> last week declaring that the Trump administration’s efforts were likely unconstitutional.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Never before in American history has the federal government, on the eve of an election, sought to coerce a state and local government to abandon their own Constitutional elections procedures and bend to the will of the Executive Branch,” wrote Carter, an appointee of President Bill Clinton.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Trump administration immediately appealed to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. A three-judge panel on the appellate court for the second time in a week rejected the administration’s claims.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Background on the case\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>For years, President Donald Trump has claimed, without evidence, that potentially “millions” of noncitizen voters are rigging elections for Democrats. His federal prosecutors in California have been aggressively trying to prove him right, even as independent experts and election officials say noncitizen voting is exceedingly rare.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In mid-October, the Trump administration sent a letter to California’s secretary of state and Los Angeles County election officials demanding they set aside the 20,000 ballots. The letter demanded the ballots not be counted until the voters’ citizenship can be verified.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California refused.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Trump administration sued and urged a federal court to issue an order forcing California to comply. Meanwhile, it also sent similar demand letters and grand jury subpoenas to county elections offices warning that election workers could be charged if they allow noncitizens to vote.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>New arrests on eve of Election Day\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Also on Monday, the federal government announced charges against another 12 noncitizens for registering to vote or voting in California elections after previously charging 28 green California card holders for similar crimes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Voting is the essence of American citizenship,” Bill Essayli, Trump’s top prosecutor in Los Angeles, said at a press conference Monday. “Illegally attempting to infiltrate and influence our political determinations is not only wrong, it’s a crime.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">[aside postID=news_12107739 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/467299859_qed-1fd78d6c.jpg']\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California officials have been quick to point out that the arrests represent a fraction of a percent of California’s 23 million registered voters — hardly proof of a sweeping election-rigging conspiracy as Trump has so often claimed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They said, ‘Aha! Look at this widespread voter fraud,’” and then they made 28 arrests,” Democratic California Attorney General Rob Bonta said last week. “I mean, talk about a fizzle.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Moria Dahan, one of the people charged on Monday, made her first appearance in federal court shortly after the charges were announced.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dahan was shackled at the ankles and led into the courtroom by U.S. marshals. Dahan, an Israeli national who lives in West Hills, spoke through a Hebrew interpreter as she acknowledged the charges against her. She was released minutes later.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her attorney, Tiffany Feder, said her client didn’t “intend to defraud, intent to conceal, or falsify any kind of documents. She didn’t know what she was filling out.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Judge blocks election worker threats\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Another federal court judge issued \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28860437-seiuvdojtro103026/\">an order\u003c/a> Friday blocking the Trump administration’s unprecedented targeting of election workers, after their union filed a legal challenge asking the court to halt the administration’s threats.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>U.S. District Court Judge Trina L. Thompson, a Joe Biden appointee, said the law “favors the protection of election staff, who are working diligently to ensure that all citizens can cast their votes.” She ordered the administration not to threaten or pressure election officials to withhold or segregate ballots and barred the federal government from criminally charging workers based on claims of ineligible voters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The ruling is in response to federal prosecutors sending letters to all 58 county election officials demanding they set aside ballots from the list of 20,000 suspected noncitizens or face potential criminal charges. Prosecutors also have served some county election officials with \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/10/ca-election-officials-subpoenas/\">federal grand jury subpoenas\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Experts, counties question Trump’s numbers\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Several county officials say they have done spot checks on the federal list, and they say the data is \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/10/trump-voting-claims-counties/\">riddled with inaccuracies\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The UCLA Voting Rights Project also submitted a brief to a federal court saying its data scientists found that 42% of the 20,000 names were “not anywhere to be found on the current California voter file.” The analysis \u003ca href=\"https://www.kcra.com/article/california-doj-voter-list-errors-analysis/74303367\">also found\u003c/a> that thousands of U.S. citizens appear to be flagged as ineligible to vote on the government’s list.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/11/supreme-court-rejects-trump-ballot-case/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California officials have been quick to point out that the arrests represent a fraction of a percent of California’s 23 million registered voters — hardly proof of a sweeping election-rigging conspiracy as Trump has so often claimed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They said, ‘Aha! Look at this widespread voter fraud,’” and then they made 28 arrests,” Democratic California Attorney General Rob Bonta said last week. “I mean, talk about a fizzle.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Moria Dahan, one of the people charged on Monday, made her first appearance in federal court shortly after the charges were announced.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dahan was shackled at the ankles and led into the courtroom by U.S. marshals. Dahan, an Israeli national who lives in West Hills, spoke through a Hebrew interpreter as she acknowledged the charges against her. She was released minutes later.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her attorney, Tiffany Feder, said her client didn’t “intend to defraud, intent to conceal, or falsify any kind of documents. She didn’t know what she was filling out.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Judge blocks election worker threats\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Another federal court judge issued \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28860437-seiuvdojtro103026/\">an order\u003c/a> Friday blocking the Trump administration’s unprecedented targeting of election workers, after their union filed a legal challenge asking the court to halt the administration’s threats.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>U.S. District Court Judge Trina L. Thompson, a Joe Biden appointee, said the law “favors the protection of election staff, who are working diligently to ensure that all citizens can cast their votes.” She ordered the administration not to threaten or pressure election officials to withhold or segregate ballots and barred the federal government from criminally charging workers based on claims of ineligible voters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The ruling is in response to federal prosecutors sending letters to all 58 county election officials demanding they set aside ballots from the list of 20,000 suspected noncitizens or face potential criminal charges. Prosecutors also have served some county election officials with \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/10/ca-election-officials-subpoenas/\">federal grand jury subpoenas\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Experts, counties question Trump’s numbers\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Several county officials say they have done spot checks on the federal list, and they say the data is \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/10/trump-voting-claims-counties/\">riddled with inaccuracies\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The UCLA Voting Rights Project also submitted a brief to a federal court saying its data scientists found that 42% of the 20,000 names were “not anywhere to be found on the current California voter file.” The analysis \u003ca href=\"https://www.kcra.com/article/california-doj-voter-list-errors-analysis/74303367\">also found\u003c/a> that thousands of U.S. citizens appear to be flagged as ineligible to vote on the government’s list.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/11/supreme-court-rejects-trump-ballot-case/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "dozens-of-californians-face-voter-fraud-charges-but-proving-the-violations-may-be-difficult",
"title": "Dozens of Californians Face Voter Fraud Charges. But Proving the Violations May Be Difficult",
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"headTitle": "Dozens of Californians Face Voter Fraud Charges. But Proving the Violations May Be Difficult | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A 51-year-old business owner and father of seven was the first of more than three dozen \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California \u003c/a>residents to appear in court to face \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-charges-28-foreign-nationals-california-election-crimes\">allegations\u003c/a> by the federal government that they violated voting laws because they are not U.S. citizens.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Camilo Giles Jimenez, a U.S. legal permanent resident from Mexico who, according to \u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T2p_9EHq-_wT05Kw7CRM4TvYElJM3qvR/view\">the criminal complaint\u003c/a>, has lived outside Kerman, in Fresno County, since at least 2017, pleaded not guilty to three misdemeanor counts on Wednesday afternoon in federal court in downtown Fresno. The government charges say he voted in three elections in violation of the law that bans non-U.S. citizens from voting for president or Congress. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During the 10-minute hearing before Judge Stanley A. Boone, federal public defender Erin Snider said Jimenez, who was dressed in a peach polo shirt, faded jeans and white Nike sneakers, owns a paving company. Neither Jimenez nor Snider answered questions from reporters.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/AP26292580333526-32bd8bdc-scaled-e1792439409172.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105146\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Homeland Security Investigations task force officers escort a suspect accused of illegally registering to vote to a processing facility at Federal Building in Los Angeles on Oct. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Justice Department officials \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-charges-28-foreign-nationals-california-election-crimes\">announced the charges\u003c/a> against Jimenez and 27 other California residents on Oct. 19 as part of a coordinated effort they said was designed “to root out fraud” in U.S. elections and protect electoral integrity. On Monday, the department \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/usao-edca/pr/six-additional-aliens-charged-illegal-voting-counties-fresno-kings-sacramento-solano\">announced charges\u003c/a> against 12 more people in California. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many of the defendants are not charged with illegally voting, but with illegally registering to vote or lying on their naturalization applications. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">More court appearances are set for the coming days and weeks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Legal experts say that to gain convictions for illegal voting, prosecutors must prove that these people willfully committed a crime, which could be difficult. Regardless of any criminal convictions, even legal residents could be deported whether or not they knew they were breaking the law.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The cases and the people\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Twenty-three of those accused are from Southern California, six are from the Bay Area, four are from the Sacramento region, and seven are from Fresno County and the Central Valley. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of those arrested in the mid-October sweep, 72-year-old Omar Muñoz of Commerce, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kcrw.com/shows/kcrw-reports/stories/he-was-arrested-for-noncitizen-voting-but-doesnt-know-why?srsltid=AYCX9vJ7W0oSaW66PdUm7gOZNXvIXCkWqYU2c-Luy-m4G6_GS1Aak_Xc\">told KCRW\u003c/a> that six police vehicles, a helicopter and at least six reporters arrived at his home just after 5 a.m. on Oct. 19. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It’s a show,” Muñoz told the station. “I said, ‘Wow!’ I said, ‘I’m not a killer.’”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Muñoz was still wearing pajamas when he was shackled around the waist and legs and transported to downtown Los Angeles. He was released that afternoon but would not speak to the specifics of the charges against him.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Justice department officials have said these indictments are the tip of the iceberg in what they allege is widespread voter fraud in California. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Every illegal vote cancels out the vote of a lawful American citizen,” Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter said in a news release. “Each of the 28 defendants charged today appears on the list of more than 20,000 likely non-citizen registrants we provided to California election officials last week. California refused to look at that list. Today’s charges show exactly what that refusal puts at risk.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wednesday, a federal judge sided with California by rejecting a bid by the Trump administration to separate out any ballots sent in from people on that list. The decision by U.S. District Judge David Carter is a setback for the federal government in its efforts to exert more control over state-run elections ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm. On Monday, the Supreme Court denied an appeal by the Department of Justice to wade into its fight with California over voter rolls.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Never before in American history has the federal government, on the eve of an election, sought to coerce a state and local government to abandon their own Constitutional elections procedures and bend to the will of the Executive Branch,” Carter wrote in his \u003ca href=\"https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cacd.1043513/gov.uscourts.cacd.1043513.149.0.pdf\">26-page decision\u003c/a>. “In bringing this lawsuit, the Executive would have this Court believe that it reigns as a sole sovereign. But California and its people are sovereign, too.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The California Newsroom tried to speak with many of the defendants and their lawyers, but except for Muñoz, all inquiries were turned down or received no response.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In its case against Jimenez, the government alleges the Fresno County resident submitted a voter registration application to the Fresno County Registrar in 2022, and checked a box indicating he is a U.S. citizen. Jimenez is also accused of voting in recent elections.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T2p_9EHq-_wT05Kw7CRM4TvYElJM3qvR/view\">The complaint\u003c/a> said Jimenez subsequently told agents that he registered to vote after receiving his green card. Jimenez also said that he had been voting since 2023, according to the complaint, although he denied ever claiming he was a citizen.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Standard of proof \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To prove its case against Jimenez and the other defendants, the government must show they deliberately broke federal law by voting as noncitizens, according to UCLA law professor Rick Hasen.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The \u003ca href=\"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2024-title18/pdf/USCODE-2024-title18-partI-chap29-sec611.pdf\">federal statute\u003c/a> prohibits anyone who isn’t a U.S. citizen from voting to elect the president or members of Congress. Doing so is punishable by up to one year in prison, a fine or a combination of both.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/110226-Essayli-Voting-DOJ-AP-CM-01-6bdc8ebd.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12107822\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/110226-Essayli-Voting-DOJ-AP-CM-01-6bdc8ebd.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/110226-Essayli-Voting-DOJ-AP-CM-01-6bdc8ebd-160x107.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/110226-Essayli-Voting-DOJ-AP-CM-01-6bdc8ebd-1536x1024.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bill Essayli, first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, is joined by Erin Burke, left, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations, and San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow during a news conference in Los Angeles on Nov. 2, 2026. (Jae C. Hong/AP Photo)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“In order to violate the statute, there has to be proof that the person did so intentionally,” Hasen said. “That is, they knew they were not eligible, and they did it anyway.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, Hasen said it is not necessarily considered intentional if a government office, like the Department of Motor Vehicles, mistakenly offers someone who is not a citizen the chance to register to vote.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Suppose you are told by a government official you can register to vote, even if you’re not a citizen, and the person registers, then they might be doing so knowing that they registered but not knowing that they were violating the law,” Hasen added.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even a statement that a defendant makes acknowledging that he or she voted would not automatically prove the government’s case, Hasen said. Prosecutors must still show defendants were knowingly and willfully breaking the law.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He said successful prosecutions or guilty pleas by noncitizens accused of voter fraud are rare.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It seems to be a very small problem relative to the number of voters in the country,” Hasen said, adding that it is more about “trying to make an example of some people, rather than showing evidence that there’s a massive problem of election fraud in the United States.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Potential immigration consequences \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While intentionality is key to a criminal case, it may not matter when it comes to immigration consequences. Regardless of whether someone meant to break the law, unlawful voting and falsely claiming to be a citizen, including by signing a voter registration form, \u003ca href=\"https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF12767\">can be grounds for deportation\u003c/a> and for denial of an application for U.S. citizenship. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many of the people charged have lived in the U.S. legally for years and are in the process of applying for citizenship, according to the federal complaints against them. That could now be denied to them, even if the government doesn’t move to deport them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stanford University Law Professor Jennifer Chacón said that one reason noncitizen voting is rare is that the price to pay is so steep.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The fact that these individuals can be criminally prosecuted, barred from naturalization, subject to deportation, all demonstrates why, as a general rule, noncitizen voting is not a problem,” she said, “because there are many, many consequences to it, and people are generally aware of that.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Federal prosecutors said that the names they provided in California are only a small fraction of a wider problem. “We are investigating thousands of more similar cases throughout the nation,” Bill Essayli, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, told reporters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the Department of Justice has emphasized that the number of noncitizens charged with voting and related offenses has grown to more than 150 in this Trump term from a total of 13 under Biden’s entire term, other analysts point out that it is small compared to the number of registered voters.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">California has 23 million voters, Attorney General Bob Bonta noted, saying those who face charges in the state are “just a drop in the bucket numerically, and it makes the point that there is no widespread voter fraud.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Speaking on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101915782/bracing-for-the-coming-wave-of-legal-challenges-to-midterm-voting\">KQED’s Forum\u003c/a>, the UCLA Law Professor, Rick Hasen, cast doubt on the federal government’s statements. “What I think they’re actually trying to do,” he said, “is to project the image that there’s a widespread voter fraud problem in this country, and to kind of mimic the claims that President Trump has made, that noncitizens are voting in droves and affecting the outcome of elections.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>This story was reported by\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.kvpr.org/\">\u003cem>KVPR\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>,\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.kcrw.com/\">\u003cem>KCRW\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>and\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/\">\u003cem>KQED\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>with\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/californianewsroom\">\u003cem>The California Newsroom\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, a collaboration of public media outlets that includes NPR, CalMatters, KQED (San Francisco), LAist and KCRW (Los Angeles), KPBS (San Diego) and other stations across the state.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A 51-year-old business owner and father of seven was the first of more than three dozen \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California \u003c/a>residents to appear in court to face \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-charges-28-foreign-nationals-california-election-crimes\">allegations\u003c/a> by the federal government that they violated voting laws because they are not U.S. citizens.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Camilo Giles Jimenez, a U.S. legal permanent resident from Mexico who, according to \u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T2p_9EHq-_wT05Kw7CRM4TvYElJM3qvR/view\">the criminal complaint\u003c/a>, has lived outside Kerman, in Fresno County, since at least 2017, pleaded not guilty to three misdemeanor counts on Wednesday afternoon in federal court in downtown Fresno. The government charges say he voted in three elections in violation of the law that bans non-U.S. citizens from voting for president or Congress. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Camilo Giles Jimenez, a U.S. legal permanent resident from Mexico who, according to \u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T2p_9EHq-_wT05Kw7CRM4TvYElJM3qvR/view\">the criminal complaint\u003c/a>, has lived outside Kerman, in Fresno County, since at least 2017, pleaded not guilty to three misdemeanor counts on Wednesday afternoon in federal court in downtown Fresno. The government charges say he voted in three elections in violation of the law that bans non-U.S. citizens from voting for president or Congress. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During the 10-minute hearing before Judge Stanley A. Boone, federal public defender Erin Snider said Jimenez, who was dressed in a peach polo shirt, faded jeans and white Nike sneakers, owns a paving company. Neither Jimenez nor Snider answered questions from reporters.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>During the 10-minute hearing before Judge Stanley A. Boone, federal public defender Erin Snider said Jimenez, who was dressed in a peach polo shirt, faded jeans and white Nike sneakers, owns a paving company. Neither Jimenez nor Snider answered questions from reporters.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/AP26292580333526-32bd8bdc-scaled-e1792439409172.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105146\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Homeland Security Investigations task force officers escort a suspect accused of illegally registering to vote to a processing facility at Federal Building in Los Angeles on Oct. 19, 2026. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/AP26292580333526-32bd8bdc-scaled-e1792439409172.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105146\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Homeland Security Investigations task force officers escort a suspect accused of illegally registering to vote to a processing facility at Federal Building in Los Angeles on Oct. 19, 2026. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Justice Department officials \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-charges-28-foreign-nationals-california-election-crimes\">announced the charges\u003c/a> against Jimenez and 27 other California residents on Oct. 19 as part of a coordinated effort they said was designed “to root out fraud” in U.S. elections and protect electoral integrity. On Monday, the department \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/usao-edca/pr/six-additional-aliens-charged-illegal-voting-counties-fresno-kings-sacramento-solano\">announced charges\u003c/a> against 12 more people in California. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Justice Department officials \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-charges-28-foreign-nationals-california-election-crimes\">announced the charges\u003c/a> against Jimenez and 27 other California residents on Oct. 19 as part of a coordinated effort they said was designed “to root out fraud” in U.S. elections and protect electoral integrity. On Monday, the department \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/usao-edca/pr/six-additional-aliens-charged-illegal-voting-counties-fresno-kings-sacramento-solano\">announced charges\u003c/a> against 12 more people in California. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Many of the defendants are not charged with illegally voting, but with illegally registering to vote or lying on their naturalization applications. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Many of the defendants are not charged with illegally voting, but with illegally registering to vote or lying on their naturalization applications. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>More court appearances are set for the coming days and weeks. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Legal experts say that to gain convictions for illegal voting, prosecutors must prove that these people willfully committed a crime, which could be difficult. Regardless of any criminal convictions, even legal residents could be deported whether or not they knew they were breaking the law.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Legal experts say that to gain convictions for illegal voting, prosecutors must prove that these people willfully committed a crime, which could be difficult. Regardless of any criminal convictions, even legal residents could be deported whether or not they knew they were breaking the law.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Twenty-three of those accused are from Southern California, six are from the Bay Area, four are from the Sacramento region, and seven are from Fresno County and the Central Valley. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Twenty-three of those accused are from Southern California, six are from the Bay Area, four are from the Sacramento region, and seven are from Fresno County and the Central Valley. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One of those arrested in the mid-October sweep, 72-year-old Omar Muñoz of Commerce, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kcrw.com/shows/kcrw-reports/stories/he-was-arrested-for-noncitizen-voting-but-doesnt-know-why?srsltid=AYCX9vJ7W0oSaW66PdUm7gOZNXvIXCkWqYU2c-Luy-m4G6_GS1Aak_Xc\">told KCRW\u003c/a> that six police vehicles, a helicopter and at least six reporters arrived at his home just after 5 a.m. on Oct. 19. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>One of those arrested in the mid-October sweep, 72-year-old Omar Muñoz of Commerce, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kcrw.com/shows/kcrw-reports/stories/he-was-arrested-for-noncitizen-voting-but-doesnt-know-why?srsltid=AYCX9vJ7W0oSaW66PdUm7gOZNXvIXCkWqYU2c-Luy-m4G6_GS1Aak_Xc\">told KCRW\u003c/a> that six police vehicles, a helicopter and at least six reporters arrived at his home just after 5 a.m. on Oct. 19. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s a show,” Muñoz told the station. “I said, ‘Wow!’ I said, ‘I’m not a killer.’”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Muñoz was still wearing pajamas when he was shackled around the waist and legs and transported to downtown Los Angeles. He was released that afternoon but would not speak to the specifics of the charges against him.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Muñoz was still wearing pajamas when he was shackled around the waist and legs and transported to downtown Los Angeles. He was released that afternoon but would not speak to the specifics of the charges against him.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Justice department officials have said these indictments are the tip of the iceberg in what they allege is widespread voter fraud in California. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Justice department officials have said these indictments are the tip of the iceberg in what they allege is widespread voter fraud in California. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Every illegal vote cancels out the vote of a lawful American citizen,” Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter said in a news release. “Each of the 28 defendants charged today appears on the list of more than 20,000 likely non-citizen registrants we provided to California election officials last week. California refused to look at that list. Today’s charges show exactly what that refusal puts at risk.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Every illegal vote cancels out the vote of a lawful American citizen,” Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter said in a news release. “Each of the 28 defendants charged today appears on the list of more than 20,000 likely non-citizen registrants we provided to California election officials last week. California refused to look at that list. Today’s charges show exactly what that refusal puts at risk.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Wednesday, a federal judge sided with California by rejecting a bid by the Trump administration to separate out any ballots sent in from people on that list. The decision by U.S. District Judge David Carter is a setback for the federal government in its efforts to exert more control over state-run elections ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm. On Monday, the Supreme Court denied an appeal by the Department of Justice to wade into its fight with California over voter rolls.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Wednesday, a federal judge sided with California by rejecting a bid by the Trump administration to separate out any ballots sent in from people on that list. The decision by U.S. District Judge David Carter is a setback for the federal government in its efforts to exert more control over state-run elections ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm. On Monday, the Supreme Court denied an appeal by the Department of Justice to wade into its fight with California over voter rolls.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Never before in American history has the federal government, on the eve of an election, sought to coerce a state and local government to abandon their own Constitutional elections procedures and bend to the will of the Executive Branch,” Carter wrote in his \u003ca href=\"https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cacd.1043513/gov.uscourts.cacd.1043513.149.0.pdf\">26-page decision\u003c/a>. “In bringing this lawsuit, the Executive would have this Court believe that it reigns as a sole sovereign. But California and its people are sovereign, too.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Never before in American history has the federal government, on the eve of an election, sought to coerce a state and local government to abandon their own Constitutional elections procedures and bend to the will of the Executive Branch,” Carter wrote in his \u003ca href=\"https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cacd.1043513/gov.uscourts.cacd.1043513.149.0.pdf\">26-page decision\u003c/a>. “In bringing this lawsuit, the Executive would have this Court believe that it reigns as a sole sovereign. But California and its people are sovereign, too.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The California Newsroom tried to speak with many of the defendants and their lawyers, but except for Muñoz, all inquiries were turned down or received no response.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The California Newsroom tried to speak with many of the defendants and their lawyers, but except for Muñoz, all inquiries were turned down or received no response.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In its case against Jimenez, the government alleges the Fresno County resident submitted a voter registration application to the Fresno County Registrar in 2022, and checked a box indicating he is a U.S. citizen. Jimenez is also accused of voting in recent elections.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In its case against Jimenez, the government alleges the Fresno County resident submitted a voter registration application to the Fresno County Registrar in 2022, and checked a box indicating he is a U.S. citizen. Jimenez is also accused of voting in recent elections.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T2p_9EHq-_wT05Kw7CRM4TvYElJM3qvR/view\">The complaint\u003c/a> said Jimenez subsequently told agents that he registered to vote after receiving his green card. Jimenez also said that he had been voting since 2023, according to the complaint, although he denied ever claiming he was a citizen.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T2p_9EHq-_wT05Kw7CRM4TvYElJM3qvR/view\">The complaint\u003c/a> said Jimenez subsequently told agents that he registered to vote after receiving his green card. Jimenez also said that he had been voting since 2023, according to the complaint, although he denied ever claiming he was a citizen.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>To prove its case against Jimenez and the other defendants, the government must show they deliberately broke federal law by voting as noncitizens, according to UCLA law professor Rick Hasen.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2024-title18/pdf/USCODE-2024-title18-partI-chap29-sec611.pdf\">federal statute\u003c/a> prohibits anyone who isn’t a U.S. citizen from voting to elect the president or members of Congress. Doing so is punishable by up to one year in prison, a fine or a combination of both.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2024-title18/pdf/USCODE-2024-title18-partI-chap29-sec611.pdf\">federal statute\u003c/a> prohibits anyone who isn’t a U.S. citizen from voting to elect the president or members of Congress. Doing so is punishable by up to one year in prison, a fine or a combination of both.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/110226-Essayli-Voting-DOJ-AP-CM-01-6bdc8ebd.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12107822\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/110226-Essayli-Voting-DOJ-AP-CM-01-6bdc8ebd.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/110226-Essayli-Voting-DOJ-AP-CM-01-6bdc8ebd-160x107.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/110226-Essayli-Voting-DOJ-AP-CM-01-6bdc8ebd-1536x1024.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bill Essayli, first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, is joined by Erin Burke, left, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations, and San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow during a news conference in Los Angeles on Nov. 2, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Jae C. Hong/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/110226-Essayli-Voting-DOJ-AP-CM-01-6bdc8ebd.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12107822\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bill Essayli, first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, is joined by Erin Burke, left, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations, and San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow during a news conference in Los Angeles on Nov. 2, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Jae C. Hong/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“In order to violate the statute, there has to be proof that the person did so intentionally,” Hasen said. “That is, they knew they were not eligible, and they did it anyway.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“In order to violate the statute, there has to be proof that the person did so intentionally,” Hasen said. “That is, they knew they were not eligible, and they did it anyway.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For example, Hasen said it is not necessarily considered intentional if a government office, like the Department of Motor Vehicles, mistakenly offers someone who is not a citizen the chance to register to vote.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For example, Hasen said it is not necessarily considered intentional if a government office, like the Department of Motor Vehicles, mistakenly offers someone who is not a citizen the chance to register to vote.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Suppose you are told by a government official you can register to vote, even if you’re not a citizen, and the person registers, then they might be doing so knowing that they registered but not knowing that they were violating the law,” Hasen added.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Suppose you are told by a government official you can register to vote, even if you’re not a citizen, and the person registers, then they might be doing so knowing that they registered but not knowing that they were violating the law,” Hasen added.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Even a statement that a defendant makes acknowledging that he or she voted would not automatically prove the government’s case, Hasen said. Prosecutors must still show defendants were knowingly and willfully breaking the law.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Even a statement that a defendant makes acknowledging that he or she voted would not automatically prove the government’s case, Hasen said. Prosecutors must still show defendants were knowingly and willfully breaking the law.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He said successful prosecutions or guilty pleas by noncitizens accused of voter fraud are rare.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It seems to be a very small problem relative to the number of voters in the country,” Hasen said, adding that it is more about “trying to make an example of some people, rather than showing evidence that there’s a massive problem of election fraud in the United States.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It seems to be a very small problem relative to the number of voters in the country,” Hasen said, adding that it is more about “trying to make an example of some people, rather than showing evidence that there’s a massive problem of election fraud in the United States.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Potential immigration consequences ",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Potential immigration consequences \u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While intentionality is key to a criminal case, it may not matter when it comes to immigration consequences. Regardless of whether someone meant to break the law, unlawful voting and falsely claiming to be a citizen, including by signing a voter registration form, \u003ca href=\"https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF12767\">can be grounds for deportation\u003c/a> and for denial of an application for U.S. citizenship. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>While intentionality is key to a criminal case, it may not matter when it comes to immigration consequences. Regardless of whether someone meant to break the law, unlawful voting and falsely claiming to be a citizen, including by signing a voter registration form, \u003ca href=\"https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF12767\">can be grounds for deportation\u003c/a> and for denial of an application for U.S. citizenship. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Many of the people charged have lived in the U.S. legally for years and are in the process of applying for citizenship, according to the federal complaints against them. That could now be denied to them, even if the government doesn’t move to deport them.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Many of the people charged have lived in the U.S. legally for years and are in the process of applying for citizenship, according to the federal complaints against them. That could now be denied to them, even if the government doesn’t move to deport them.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Stanford University Law Professor Jennifer Chacón said that one reason noncitizen voting is rare is that the price to pay is so steep.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Stanford University Law Professor Jennifer Chacón said that one reason noncitizen voting is rare is that the price to pay is so steep.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The fact that these individuals can be criminally prosecuted, barred from naturalization, subject to deportation, all demonstrates why, as a general rule, noncitizen voting is not a problem,” she said, “because there are many, many consequences to it, and people are generally aware of that.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The fact that these individuals can be criminally prosecuted, barred from naturalization, subject to deportation, all demonstrates why, as a general rule, noncitizen voting is not a problem,” she said, “because there are many, many consequences to it, and people are generally aware of that.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Federal prosecutors said that the names they provided in California are only a small fraction of a wider problem. “We are investigating thousands of more similar cases throughout the nation,” Bill Essayli, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, told reporters. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Federal prosecutors said that the names they provided in California are only a small fraction of a wider problem. “We are investigating thousands of more similar cases throughout the nation,” Bill Essayli, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, told reporters. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While the Department of Justice has emphasized that the number of noncitizens charged with voting and related offenses has grown to more than 150 in this Trump term from a total of 13 under Biden’s entire term, other analysts point out that it is small compared to the number of registered voters.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>While the Department of Justice has emphasized that the number of noncitizens charged with voting and related offenses has grown to more than 150 in this Trump term from a total of 13 under Biden’s entire term, other analysts point out that it is small compared to the number of registered voters.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California has 23 million voters, Attorney General Bob Bonta noted, saying those who face charges in the state are “just a drop in the bucket numerically, and it makes the point that there is no widespread voter fraud.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>California has 23 million voters, Attorney General Bob Bonta noted, saying those who face charges in the state are “just a drop in the bucket numerically, and it makes the point that there is no widespread voter fraud.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Speaking on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101915782/bracing-for-the-coming-wave-of-legal-challenges-to-midterm-voting\">KQED’s Forum\u003c/a>, the UCLA Law Professor, Rick Hasen, cast doubt on the federal government’s statements. “What I think they’re actually trying to do,” he said, “is to project the image that there’s a widespread voter fraud problem in this country, and to kind of mimic the claims that President Trump has made, that noncitizens are voting in droves and affecting the outcome of elections.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Speaking on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101915782/bracing-for-the-coming-wave-of-legal-challenges-to-midterm-voting\">KQED’s Forum\u003c/a>, the UCLA Law Professor, Rick Hasen, cast doubt on the federal government’s statements. “What I think they’re actually trying to do,” he said, “is to project the image that there’s a widespread voter fraud problem in this country, and to kind of mimic the claims that President Trump has made, that noncitizens are voting in droves and affecting the outcome of elections.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was reported by\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.kvpr.org/\">\u003cem>KVPR\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>,\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.kcrw.com/\">\u003cem>KCRW\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>and\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/\">\u003cem>KQED\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>with\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/californianewsroom\">\u003cem>The California Newsroom\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, a collaboration of public media outlets that includes NPR, CalMatters, KQED (San Francisco), LAist and KCRW (Los Angeles), KPBS (San Diego) and other stations across the state.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Election experts say the U.S. government must prove that noncitizens intentionally violated election law. Regardless, defendants may face dire immigration consequences.\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A 51-year-old business owner and father of seven was the first of more than three dozen \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California \u003c/a>residents to appear in court to face \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-charges-28-foreign-nationals-california-election-crimes\">allegations\u003c/a> by the federal government that they violated voting laws because they are not U.S. citizens.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Camilo Giles Jimenez, a U.S. legal permanent resident from Mexico who, according to \u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T2p_9EHq-_wT05Kw7CRM4TvYElJM3qvR/view\">the criminal complaint\u003c/a>, has lived outside Kerman, in Fresno County, since at least 2017, pleaded not guilty to three misdemeanor counts on Wednesday afternoon in federal court in downtown Fresno. The government charges say he voted in three elections in violation of the law that bans non-U.S. citizens from voting for president or Congress. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During the 10-minute hearing before Judge Stanley A. Boone, federal public defender Erin Snider said Jimenez, who was dressed in a peach polo shirt, faded jeans and white Nike sneakers, owns a paving company. Neither Jimenez nor Snider answered questions from reporters.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/AP26292580333526-32bd8bdc-scaled-e1792439409172.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105146\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Homeland Security Investigations task force officers escort a suspect accused of illegally registering to vote to a processing facility at Federal Building in Los Angeles on Oct. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Justice Department officials \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-charges-28-foreign-nationals-california-election-crimes\">announced the charges\u003c/a> against Jimenez and 27 other California residents on Oct. 19 as part of a coordinated effort they said was designed “to root out fraud” in U.S. elections and protect electoral integrity. On Monday, the department \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/usao-edca/pr/six-additional-aliens-charged-illegal-voting-counties-fresno-kings-sacramento-solano\">announced charges\u003c/a> against 12 more people in California. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many of the defendants are not charged with illegally voting, but with illegally registering to vote or lying on their naturalization applications. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">More court appearances are set for the coming days and weeks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Legal experts say that to gain convictions for illegal voting, prosecutors must prove that these people willfully committed a crime, which could be difficult. Regardless of any criminal convictions, even legal residents could be deported whether or not they knew they were breaking the law.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The cases and the people\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Twenty-three of those accused are from Southern California, six are from the Bay Area, four are from the Sacramento region, and seven are from Fresno County and the Central Valley. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of those arrested in the mid-October sweep, 72-year-old Omar Muñoz of Commerce, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kcrw.com/shows/kcrw-reports/stories/he-was-arrested-for-noncitizen-voting-but-doesnt-know-why?srsltid=AYCX9vJ7W0oSaW66PdUm7gOZNXvIXCkWqYU2c-Luy-m4G6_GS1Aak_Xc\">told KCRW\u003c/a> that six police vehicles, a helicopter and at least six reporters arrived at his home just after 5 a.m. on Oct. 19. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It’s a show,” Muñoz told the station. “I said, ‘Wow!’ I said, ‘I’m not a killer.’”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Muñoz was still wearing pajamas when he was shackled around the waist and legs and transported to downtown Los Angeles. He was released that afternoon but would not speak to the specifics of the charges against him.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Justice department officials have said these indictments are the tip of the iceberg in what they allege is widespread voter fraud in California. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Every illegal vote cancels out the vote of a lawful American citizen,” Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter said in a news release. “Each of the 28 defendants charged today appears on the list of more than 20,000 likely non-citizen registrants we provided to California election officials last week. California refused to look at that list. Today’s charges show exactly what that refusal puts at risk.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wednesday, a federal judge sided with California by rejecting a bid by the Trump administration to separate out any ballots sent in from people on that list. The decision by U.S. District Judge David Carter is a setback for the federal government in its efforts to exert more control over state-run elections ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm. On Monday, the Supreme Court denied an appeal by the Department of Justice to wade into its fight with California over voter rolls.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Never before in American history has the federal government, on the eve of an election, sought to coerce a state and local government to abandon their own Constitutional elections procedures and bend to the will of the Executive Branch,” Carter wrote in his \u003ca href=\"https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cacd.1043513/gov.uscourts.cacd.1043513.149.0.pdf\">26-page decision\u003c/a>. “In bringing this lawsuit, the Executive would have this Court believe that it reigns as a sole sovereign. But California and its people are sovereign, too.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The California Newsroom tried to speak with many of the defendants and their lawyers, but except for Muñoz, all inquiries were turned down or received no response.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In its case against Jimenez, the government alleges the Fresno County resident submitted a voter registration application to the Fresno County Registrar in 2022, and checked a box indicating he is a U.S. citizen. Jimenez is also accused of voting in recent elections.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003ca href=\"https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T2p_9EHq-_wT05Kw7CRM4TvYElJM3qvR/view\">The complaint\u003c/a> said Jimenez subsequently told agents that he registered to vote after receiving his green card. Jimenez also said that he had been voting since 2023, according to the complaint, although he denied ever claiming he was a citizen.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Standard of proof \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To prove its case against Jimenez and the other defendants, the government must show they deliberately broke federal law by voting as noncitizens, according to UCLA law professor Rick Hasen.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The \u003ca href=\"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2024-title18/pdf/USCODE-2024-title18-partI-chap29-sec611.pdf\">federal statute\u003c/a> prohibits anyone who isn’t a U.S. citizen from voting to elect the president or members of Congress. Doing so is punishable by up to one year in prison, a fine or a combination of both.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/110226-Essayli-Voting-DOJ-AP-CM-01-6bdc8ebd.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12107822\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/110226-Essayli-Voting-DOJ-AP-CM-01-6bdc8ebd.png 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/110226-Essayli-Voting-DOJ-AP-CM-01-6bdc8ebd-160x107.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/11/110226-Essayli-Voting-DOJ-AP-CM-01-6bdc8ebd-1536x1024.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bill Essayli, first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, is joined by Erin Burke, left, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations, and San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow during a news conference in Los Angeles on Nov. 2, 2026. (Jae C. Hong/AP Photo)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“In order to violate the statute, there has to be proof that the person did so intentionally,” Hasen said. “That is, they knew they were not eligible, and they did it anyway.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, Hasen said it is not necessarily considered intentional if a government office, like the Department of Motor Vehicles, mistakenly offers someone who is not a citizen the chance to register to vote.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Suppose you are told by a government official you can register to vote, even if you’re not a citizen, and the person registers, then they might be doing so knowing that they registered but not knowing that they were violating the law,” Hasen added.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even a statement that a defendant makes acknowledging that he or she voted would not automatically prove the government’s case, Hasen said. Prosecutors must still show defendants were knowingly and willfully breaking the law.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He said successful prosecutions or guilty pleas by noncitizens accused of voter fraud are rare.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It seems to be a very small problem relative to the number of voters in the country,” Hasen said, adding that it is more about “trying to make an example of some people, rather than showing evidence that there’s a massive problem of election fraud in the United States.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Potential immigration consequences \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While intentionality is key to a criminal case, it may not matter when it comes to immigration consequences. Regardless of whether someone meant to break the law, unlawful voting and falsely claiming to be a citizen, including by signing a voter registration form, \u003ca href=\"https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF12767\">can be grounds for deportation\u003c/a> and for denial of an application for U.S. citizenship. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many of the people charged have lived in the U.S. legally for years and are in the process of applying for citizenship, according to the federal complaints against them. That could now be denied to them, even if the government doesn’t move to deport them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stanford University Law Professor Jennifer Chacón said that one reason noncitizen voting is rare is that the price to pay is so steep.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The fact that these individuals can be criminally prosecuted, barred from naturalization, subject to deportation, all demonstrates why, as a general rule, noncitizen voting is not a problem,” she said, “because there are many, many consequences to it, and people are generally aware of that.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Federal prosecutors said that the names they provided in California are only a small fraction of a wider problem. “We are investigating thousands of more similar cases throughout the nation,” Bill Essayli, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, told reporters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the Department of Justice has emphasized that the number of noncitizens charged with voting and related offenses has grown to more than 150 in this Trump term from a total of 13 under Biden’s entire term, other analysts point out that it is small compared to the number of registered voters.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">California has 23 million voters, Attorney General Bob Bonta noted, saying those who face charges in the state are “just a drop in the bucket numerically, and it makes the point that there is no widespread voter fraud.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Speaking on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101915782/bracing-for-the-coming-wave-of-legal-challenges-to-midterm-voting\">KQED’s Forum\u003c/a>, the UCLA Law Professor, Rick Hasen, cast doubt on the federal government’s statements. “What I think they’re actually trying to do,” he said, “is to project the image that there’s a widespread voter fraud problem in this country, and to kind of mimic the claims that President Trump has made, that noncitizens are voting in droves and affecting the outcome of elections.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>This story was reported by\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.kvpr.org/\">\u003cem>KVPR\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>,\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.kcrw.com/\">\u003cem>KCRW\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>and\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/\">\u003cem>KQED\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>with\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/californianewsroom\">\u003cem>The California Newsroom\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, a collaboration of public media outlets that includes NPR, CalMatters, KQED (San Francisco), LAist and KCRW (Los Angeles), KPBS (San Diego) and other stations across the state.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "the-bay-area-will-see-rain-on-election-day-heres-where-showers-will-be-heaviest",
"title": "The Bay Area Will See Rain on Election Day. Here’s Where Showers Will Be Heaviest",
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"headTitle": "The Bay Area Will See Rain on Election Day. Here’s Where Showers Will Be Heaviest | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california\">Early morning voters\u003c/a> may want to bring an umbrella or pack a rain jacket on their way to their local polling place on Tuesday, as showers will make it a rainy Election Day in the Bay Area. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">National Weather Service meteorologist Rachel Kennedy said rain will approach the California coastline later tonight. Residents should expect the heaviest rain during morning commute times — especially in the North Bay, which could see up to a half inch of rain — with precipitation continuing through the early afternoon before drying out overnight. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The coastal North Bay could see thunderstorms as the main rain band moves on shore tomorrow morning, the NWS wrote in its daily forecast \u003ca href=\"https://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?format=ci&glossary=1&issuedby=mtr&product=afd&site=mtr&version=1\">discussion\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Just practice your typical preparedness for rain,” Kennedy said. “I’m sure we’ll all be very familiar with it, especially as we head into the rest of the winter.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The rain will spread through the rest of the Bay Area and the Central Coast as the day goes on, Kennedy said, getting lighter and lighter as it heads into the East Bay and South Bay. These regions will see between .1 and .25 inches, with almost no accumulation in the Central Coast. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the rain won’t last: Drier weather is expected to return Wednesday, with a warming trend that should last into next weekend. Meteorologists expect an impressive temperature rebound that could see temperatures in the high 70s to low 80s next weekend. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Researchers studying voter turnout have \u003ca href=\"https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1111/j.1468-2508.2007.00565.x\">found\u003c/a> that rain can impact election results by deterring voters from making the trip to their local polling place. However, a 2024 \u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0962629824000209\">study\u003c/a> showed that an increase in mail-in voting and early voting can dampen the impact of rain on Election Day.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wendy Hudson, chief deputy registrar of voters for Sonoma County, said that the office does not expect rain to impact any of their polling places and that rain on previous election days has not impacted turnout. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those with questions about where to vote on Tuesday can visit KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12107017/where-to-vote-election-day-november-3-2026-california-governor-find-dropbox-near-me-where-is-my-polling-place\">Election Day\u003c/a> guide for more information on how to vote.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california\">Early morning voters\u003c/a> may want to bring an umbrella or pack a rain jacket on their way to their local polling place on Tuesday, as showers will make it a rainy Election Day in the Bay Area. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>National Weather Service meteorologist Rachel Kennedy said rain will approach the California coastline later tonight. Residents should expect the heaviest rain during morning commute times — especially in the North Bay, which could see up to a half inch of rain — with precipitation continuing through the early afternoon before drying out overnight. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>National Weather Service meteorologist Rachel Kennedy said rain will approach the California coastline later tonight. Residents should expect the heaviest rain during morning commute times — especially in the North Bay, which could see up to a half inch of rain — with precipitation continuing through the early afternoon before drying out overnight. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The coastal North Bay could see thunderstorms as the main rain band moves on shore tomorrow morning, the NWS wrote in its daily forecast \u003ca href=\"https://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?format=ci&glossary=1&issuedby=mtr&product=afd&site=mtr&version=1\">discussion\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The coastal North Bay could see thunderstorms as the main rain band moves on shore tomorrow morning, the NWS wrote in its daily forecast \u003ca href=\"https://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?format=ci&glossary=1&issuedby=mtr&product=afd&site=mtr&version=1\">discussion\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Just practice your typical preparedness for rain,” Kennedy said. “I’m sure we’ll all be very familiar with it, especially as we head into the rest of the winter.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Just practice your typical preparedness for rain,” Kennedy said. “I’m sure we’ll all be very familiar with it, especially as we head into the rest of the winter.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The rain will spread through the rest of the Bay Area and the Central Coast as the day goes on, Kennedy said, getting lighter and lighter as it heads into the East Bay and South Bay. These regions will see between .1 and .25 inches, with almost no accumulation in the Central Coast. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The rain will spread through the rest of the Bay Area and the Central Coast as the day goes on, Kennedy said, getting lighter and lighter as it heads into the East Bay and South Bay. These regions will see between .1 and .25 inches, with almost no accumulation in the Central Coast. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But the rain won’t last: Drier weather is expected to return Wednesday, with a warming trend that should last into next weekend. Meteorologists expect an impressive temperature rebound that could see temperatures in the high 70s to low 80s next weekend. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But the rain won’t last: Drier weather is expected to return Wednesday, with a warming trend that should last into next weekend. Meteorologists expect an impressive temperature rebound that could see temperatures in the high 70s to low 80s next weekend. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Researchers studying voter turnout have \u003ca href=\"https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1111/j.1468-2508.2007.00565.x\">found\u003c/a> that rain can impact election results by deterring voters from making the trip to their local polling place. However, a 2024 \u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0962629824000209\">study\u003c/a> showed that an increase in mail-in voting and early voting can dampen the impact of rain on Election Day.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Researchers studying voter turnout have \u003ca href=\"https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1111/j.1468-2508.2007.00565.x\">found\u003c/a> that rain can impact election results by deterring voters from making the trip to their local polling place. However, a 2024 \u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0962629824000209\">study\u003c/a> showed that an increase in mail-in voting and early voting can dampen the impact of rain on Election Day.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Wendy Hudson, chief deputy registrar of voters for Sonoma County, said that the office does not expect rain to impact any of their polling places and that rain on previous election days has not impacted turnout. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Wendy Hudson, chief deputy registrar of voters for Sonoma County, said that the office does not expect rain to impact any of their polling places and that rain on previous election days has not impacted turnout. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Those with questions about where to vote on Tuesday can visit KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12107017/where-to-vote-election-day-november-3-2026-california-governor-find-dropbox-near-me-where-is-my-polling-place\">Election Day\u003c/a> guide for more information on how to vote.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "It’s likely to be a wet commute for Bay Area residents on Tuesday, with possible thunder. But the rain won’t last.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/california\">Early morning voters\u003c/a> may want to bring an umbrella or pack a rain jacket on their way to their local polling place on Tuesday, as showers will make it a rainy Election Day in the Bay Area. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">National Weather Service meteorologist Rachel Kennedy said rain will approach the California coastline later tonight. Residents should expect the heaviest rain during morning commute times — especially in the North Bay, which could see up to a half inch of rain — with precipitation continuing through the early afternoon before drying out overnight. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The coastal North Bay could see thunderstorms as the main rain band moves on shore tomorrow morning, the NWS wrote in its daily forecast \u003ca href=\"https://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?format=ci&glossary=1&issuedby=mtr&product=afd&site=mtr&version=1\">discussion\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Just practice your typical preparedness for rain,” Kennedy said. “I’m sure we’ll all be very familiar with it, especially as we head into the rest of the winter.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The rain will spread through the rest of the Bay Area and the Central Coast as the day goes on, Kennedy said, getting lighter and lighter as it heads into the East Bay and South Bay. These regions will see between .1 and .25 inches, with almost no accumulation in the Central Coast. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the rain won’t last: Drier weather is expected to return Wednesday, with a warming trend that should last into next weekend. Meteorologists expect an impressive temperature rebound that could see temperatures in the high 70s to low 80s next weekend. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Researchers studying voter turnout have \u003ca href=\"https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1111/j.1468-2508.2007.00565.x\">found\u003c/a> that rain can impact election results by deterring voters from making the trip to their local polling place. However, a 2024 \u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0962629824000209\">study\u003c/a> showed that an increase in mail-in voting and early voting can dampen the impact of rain on Election Day.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wendy Hudson, chief deputy registrar of voters for Sonoma County, said that the office does not expect rain to impact any of their polling places and that rain on previous election days has not impacted turnout. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those with questions about where to vote on Tuesday can visit KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12107017/where-to-vote-election-day-november-3-2026-california-governor-find-dropbox-near-me-where-is-my-polling-place\">Election Day\u003c/a> guide for more information on how to vote.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "doj-subpoenas-california-election-officials-despite-judges-order-to-stop-threatening-them",
"title": "DOJ Subpoenas California Election Officials, Despite Judge’s Order to Stop Threatening Them",
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"headTitle": "DOJ Subpoenas California Election Officials, Despite Judge’s Order to Stop Threatening Them | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Wednesday, a federal judge \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12107158/judge-rejects-trump-administration-bid-to-set-aside-20000-california-ballots\">issued a blistering order\u003c/a> warning federal prosecutors to stop threatening California election officials with crimes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A day later, federal prosecutors kept going. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At least four elections workers in California have received federal criminal grand jury subpoenas over the past week, with at least one delivered on Thursday after the court’s order.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In that subpoena, issued to the Orange County Registrar of Voters’s office, federal agents with the Department of Homeland Security are seeking unredacted voter records for 60 people, according to records obtained by CalMatters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12085887\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-6-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-6-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-6-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Colby Brown, rover supervisor at the Veterans Memorial Center voting center, seals a ballot drop box, in Davis on June 2, 2026. (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The subpoenas signal an intensification of the federal government’s unprecedented targeting of California’s elections, setting up what could be a showdown over the fundamentals of American democracy around next Tuesday’s midterm elections. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The prosecutors include those in the office of Los Angeles’ top federal prosecutor, Bill Essayli, a leading aide in President Donald Trump’s push to find evidence to support longstanding — and never proven — claims that California elections are rigged in Democrats’ favor due to noncitizen votes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003ca href=\"https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/doj-orders-criminal-probes-of-california-officials-over-ballots\">Bloomberg Law first reported\u003c/a> Thursday that U.S. Justice Department leaders had directed top federal prosecutors to pursue criminal subpoenas of state and local officials in their efforts to find evidence that noncitizens were allowed to vote. The news outlet cited two unnamed sources familiar with the situation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This month Essayli sued California and Los Angeles County, demanding they set aside the ballots of 20,000 registered voters he accused of not being U.S. citizens, and last week the Justice Department sent letters threatening local elections officials with criminal charges if they did not do the same with lists of voters in their own counties.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">County election officials from across California have said spot checks \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/10/trump-voting-claims-counties/\">found the government’s list of names to be inaccurate\u003c/a> and have challenged the legality of the requests. Officials in only one county so far – San Luis Obispo – have announced \u003ca href=\"https://www.slocounty.ca.gov/departments/district-attorney/latest-news/2026/october/district-attorney-investigating-63-federally-identified-registrations-and-local-election-referrals\">they will investigate\u003c/a> the voters from the Justice Department’s demand letters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What the subpoenas say \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Los Angeles County, federal prosecutors last week subpoenaed three employees of the Registrar-Recorder’s Office, ordering them to testify before a grand jury in a criminal investigation on Nov. 4, the day after the election. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors demanded county employees bring records of how their department prevents non-citizens from voting and “records relating to or involving evidence collected by your agency which tends to indicate an alien has voted in a federal election.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a statement, Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder Dean Logan said prosecutors were taking a “confrontational, adversarial approach.” He said the federal judge’s warning to stop making threats directed at election officials “was well placed and appreciated.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Threats and intimidation have no place in elections,” Logan said. “We will take whatever steps necessary to ensure the safety of our employees and to remain focused on serving the voters of Los Angeles County so they can exercise their voting franchise.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Orange County, federal agents obtained the new grand jury subpoena last week but elections officials received it Thursday. It is similar to previous information demands from federal prosecutors. Elections officials had in September produced records on 20 registered voters in response to subpoenas. On Thursday, Registrar of Voters Bob Page told CalMatters three of those names appeared again in the new subpoena.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The federal government downplayed the subpoenas and suggested elections officials weren’t the targets of its investigation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Receiving a subpoena doesn’t mean you are a target,” Justice Department spokesperson Kiersten Pels said in an emailed statement. “In fact, generally, the DOJ doesn’t subpoena targets.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Judge says ‘these threats must stop’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his courtroom on Tuesday, U.S. District Judge David O. Carter made it clear that the federal government needed to stop \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/10/trump-voting-claims-counties/\">threatening election workers with criminal charges\u003c/a> if they didn’t comply with prosecutors’ demands. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“This court believes it would be wise that any threats to state or county (election) employees cease immediately,” Carter told the courtroom. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He made the warning formal in his written ruling issued Wednesday evening. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Never before in American history has the federal government, on the eve of an election, sought to coerce a state and local government to abandon their own Constitutional elections procedures and bend to the will of the Executive Branch,” Carter wrote. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/03/CMPollWorkers02.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11977756\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/03/CMPollWorkers02.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/03/CMPollWorkers02-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/03/CMPollWorkers02-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/03/CMPollWorkers02-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/03/CMPollWorkers02-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/03/CMPollWorkers02-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A voter fills out their ballot at a polling station at the American Legion in Shasta Lake, California, during a special election in Shasta County on Nov. 7, 2023. (Fred Greaves/CalMatters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The court reiterates what it said yesterday: these threats must stop,” he wrote.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Justice Department has appealed Carter’s ruling to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Pels said prosecutors are merely doing what Carter told them to do: prosecute illegal voting if it’s found.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In expressing skepticism about the Trump administration’s claims, Carter told Essayli in court on Tuesday that if noncitizens really are voting in as large of numbers as the Trump administration claims, there’s nothing stopping federal prosecutors from finding them and charging them without the risk of blocking legal voters from having their ballots counted. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last week, federal prosecutors across California charged 28 people with registering to vote despite not being citizens. Not all of those people had voted in past elections; those charged amount to 0.0001% of the state’s 23 million registered voters.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“If it’s this big, you’ve got a remedy for goodness sakes,” Carter told Essayli during the hearing. “Go out and indict.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“To be clear, the district court judge explained that voting unlawfully results in criminal exposure,” Pels wrote in her statement. “Consistent with this, California also wrote in its filing that the remedy for unlawful voting is through criminal prosecution. Thus, while DOJ maintains that a civil remedy is still available, all agree that noncitizen voting is properly addressed through criminal law.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Justin Levitt, an elections law expert at Loyola Law School, said federal prosecutors can argue they’re carrying out a legitimate criminal investigation, but in that case, there shouldn’t be any rush to subpoena officials in the middle of the election. The statute of limitations on federal voting offenses, he noted, is five years.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Because they have no role in affecting the election results, there is no reason whatsoever for them to demand this information now,” Levitt said. “It’s not directly against the judge’s order … but it’s certainly not going to make the judge happy.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">California Sen. Tom Umberg, a Democrat and former federal prosecutor representing the Santa Ana area, said he was appalled that his former employer was clearly attempting “to intimidate public officials in exercising their sworn duties.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“I’m embarrassed and outraged that they’re trying to interfere with the election,” he said.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Essalyi didn’t return a text message seeking comment Thursday.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Professor Michael Vitiello, an expert on criminal law at the University of Pacific’s McGeorge School of Law, agreed that the federal government is trying to make election officials “insecure and fearful.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Maybe technically they’re trying to avoid direct conflict with the judge’s order, but they’re sure signaling that … election officials should lose some money, lose some sleep and maybe even go consult with lawyers,” Vitiello said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/10/ca-election-officials-subpoenas/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Wednesday, a federal judge \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12107158/judge-rejects-trump-administration-bid-to-set-aside-20000-california-ballots\">issued a blistering order\u003c/a> warning federal prosecutors to stop threatening California election officials with crimes.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In that subpoena, issued to the Orange County Registrar of Voters’s office, federal agents with the Department of Homeland Security are seeking unredacted voter records for 60 people, according to records obtained by CalMatters. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12085887\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-6-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-6-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-6-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Colby Brown, rover supervisor at the Veterans Memorial Center voting center, seals a ballot drop box, in Davis on June 2, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12085887\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Colby Brown, rover supervisor at the Veterans Memorial Center voting center, seals a ballot drop box, in Davis on June 2, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The subpoenas signal an intensification of the federal government’s unprecedented targeting of California’s elections, setting up what could be a showdown over the fundamentals of American democracy around next Tuesday’s midterm elections. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The subpoenas signal an intensification of the federal government’s unprecedented targeting of California’s elections, setting up what could be a showdown over the fundamentals of American democracy around next Tuesday’s midterm elections. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The prosecutors include those in the office of Los Angeles’ top federal prosecutor, Bill Essayli, a leading aide in President Donald Trump’s push to find evidence to support longstanding — and never proven — claims that California elections are rigged in Democrats’ favor due to noncitizen votes.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The prosecutors include those in the office of Los Angeles’ top federal prosecutor, Bill Essayli, a leading aide in President Donald Trump’s push to find evidence to support longstanding — and never proven — claims that California elections are rigged in Democrats’ favor due to noncitizen votes.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/doj-orders-criminal-probes-of-california-officials-over-ballots\">Bloomberg Law first reported\u003c/a> Thursday that U.S. Justice Department leaders had directed top federal prosecutors to pursue criminal subpoenas of state and local officials in their efforts to find evidence that noncitizens were allowed to vote. The news outlet cited two unnamed sources familiar with the situation.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/doj-orders-criminal-probes-of-california-officials-over-ballots\">Bloomberg Law first reported\u003c/a> Thursday that U.S. Justice Department leaders had directed top federal prosecutors to pursue criminal subpoenas of state and local officials in their efforts to find evidence that noncitizens were allowed to vote. The news outlet cited two unnamed sources familiar with the situation.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This month Essayli sued California and Los Angeles County, demanding they set aside the ballots of 20,000 registered voters he accused of not being U.S. citizens, and last week the Justice Department sent letters threatening local elections officials with criminal charges if they did not do the same with lists of voters in their own counties.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This month Essayli sued California and Los Angeles County, demanding they set aside the ballots of 20,000 registered voters he accused of not being U.S. citizens, and last week the Justice Department sent letters threatening local elections officials with criminal charges if they did not do the same with lists of voters in their own counties.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>County election officials from across California have said spot checks \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/10/trump-voting-claims-counties/\">found the government’s list of names to be inaccurate\u003c/a> and have challenged the legality of the requests. Officials in only one county so far – San Luis Obispo – have announced \u003ca href=\"https://www.slocounty.ca.gov/departments/district-attorney/latest-news/2026/october/district-attorney-investigating-63-federally-identified-registrations-and-local-election-referrals\">they will investigate\u003c/a> the voters from the Justice Department’s demand letters. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>County election officials from across California have said spot checks \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/10/trump-voting-claims-counties/\">found the government’s list of names to be inaccurate\u003c/a> and have challenged the legality of the requests. Officials in only one county so far – San Luis Obispo – have announced \u003ca href=\"https://www.slocounty.ca.gov/departments/district-attorney/latest-news/2026/october/district-attorney-investigating-63-federally-identified-registrations-and-local-election-referrals\">they will investigate\u003c/a> the voters from the Justice Department’s demand letters. \u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "What the subpoenas say ",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What the subpoenas say \u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In Los Angeles County, federal prosecutors last week subpoenaed three employees of the Registrar-Recorder’s Office, ordering them to testify before a grand jury in a criminal investigation on Nov. 4, the day after the election. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In Los Angeles County, federal prosecutors last week subpoenaed three employees of the Registrar-Recorder’s Office, ordering them to testify before a grand jury in a criminal investigation on Nov. 4, the day after the election. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors demanded county employees bring records of how their department prevents non-citizens from voting and “records relating to or involving evidence collected by your agency which tends to indicate an alien has voted in a federal election.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors demanded county employees bring records of how their department prevents non-citizens from voting and “records relating to or involving evidence collected by your agency which tends to indicate an alien has voted in a federal election.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a statement, Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder Dean Logan said prosecutors were taking a “confrontational, adversarial approach.” He said the federal judge’s warning to stop making threats directed at election officials “was well placed and appreciated.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In a statement, Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder Dean Logan said prosecutors were taking a “confrontational, adversarial approach.” He said the federal judge’s warning to stop making threats directed at election officials “was well placed and appreciated.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Threats and intimidation have no place in elections,” Logan said. “We will take whatever steps necessary to ensure the safety of our employees and to remain focused on serving the voters of Los Angeles County so they can exercise their voting franchise.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Threats and intimidation have no place in elections,” Logan said. “We will take whatever steps necessary to ensure the safety of our employees and to remain focused on serving the voters of Los Angeles County so they can exercise their voting franchise.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In Orange County, federal agents obtained the new grand jury subpoena last week but elections officials received it Thursday. It is similar to previous information demands from federal prosecutors. Elections officials had in September produced records on 20 registered voters in response to subpoenas. On Thursday, Registrar of Voters Bob Page told CalMatters three of those names appeared again in the new subpoena.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In Orange County, federal agents obtained the new grand jury subpoena last week but elections officials received it Thursday. It is similar to previous information demands from federal prosecutors. Elections officials had in September produced records on 20 registered voters in response to subpoenas. On Thursday, Registrar of Voters Bob Page told CalMatters three of those names appeared again in the new subpoena.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The federal government downplayed the subpoenas and suggested elections officials weren’t the targets of its investigation.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Receiving a subpoena doesn’t mean you are a target,” Justice Department spokesperson Kiersten Pels said in an emailed statement. “In fact, generally, the DOJ doesn’t subpoena targets.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Receiving a subpoena doesn’t mean you are a target,” Justice Department spokesperson Kiersten Pels said in an emailed statement. “In fact, generally, the DOJ doesn’t subpoena targets.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Judge says ‘these threats must stop’\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In his courtroom on Tuesday, U.S. District Judge David O. Carter made it clear that the federal government needed to stop \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/10/trump-voting-claims-counties/\">threatening election workers with criminal charges\u003c/a> if they didn’t comply with prosecutors’ demands. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In his courtroom on Tuesday, U.S. District Judge David O. Carter made it clear that the federal government needed to stop \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/10/trump-voting-claims-counties/\">threatening election workers with criminal charges\u003c/a> if they didn’t comply with prosecutors’ demands. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This court believes it would be wise that any threats to state or county (election) employees cease immediately,” Carter told the courtroom. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“This court believes it would be wise that any threats to state or county (election) employees cease immediately,” Carter told the courtroom. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He made the warning formal in his written ruling issued Wednesday evening. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>He made the warning formal in his written ruling issued Wednesday evening. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Never before in American history has the federal government, on the eve of an election, sought to coerce a state and local government to abandon their own Constitutional elections procedures and bend to the will of the Executive Branch,” Carter wrote. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Never before in American history has the federal government, on the eve of an election, sought to coerce a state and local government to abandon their own Constitutional elections procedures and bend to the will of the Executive Branch,” Carter wrote. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/03/CMPollWorkers02.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11977756\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/03/CMPollWorkers02.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/03/CMPollWorkers02-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/03/CMPollWorkers02-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/03/CMPollWorkers02-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/03/CMPollWorkers02-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/03/CMPollWorkers02-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A voter fills out their ballot at a polling station at the American Legion in Shasta Lake, California, during a special election in Shasta County on Nov. 7, 2023.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Fred Greaves/CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The court reiterates what it said yesterday: these threats must stop,” he wrote.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The court reiterates what it said yesterday: these threats must stop,” he wrote.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Justice Department has appealed Carter’s ruling to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Pels said prosecutors are merely doing what Carter told them to do: prosecute illegal voting if it’s found.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Justice Department has appealed Carter’s ruling to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Pels said prosecutors are merely doing what Carter told them to do: prosecute illegal voting if it’s found.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In expressing skepticism about the Trump administration’s claims, Carter told Essayli in court on Tuesday that if noncitizens really are voting in as large of numbers as the Trump administration claims, there’s nothing stopping federal prosecutors from finding them and charging them without the risk of blocking legal voters from having their ballots counted. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In expressing skepticism about the Trump administration’s claims, Carter told Essayli in court on Tuesday that if noncitizens really are voting in as large of numbers as the Trump administration claims, there’s nothing stopping federal prosecutors from finding them and charging them without the risk of blocking legal voters from having their ballots counted. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Last week, federal prosecutors across California charged 28 people with registering to vote despite not being citizens. Not all of those people had voted in past elections; those charged amount to 0.0001% of the state’s 23 million registered voters.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Last week, federal prosecutors across California charged 28 people with registering to vote despite not being citizens. Not all of those people had voted in past elections; those charged amount to 0.0001% of the state’s 23 million registered voters.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If it’s this big, you’ve got a remedy for goodness sakes,” Carter told Essayli during the hearing. “Go out and indict.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“If it’s this big, you’ve got a remedy for goodness sakes,” Carter told Essayli during the hearing. “Go out and indict.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“To be clear, the district court judge explained that voting unlawfully results in criminal exposure,” Pels wrote in her statement. “Consistent with this, California also wrote in its filing that the remedy for unlawful voting is through criminal prosecution. Thus, while DOJ maintains that a civil remedy is still available, all agree that noncitizen voting is properly addressed through criminal law.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“To be clear, the district court judge explained that voting unlawfully results in criminal exposure,” Pels wrote in her statement. “Consistent with this, California also wrote in its filing that the remedy for unlawful voting is through criminal prosecution. Thus, while DOJ maintains that a civil remedy is still available, all agree that noncitizen voting is properly addressed through criminal law.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Justin Levitt, an elections law expert at Loyola Law School, said federal prosecutors can argue they’re carrying out a legitimate criminal investigation, but in that case, there shouldn’t be any rush to subpoena officials in the middle of the election. The statute of limitations on federal voting offenses, he noted, is five years.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Justin Levitt, an elections law expert at Loyola Law School, said federal prosecutors can argue they’re carrying out a legitimate criminal investigation, but in that case, there shouldn’t be any rush to subpoena officials in the middle of the election. The statute of limitations on federal voting offenses, he noted, is five years.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Because they have no role in affecting the election results, there is no reason whatsoever for them to demand this information now,” Levitt said. “It’s not directly against the judge’s order … but it’s certainly not going to make the judge happy.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Because they have no role in affecting the election results, there is no reason whatsoever for them to demand this information now,” Levitt said. “It’s not directly against the judge’s order … but it’s certainly not going to make the judge happy.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California Sen. Tom Umberg, a Democrat and former federal prosecutor representing the Santa Ana area, said he was appalled that his former employer was clearly attempting “to intimidate public officials in exercising their sworn duties.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“I’m embarrassed and outraged that they’re trying to interfere with the election,” he said.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Essalyi didn’t return a text message seeking comment Thursday.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Professor Michael Vitiello, an expert on criminal law at the University of Pacific’s McGeorge School of Law, agreed that the federal government is trying to make election officials “insecure and fearful.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>California Sen. Tom Umberg, a Democrat and former federal prosecutor representing the Santa Ana area, said he was appalled that his former employer was clearly attempting “to intimidate public officials in exercising their sworn duties.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“I’m embarrassed and outraged that they’re trying to interfere with the election,” he said.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Essalyi didn’t return a text message seeking comment Thursday.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Professor Michael Vitiello, an expert on criminal law at the University of Pacific’s McGeorge School of Law, agreed that the federal government is trying to make election officials “insecure and fearful.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Maybe technically they’re trying to avoid direct conflict with the judge’s order, but they’re sure signaling that … election officials should lose some money, lose some sleep and maybe even go consult with lawyers,” Vitiello said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "A federal judge warned federal prosecutors to stop threatening California election officials, but prosecutors kept going. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Wednesday, a federal judge \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12107158/judge-rejects-trump-administration-bid-to-set-aside-20000-california-ballots\">issued a blistering order\u003c/a> warning federal prosecutors to stop threatening California election officials with crimes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A day later, federal prosecutors kept going. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At least four elections workers in California have received federal criminal grand jury subpoenas over the past week, with at least one delivered on Thursday after the court’s order.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In that subpoena, issued to the Orange County Registrar of Voters’s office, federal agents with the Department of Homeland Security are seeking unredacted voter records for 60 people, according to records obtained by CalMatters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12085887\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-6-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-6-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-6-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Colby Brown, rover supervisor at the Veterans Memorial Center voting center, seals a ballot drop box, in Davis on June 2, 2026. (Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The subpoenas signal an intensification of the federal government’s unprecedented targeting of California’s elections, setting up what could be a showdown over the fundamentals of American democracy around next Tuesday’s midterm elections. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The prosecutors include those in the office of Los Angeles’ top federal prosecutor, Bill Essayli, a leading aide in President Donald Trump’s push to find evidence to support longstanding — and never proven — claims that California elections are rigged in Democrats’ favor due to noncitizen votes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003ca href=\"https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/doj-orders-criminal-probes-of-california-officials-over-ballots\">Bloomberg Law first reported\u003c/a> Thursday that U.S. Justice Department leaders had directed top federal prosecutors to pursue criminal subpoenas of state and local officials in their efforts to find evidence that noncitizens were allowed to vote. The news outlet cited two unnamed sources familiar with the situation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This month Essayli sued California and Los Angeles County, demanding they set aside the ballots of 20,000 registered voters he accused of not being U.S. citizens, and last week the Justice Department sent letters threatening local elections officials with criminal charges if they did not do the same with lists of voters in their own counties.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">County election officials from across California have said spot checks \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/10/trump-voting-claims-counties/\">found the government’s list of names to be inaccurate\u003c/a> and have challenged the legality of the requests. Officials in only one county so far – San Luis Obispo – have announced \u003ca href=\"https://www.slocounty.ca.gov/departments/district-attorney/latest-news/2026/october/district-attorney-investigating-63-federally-identified-registrations-and-local-election-referrals\">they will investigate\u003c/a> the voters from the Justice Department’s demand letters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What the subpoenas say \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Los Angeles County, federal prosecutors last week subpoenaed three employees of the Registrar-Recorder’s Office, ordering them to testify before a grand jury in a criminal investigation on Nov. 4, the day after the election. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors demanded county employees bring records of how their department prevents non-citizens from voting and “records relating to or involving evidence collected by your agency which tends to indicate an alien has voted in a federal election.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a statement, Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder Dean Logan said prosecutors were taking a “confrontational, adversarial approach.” He said the federal judge’s warning to stop making threats directed at election officials “was well placed and appreciated.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Threats and intimidation have no place in elections,” Logan said. “We will take whatever steps necessary to ensure the safety of our employees and to remain focused on serving the voters of Los Angeles County so they can exercise their voting franchise.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Orange County, federal agents obtained the new grand jury subpoena last week but elections officials received it Thursday. It is similar to previous information demands from federal prosecutors. Elections officials had in September produced records on 20 registered voters in response to subpoenas. On Thursday, Registrar of Voters Bob Page told CalMatters three of those names appeared again in the new subpoena.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The federal government downplayed the subpoenas and suggested elections officials weren’t the targets of its investigation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Receiving a subpoena doesn’t mean you are a target,” Justice Department spokesperson Kiersten Pels said in an emailed statement. “In fact, generally, the DOJ doesn’t subpoena targets.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Judge says ‘these threats must stop’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his courtroom on Tuesday, U.S. District Judge David O. Carter made it clear that the federal government needed to stop \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/10/trump-voting-claims-counties/\">threatening election workers with criminal charges\u003c/a> if they didn’t comply with prosecutors’ demands. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“This court believes it would be wise that any threats to state or county (election) employees cease immediately,” Carter told the courtroom. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He made the warning formal in his written ruling issued Wednesday evening. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Never before in American history has the federal government, on the eve of an election, sought to coerce a state and local government to abandon their own Constitutional elections procedures and bend to the will of the Executive Branch,” Carter wrote. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/03/CMPollWorkers02.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11977756\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/03/CMPollWorkers02.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/03/CMPollWorkers02-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/03/CMPollWorkers02-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/03/CMPollWorkers02-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/03/CMPollWorkers02-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/03/CMPollWorkers02-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A voter fills out their ballot at a polling station at the American Legion in Shasta Lake, California, during a special election in Shasta County on Nov. 7, 2023. (Fred Greaves/CalMatters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The court reiterates what it said yesterday: these threats must stop,” he wrote.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Justice Department has appealed Carter’s ruling to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Pels said prosecutors are merely doing what Carter told them to do: prosecute illegal voting if it’s found.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In expressing skepticism about the Trump administration’s claims, Carter told Essayli in court on Tuesday that if noncitizens really are voting in as large of numbers as the Trump administration claims, there’s nothing stopping federal prosecutors from finding them and charging them without the risk of blocking legal voters from having their ballots counted. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last week, federal prosecutors across California charged 28 people with registering to vote despite not being citizens. Not all of those people had voted in past elections; those charged amount to 0.0001% of the state’s 23 million registered voters.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“If it’s this big, you’ve got a remedy for goodness sakes,” Carter told Essayli during the hearing. “Go out and indict.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“To be clear, the district court judge explained that voting unlawfully results in criminal exposure,” Pels wrote in her statement. “Consistent with this, California also wrote in its filing that the remedy for unlawful voting is through criminal prosecution. Thus, while DOJ maintains that a civil remedy is still available, all agree that noncitizen voting is properly addressed through criminal law.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Justin Levitt, an elections law expert at Loyola Law School, said federal prosecutors can argue they’re carrying out a legitimate criminal investigation, but in that case, there shouldn’t be any rush to subpoena officials in the middle of the election. The statute of limitations on federal voting offenses, he noted, is five years.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Because they have no role in affecting the election results, there is no reason whatsoever for them to demand this information now,” Levitt said. “It’s not directly against the judge’s order … but it’s certainly not going to make the judge happy.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">California Sen. Tom Umberg, a Democrat and former federal prosecutor representing the Santa Ana area, said he was appalled that his former employer was clearly attempting “to intimidate public officials in exercising their sworn duties.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“I’m embarrassed and outraged that they’re trying to interfere with the election,” he said.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Essalyi didn’t return a text message seeking comment Thursday.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Professor Michael Vitiello, an expert on criminal law at the University of Pacific’s McGeorge School of Law, agreed that the federal government is trying to make election officials “insecure and fearful.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Maybe technically they’re trying to avoid direct conflict with the judge’s order, but they’re sure signaling that … election officials should lose some money, lose some sleep and maybe even go consult with lawyers,” Vitiello said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/10/ca-election-officials-subpoenas/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "at-a-contra-costa-county-elections-office-workers-say-security-is-paramount",
"title": "At a Contra Costa County Elections Office, Workers Say Security Is ‘Paramount’",
"publishDate": 1793023200,
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"headTitle": "At a Contra Costa County Elections Office, Workers Say Security Is ‘Paramount’ | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On a Friday morning at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/contra-costa-county\">Contra Costa County\u003c/a> Clerk-Recorder’s Office in Martinez, dozens of people were at work answering the phones or hand-counting ballots. In an adjoining warehouse, dozens more fed tally machines and operated behemoth mail sorters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The workers — a mix of temporary, full-time, and volunteer staff — were of all ages and backgrounds. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It’s the same thing we’ve always been doing, we haven’t changed,” said Melinda McGee, an election services technician since 2022. McGee and others in her role are responsible for voter registrations, sending out vote-by-mail ballots, and verifying signatures. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/240305-MARTINEZ-VOTING-FILE-MD-04_qed-51570973.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106278\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/240305-MARTINEZ-VOTING-FILE-MD-04_qed-51570973.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/240305-MARTINEZ-VOTING-FILE-MD-04_qed-51570973-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/240305-MARTINEZ-VOTING-FILE-MD-04_qed-51570973-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A poll worker prepares mail-in ballots for sorting at the Contra Costa County Elections Operation Center in Martinez on March 5, 2024. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Of course, as a county agency, we are following the guidelines of the election code … so all we can do is relay the messages given to us and make sure the voters are fully informed of the information we have.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A big part, McGee said, of the election workers’ job starts before the votes even come in, handling tasks like answering questions from voters and offering assurances.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She said she’s hearing the usual worries that they receive every year, like questions about registering, or if a ballot was received. But in recent elections, more people have also asked to come to the office and physically observe the ballot count — something available to the public. She said there’s been more interest lately, with discussion of voter fraud and stolen ballots in the news and online. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We’re here for you. We’re working for you. We want you to know what you want to know, and there’s nothing to hide,” McGee said. “You want to come in and observe? By all means, I’ll take you myself. You want to see all the steps? I’ll be happy to show you what’s going on.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Understanding election security is always important,” McGee added. “It’s paramount to our business.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With the vote just over a week away, elections officials in Contra Costa County and across the country are preparing for everything — ranging from skepticism to outright legal challenges. President Donald Trump has \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/16/us/politics/documents-china-2020-election-trump.html\">warned\u003c/a> that our nation’s voting systems are vulnerable to foreign interference. Meanwhile, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12105068/judge-blocks-dhs-from-sending-armed-agents-to-question-voters-in-search-for-noncitizens\">armed federal agents\u003c/a> are scouring state voter registrations, trying to find proof of noncitizen voters. Just last week, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/10/19/nx-s1-6007908/election-tensions-escalate-in-california-as-doj-charges-28-people-with-voting-crimes\">DOJ charged 28 people in California\u003c/a> with voting-related crimes, and claimed many “likely non-citizens” on the state’s voting rolls. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“All those developments affect the conduct of the election,” said Travis Ebbert, a supervisor with the elections department for 15 years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“What could happen, what potential law changes … what effect that will have on voters’ behavior, their turnout, their voting patterns. Will they distrust the mail? Will they use dropboxes or show up in person more? All of that goes into our planning process,” Ebbert said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/161108_ConcordPolling_bhs02.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11999255\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/161108_ConcordPolling_bhs02.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/161108_ConcordPolling_bhs02-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/161108_ConcordPolling_bhs02-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/161108_ConcordPolling_bhs02-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/161108_ConcordPolling_bhs02-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A polling station in the city of Concord in 2024. (Brittany Hosea-Small/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While some Contra Costa County residents expressed worry to election workers about federal agents arresting people at polling places around Election Day, Ebbert said local law enforcement has assured them that’s not happening. They’re prepared with a contingency plan anyway, drafted with the help of local sheriffs, county council and the regional FBI coordinator. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ebbert and other election workers at the office say that they leave politics at the door, but when speaking to the public about concerns around elections integrity, that can be hard.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nena Manuel has worked elections there for two years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We are very nonpartisan, and so what we do is focus on what the election code book says, and we follow it to a T,” Manuel said. “It doesn’t matter what political party anyone affiliates with, we are going to serve you just as we would everyone else. Everyone come as you are and we will accept you and assist you and get you to vote if you are eligible.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ebbert says since 2016, officials have faced more skepticism from the public about their elections process — but more appreciation, too.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“For the last 6 to 8 years, I get ‘Thank you for your service’ like I’m a veteran or something,” said Ebbert, with a laugh. “I show up to work at a government job everyday in an office building and sit at my computer. I thought that was very strange, but I appreciate the sentiment.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Manuel said when she answers the phones, she’s been told the same thing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“They are very thankful, because I think when they hear what the process is, and that you have a genuine interest in ensuring that their ballots are being processed in a safe manner, they are happy to hear that,” Manuel said. “It’s very interesting to get that kind of reaction.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">McGee, who used to work for a political lobbying group, said she started working in elections to get away from politics. She noted a clear throughline in her career. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Service. It’s about service,” she said. “That is basically my mission in life, helping people. Whether it’s here in this office or outside in my private life, I’m always going to try and help someone. So it’s just lucky I get paid to do it now.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s the same thing we’ve always been doing, we haven’t changed,” said Melinda McGee, an election services technician since 2022. McGee and others in her role are responsible for voter registrations, sending out vote-by-mail ballots, and verifying signatures. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She said she’s hearing the usual worries that they receive every year, like questions about registering, or if a ballot was received. But in recent elections, more people have also asked to come to the office and physically observe the ballot count — something available to the public. She said there’s been more interest lately, with discussion of voter fraud and stolen ballots in the news and online. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re here for you. We’re working for you. We want you to know what you want to know, and there’s nothing to hide,” McGee said. “You want to come in and observe? By all means, I’ll take you myself. You want to see all the steps? I’ll be happy to show you what’s going on.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Understanding election security is always important,” McGee added. “It’s paramount to our business.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>With the vote just over a week away, elections officials in Contra Costa County and across the country are preparing for everything — ranging from skepticism to outright legal challenges. President Donald Trump has \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/16/us/politics/documents-china-2020-election-trump.html\">warned\u003c/a> that our nation’s voting systems are vulnerable to foreign interference. Meanwhile, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12105068/judge-blocks-dhs-from-sending-armed-agents-to-question-voters-in-search-for-noncitizens\">armed federal agents\u003c/a> are scouring state voter registrations, trying to find proof of noncitizen voters. Just last week, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/10/19/nx-s1-6007908/election-tensions-escalate-in-california-as-doj-charges-28-people-with-voting-crimes\">DOJ charged 28 people in California\u003c/a> with voting-related crimes, and claimed many “likely non-citizens” on the state’s voting rolls. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>With the vote just over a week away, elections officials in Contra Costa County and across the country are preparing for everything — ranging from skepticism to outright legal challenges. President Donald Trump has \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/16/us/politics/documents-china-2020-election-trump.html\">warned\u003c/a> that our nation’s voting systems are vulnerable to foreign interference. Meanwhile, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12105068/judge-blocks-dhs-from-sending-armed-agents-to-question-voters-in-search-for-noncitizens\">armed federal agents\u003c/a> are scouring state voter registrations, trying to find proof of noncitizen voters. Just last week, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/10/19/nx-s1-6007908/election-tensions-escalate-in-california-as-doj-charges-28-people-with-voting-crimes\">DOJ charged 28 people in California\u003c/a> with voting-related crimes, and claimed many “likely non-citizens” on the state’s voting rolls. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“All those developments affect the conduct of the election,” said Travis Ebbert, a supervisor with the elections department for 15 years. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“What could happen, what potential law changes … what effect that will have on voters’ behavior, their turnout, their voting patterns. Will they distrust the mail? Will they use dropboxes or show up in person more? All of that goes into our planning process,” Ebbert said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While some Contra Costa County residents expressed worry to election workers about federal agents arresting people at polling places around Election Day, Ebbert said local law enforcement has assured them that’s not happening. They’re prepared with a contingency plan anyway, drafted with the help of local sheriffs, county council and the regional FBI coordinator. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We are very nonpartisan, and so what we do is focus on what the election code book says, and we follow it to a T,” Manuel said. “It doesn’t matter what political party anyone affiliates with, we are going to serve you just as we would everyone else. Everyone come as you are and we will accept you and assist you and get you to vote if you are eligible.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“For the last 6 to 8 years, I get ‘Thank you for your service’ like I’m a veteran or something,” said Ebbert, with a laugh. “I show up to work at a government job everyday in an office building and sit at my computer. I thought that was very strange, but I appreciate the sentiment.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“They are very thankful, because I think when they hear what the process is, and that you have a genuine interest in ensuring that their ballots are being processed in a safe manner, they are happy to hear that,” Manuel said. “It’s very interesting to get that kind of reaction.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On a Friday morning at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/contra-costa-county\">Contra Costa County\u003c/a> Clerk-Recorder’s Office in Martinez, dozens of people were at work answering the phones or hand-counting ballots. In an adjoining warehouse, dozens more fed tally machines and operated behemoth mail sorters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The workers — a mix of temporary, full-time, and volunteer staff — were of all ages and backgrounds. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It’s the same thing we’ve always been doing, we haven’t changed,” said Melinda McGee, an election services technician since 2022. McGee and others in her role are responsible for voter registrations, sending out vote-by-mail ballots, and verifying signatures. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/240305-MARTINEZ-VOTING-FILE-MD-04_qed-51570973.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106278\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/240305-MARTINEZ-VOTING-FILE-MD-04_qed-51570973.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/240305-MARTINEZ-VOTING-FILE-MD-04_qed-51570973-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/240305-MARTINEZ-VOTING-FILE-MD-04_qed-51570973-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A poll worker prepares mail-in ballots for sorting at the Contra Costa County Elections Operation Center in Martinez on March 5, 2024. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Of course, as a county agency, we are following the guidelines of the election code … so all we can do is relay the messages given to us and make sure the voters are fully informed of the information we have.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A big part, McGee said, of the election workers’ job starts before the votes even come in, handling tasks like answering questions from voters and offering assurances.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She said she’s hearing the usual worries that they receive every year, like questions about registering, or if a ballot was received. But in recent elections, more people have also asked to come to the office and physically observe the ballot count — something available to the public. She said there’s been more interest lately, with discussion of voter fraud and stolen ballots in the news and online. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We’re here for you. We’re working for you. We want you to know what you want to know, and there’s nothing to hide,” McGee said. “You want to come in and observe? By all means, I’ll take you myself. You want to see all the steps? I’ll be happy to show you what’s going on.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Understanding election security is always important,” McGee added. “It’s paramount to our business.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With the vote just over a week away, elections officials in Contra Costa County and across the country are preparing for everything — ranging from skepticism to outright legal challenges. President Donald Trump has \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/16/us/politics/documents-china-2020-election-trump.html\">warned\u003c/a> that our nation’s voting systems are vulnerable to foreign interference. Meanwhile, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12105068/judge-blocks-dhs-from-sending-armed-agents-to-question-voters-in-search-for-noncitizens\">armed federal agents\u003c/a> are scouring state voter registrations, trying to find proof of noncitizen voters. Just last week, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/10/19/nx-s1-6007908/election-tensions-escalate-in-california-as-doj-charges-28-people-with-voting-crimes\">DOJ charged 28 people in California\u003c/a> with voting-related crimes, and claimed many “likely non-citizens” on the state’s voting rolls. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“All those developments affect the conduct of the election,” said Travis Ebbert, a supervisor with the elections department for 15 years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“What could happen, what potential law changes … what effect that will have on voters’ behavior, their turnout, their voting patterns. Will they distrust the mail? Will they use dropboxes or show up in person more? All of that goes into our planning process,” Ebbert said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/161108_ConcordPolling_bhs02.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11999255\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/161108_ConcordPolling_bhs02.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/161108_ConcordPolling_bhs02-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/161108_ConcordPolling_bhs02-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/161108_ConcordPolling_bhs02-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/161108_ConcordPolling_bhs02-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A polling station in the city of Concord in 2024. (Brittany Hosea-Small/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While some Contra Costa County residents expressed worry to election workers about federal agents arresting people at polling places around Election Day, Ebbert said local law enforcement has assured them that’s not happening. They’re prepared with a contingency plan anyway, drafted with the help of local sheriffs, county council and the regional FBI coordinator. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ebbert and other election workers at the office say that they leave politics at the door, but when speaking to the public about concerns around elections integrity, that can be hard.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nena Manuel has worked elections there for two years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We are very nonpartisan, and so what we do is focus on what the election code book says, and we follow it to a T,” Manuel said. “It doesn’t matter what political party anyone affiliates with, we are going to serve you just as we would everyone else. Everyone come as you are and we will accept you and assist you and get you to vote if you are eligible.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ebbert says since 2016, officials have faced more skepticism from the public about their elections process — but more appreciation, too.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“For the last 6 to 8 years, I get ‘Thank you for your service’ like I’m a veteran or something,” said Ebbert, with a laugh. “I show up to work at a government job everyday in an office building and sit at my computer. I thought that was very strange, but I appreciate the sentiment.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Manuel said when she answers the phones, she’s been told the same thing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“They are very thankful, because I think when they hear what the process is, and that you have a genuine interest in ensuring that their ballots are being processed in a safe manner, they are happy to hear that,” Manuel said. “It’s very interesting to get that kind of reaction.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">McGee, who used to work for a political lobbying group, said she started working in elections to get away from politics. She noted a clear throughline in her career. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Service. It’s about service,” she said. “That is basically my mission in life, helping people. Whether it’s here in this office or outside in my private life, I’m always going to try and help someone. So it’s just lucky I get paid to do it now.” \u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "doj-orders-contra-costa-other-california-counties-to-verify-ballots",
"title": "DOJ Orders Contra Costa, Other California Counties to Verify Ballots",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Federal prosecutors sent letters to county registrars across California on Friday demanding that local officials set aside and verify ballots that the Department of Justice said \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104425/california-officials-denounce-trump-dojs-demands-to-prove-voters-citizenship\">may belong to noncitizens\u003c/a>, according to the Los Angeles County registrar and a letter obtained by The Associated Press.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The letters are the latest escalation in a \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/doj-california-elections-e08ec04efdb1110c0e3f815f2ce6a3db\">legal battle\u003c/a> between California and President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice, which has recently focused on the state in its efforts to \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/homeland-security-justice-department-midterms-noncitizen-voting-09b8391612fc87676267a254c55eaee8\">root out noncitizen voting\u003c/a> ahead of the midterm elections. Data shows illegal voting by people who aren’t U.S. citizens is \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/noncitizens-voting-republicans-election-2024-immigration-09b86e6768f755fd875f3c51b0e8ea70\">incredibly rare\u003c/a>, difficult to prove and has not been shown to change the outcome of races.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Earlier this month, the federal government targeted \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/california-justice-department-voting-noncitizens-lawsuit-12c62cf12a7db6480c60975b6dea49b8\">Los Angeles County and the California Secretary of State’s office\u003c/a> in a lawsuit that aimed to block them from counting the votes of roughly 20,000 people who are “likely” noncitizen voters. A hearing on the case is scheduled for Tuesday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251030-BayAreaVoters-25-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12087182\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251030-BayAreaVoters-25-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251030-BayAreaVoters-25-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251030-BayAreaVoters-25-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ballots sit in crates before being counted at the City Hall Voting Center in San Francisco on Oct. 30, 2025, ahead of last year’s statewide special election. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Trump administration asked the 9th Circuit court of appeals to rule on the lawsuit barring a decision from the district judge assigned to the case. They set a deadline for Saturday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, according to the LA County registrar’s office, at least 18 counties across the state have received similar letters. They have been given a 48 hour deadline from Friday to provide identifying information corresponding with ballots that the federal government believes were sent to noncitizens illegally registered to vote. The letter requests that county officials also sequester any ballots where citizenship cannot be verified.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Any election official who knowingly processes the ballot of a noncitizen is opening themselves to legal jeopardy,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">East Bay Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, whose district includes parts of Contra Costa County, said in a statement that Contra Costa election officials were among those that received a letter.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/MarkDeSaulnierGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12014671\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/MarkDeSaulnierGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/MarkDeSaulnierGetty-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/MarkDeSaulnierGetty-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/MarkDeSaulnierGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/MarkDeSaulnierGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/MarkDeSaulnierGetty-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA) speaks during a House Rules Committee hearing on the impeachment against President Donald Trump on Dec. 17, 2019 in Washington, D.C. (Patrick Semansky-Pool/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I have confidence that local elections officials are conducting this election in accordance with all state and federal laws and working to protect the Constitutional rights guaranteed to American citizens, including ensuring that every eligible voter who wants to participate in the upcoming election has the opportunity to do so,” DeSaulnier said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Justice Department is asking counties to send information about the voters it suspects are noncitizens including social security numbers, ID information, a copy of their registration and more.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That information can help the government and state quickly assess each person suspected of illegally registering to vote, said the letter sent to San Bernardino County voting officials. The letter says the government’s list of suspected noncitizen voters includes 1,133 people from the inland Southern California county.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">California’s secretary of state and the Los Angeles County registrar have opposed the federal government’s demands. In legal filings, lawyers for California say the request threatens to delay the certification of the vote and undermine the legitimacy of the November midterms. They have also argued that the federal government’s data is unreliable and that their demands risk disenfranchisement of citizens.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Voting is underway in California, with the state’s more than 23 million registered voters receiving ballots in the mail earlier this month. The state said in legal filings that over 330,000 mail-in ballots have already been counted.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The letters came on the heels of \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/california-election-naturalization-voting-62ebeea82da863d93ee4e112e5b9f86e\">statewide sweep by federal authorities\u003c/a> earlier in the week, where 28 people from the list of 20,000 were charged with illegally registering to vote. Some were also charged with illegally voting and lying on naturalization paperwork. Those charges could lead to years in prison.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sen. Alex Padilla, ranking member of the U.S. Senate Rules and Administration Committee with oversight over federal elections, said in a statement that the Trump administration is “afraid and desperate” and attempting to interfere in the state’s elections.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Trump’s DOJ has not provided any evidence for their claims of massive voter fraud. They’ve admitted that the data they point to is inaccurate and unreliable,” Padilla said. “No matter how many lawsuits they file or how many election officials they threaten, they do not have the authority to interfere.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/skennedy\">Samantha Kennedy\u003c/a> contributed to this report. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Federal prosecutors sent letters to county registrars across California on Friday demanding that local officials set aside and verify ballots that the Department of Justice said \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104425/california-officials-denounce-trump-dojs-demands-to-prove-voters-citizenship\">may belong to noncitizens\u003c/a>, according to the Los Angeles County registrar and a letter obtained by The Associated Press.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The letters are the latest escalation in a \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/doj-california-elections-e08ec04efdb1110c0e3f815f2ce6a3db\">legal battle\u003c/a> between California and President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice, which has recently focused on the state in its efforts to \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/homeland-security-justice-department-midterms-noncitizen-voting-09b8391612fc87676267a254c55eaee8\">root out noncitizen voting\u003c/a> ahead of the midterm elections. Data shows illegal voting by people who aren’t U.S. citizens is \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/noncitizens-voting-republicans-election-2024-immigration-09b86e6768f755fd875f3c51b0e8ea70\">incredibly rare\u003c/a>, difficult to prove and has not been shown to change the outcome of races.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The letters are the latest escalation in a \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/doj-california-elections-e08ec04efdb1110c0e3f815f2ce6a3db\">legal battle\u003c/a> between California and President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice, which has recently focused on the state in its efforts to \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/homeland-security-justice-department-midterms-noncitizen-voting-09b8391612fc87676267a254c55eaee8\">root out noncitizen voting\u003c/a> ahead of the midterm elections. Data shows illegal voting by people who aren’t U.S. citizens is \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/noncitizens-voting-republicans-election-2024-immigration-09b86e6768f755fd875f3c51b0e8ea70\">incredibly rare\u003c/a>, difficult to prove and has not been shown to change the outcome of races.\u003c/p>\n"
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"\n\u003cp>Earlier this month, the federal government targeted \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/california-justice-department-voting-noncitizens-lawsuit-12c62cf12a7db6480c60975b6dea49b8\">Los Angeles County and the California Secretary of State’s office\u003c/a> in a lawsuit that aimed to block them from counting the votes of roughly 20,000 people who are “likely” noncitizen voters. A hearing on the case is scheduled for Tuesday.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251030-BayAreaVoters-25-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12087182\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251030-BayAreaVoters-25-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251030-BayAreaVoters-25-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251030-BayAreaVoters-25-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ballots sit in crates before being counted at the City Hall Voting Center in San Francisco on Oct. 30, 2025, ahead of last year’s statewide special election.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Trump administration asked the 9th Circuit court of appeals to rule on the lawsuit barring a decision from the district judge assigned to the case. They set a deadline for Saturday.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Now, according to the LA County registrar’s office, at least 18 counties across the state have received similar letters. They have been given a 48 hour deadline from Friday to provide identifying information corresponding with ballots that the federal government believes were sent to noncitizens illegally registered to vote. The letter requests that county officials also sequester any ballots where citizenship cannot be verified.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Now, according to the LA County registrar’s office, at least 18 counties across the state have received similar letters. They have been given a 48 hour deadline from Friday to provide identifying information corresponding with ballots that the federal government believes were sent to noncitizens illegally registered to vote. The letter requests that county officials also sequester any ballots where citizenship cannot be verified.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Any election official who knowingly processes the ballot of a noncitizen is opening themselves to legal jeopardy,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>East Bay Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, whose district includes parts of Contra Costa County, said in a statement that Contra Costa election officials were among those that received a letter.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I have confidence that local elections officials are conducting this election in accordance with all state and federal laws and working to protect the Constitutional rights guaranteed to American citizens, including ensuring that every eligible voter who wants to participate in the upcoming election has the opportunity to do so,” DeSaulnier said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Justice Department is asking counties to send information about the voters it suspects are noncitizens including social security numbers, ID information, a copy of their registration and more.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That information can help the government and state quickly assess each person suspected of illegally registering to vote, said the letter sent to San Bernardino County voting officials. The letter says the government’s list of suspected noncitizen voters includes 1,133 people from the inland Southern California county.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>That information can help the government and state quickly assess each person suspected of illegally registering to vote, said the letter sent to San Bernardino County voting officials. The letter says the government’s list of suspected noncitizen voters includes 1,133 people from the inland Southern California county.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California’s secretary of state and the Los Angeles County registrar have opposed the federal government’s demands. In legal filings, lawyers for California say the request threatens to delay the certification of the vote and undermine the legitimacy of the November midterms. They have also argued that the federal government’s data is unreliable and that their demands risk disenfranchisement of citizens.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>California’s secretary of state and the Los Angeles County registrar have opposed the federal government’s demands. In legal filings, lawyers for California say the request threatens to delay the certification of the vote and undermine the legitimacy of the November midterms. They have also argued that the federal government’s data is unreliable and that their demands risk disenfranchisement of citizens.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Voting is underway in California, with the state’s more than 23 million registered voters receiving ballots in the mail earlier this month. The state said in legal filings that over 330,000 mail-in ballots have already been counted.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Voting is underway in California, with the state’s more than 23 million registered voters receiving ballots in the mail earlier this month. The state said in legal filings that over 330,000 mail-in ballots have already been counted.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The letters came on the heels of \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/california-election-naturalization-voting-62ebeea82da863d93ee4e112e5b9f86e\">statewide sweep by federal authorities\u003c/a> earlier in the week, where 28 people from the list of 20,000 were charged with illegally registering to vote. Some were also charged with illegally voting and lying on naturalization paperwork. Those charges could lead to years in prison.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The letters came on the heels of \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/california-election-naturalization-voting-62ebeea82da863d93ee4e112e5b9f86e\">statewide sweep by federal authorities\u003c/a> earlier in the week, where 28 people from the list of 20,000 were charged with illegally registering to vote. Some were also charged with illegally voting and lying on naturalization paperwork. Those charges could lead to years in prison.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Sen. Alex Padilla, ranking member of the U.S. Senate Rules and Administration Committee with oversight over federal elections, said in a statement that the Trump administration is “afraid and desperate” and attempting to interfere in the state’s elections.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Sen. Alex Padilla, ranking member of the U.S. Senate Rules and Administration Committee with oversight over federal elections, said in a statement that the Trump administration is “afraid and desperate” and attempting to interfere in the state’s elections.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Trump’s DOJ has not provided any evidence for their claims of massive voter fraud. They’ve admitted that the data they point to is inaccurate and unreliable,” Padilla said. “No matter how many lawsuits they file or how many election officials they threaten, they do not have the authority to interfere.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Trump’s DOJ has not provided any evidence for their claims of massive voter fraud. They’ve admitted that the data they point to is inaccurate and unreliable,” Padilla said. “No matter how many lawsuits they file or how many election officials they threaten, they do not have the authority to interfere.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/skennedy\">Samantha Kennedy\u003c/a> contributed to this report. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/skennedy\">Samantha Kennedy\u003c/a> contributed to this report. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Election officials across California, including in Contra Costa County, received letters demanding officials verify ballots that may belong to noncitizens. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Federal prosecutors sent letters to county registrars across California on Friday demanding that local officials set aside and verify ballots that the Department of Justice said \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104425/california-officials-denounce-trump-dojs-demands-to-prove-voters-citizenship\">may belong to noncitizens\u003c/a>, according to the Los Angeles County registrar and a letter obtained by The Associated Press.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The letters are the latest escalation in a \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/doj-california-elections-e08ec04efdb1110c0e3f815f2ce6a3db\">legal battle\u003c/a> between California and President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice, which has recently focused on the state in its efforts to \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/homeland-security-justice-department-midterms-noncitizen-voting-09b8391612fc87676267a254c55eaee8\">root out noncitizen voting\u003c/a> ahead of the midterm elections. Data shows illegal voting by people who aren’t U.S. citizens is \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/noncitizens-voting-republicans-election-2024-immigration-09b86e6768f755fd875f3c51b0e8ea70\">incredibly rare\u003c/a>, difficult to prove and has not been shown to change the outcome of races.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Earlier this month, the federal government targeted \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/california-justice-department-voting-noncitizens-lawsuit-12c62cf12a7db6480c60975b6dea49b8\">Los Angeles County and the California Secretary of State’s office\u003c/a> in a lawsuit that aimed to block them from counting the votes of roughly 20,000 people who are “likely” noncitizen voters. A hearing on the case is scheduled for Tuesday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251030-BayAreaVoters-25-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12087182\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251030-BayAreaVoters-25-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251030-BayAreaVoters-25-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251030-BayAreaVoters-25-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ballots sit in crates before being counted at the City Hall Voting Center in San Francisco on Oct. 30, 2025, ahead of last year’s statewide special election. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Trump administration asked the 9th Circuit court of appeals to rule on the lawsuit barring a decision from the district judge assigned to the case. They set a deadline for Saturday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, according to the LA County registrar’s office, at least 18 counties across the state have received similar letters. They have been given a 48 hour deadline from Friday to provide identifying information corresponding with ballots that the federal government believes were sent to noncitizens illegally registered to vote. The letter requests that county officials also sequester any ballots where citizenship cannot be verified.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Any election official who knowingly processes the ballot of a noncitizen is opening themselves to legal jeopardy,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">East Bay Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, whose district includes parts of Contra Costa County, said in a statement that Contra Costa election officials were among those that received a letter.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/MarkDeSaulnierGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12014671\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/MarkDeSaulnierGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/MarkDeSaulnierGetty-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/MarkDeSaulnierGetty-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/MarkDeSaulnierGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/MarkDeSaulnierGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/MarkDeSaulnierGetty-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA) speaks during a House Rules Committee hearing on the impeachment against President Donald Trump on Dec. 17, 2019 in Washington, D.C. (Patrick Semansky-Pool/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I have confidence that local elections officials are conducting this election in accordance with all state and federal laws and working to protect the Constitutional rights guaranteed to American citizens, including ensuring that every eligible voter who wants to participate in the upcoming election has the opportunity to do so,” DeSaulnier said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Justice Department is asking counties to send information about the voters it suspects are noncitizens including social security numbers, ID information, a copy of their registration and more.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That information can help the government and state quickly assess each person suspected of illegally registering to vote, said the letter sent to San Bernardino County voting officials. The letter says the government’s list of suspected noncitizen voters includes 1,133 people from the inland Southern California county.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">California’s secretary of state and the Los Angeles County registrar have opposed the federal government’s demands. In legal filings, lawyers for California say the request threatens to delay the certification of the vote and undermine the legitimacy of the November midterms. They have also argued that the federal government’s data is unreliable and that their demands risk disenfranchisement of citizens.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Voting is underway in California, with the state’s more than 23 million registered voters receiving ballots in the mail earlier this month. The state said in legal filings that over 330,000 mail-in ballots have already been counted.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The letters came on the heels of \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/california-election-naturalization-voting-62ebeea82da863d93ee4e112e5b9f86e\">statewide sweep by federal authorities\u003c/a> earlier in the week, where 28 people from the list of 20,000 were charged with illegally registering to vote. Some were also charged with illegally voting and lying on naturalization paperwork. Those charges could lead to years in prison.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sen. Alex Padilla, ranking member of the U.S. Senate Rules and Administration Committee with oversight over federal elections, said in a statement that the Trump administration is “afraid and desperate” and attempting to interfere in the state’s elections.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Trump’s DOJ has not provided any evidence for their claims of massive voter fraud. They’ve admitted that the data they point to is inaccurate and unreliable,” Padilla said. “No matter how many lawsuits they file or how many election officials they threaten, they do not have the authority to interfere.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/skennedy\">Samantha Kennedy\u003c/a> contributed to this report. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "brazil-votes-for-a-new-president-on-sunday-how-bay-area-brazilians-are-following-the-race",
"title": "Brazil Votes for a New President on Sunday. How Bay Area Brazilians Are Following the Race",
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"headTitle": "Brazil Votes for a New President on Sunday. How Bay Area Brazilians Are Following the Race | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Less than two weeks before Americans head to the polls for the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">midterms\u003c/a>, the second most-populous democracy in the Western Hemisphere has its own momentous election.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Sunday, Brazil will choose its next president — the second round of voting in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/10/19/nx-s1-6004280/brazils-run-off-is-heating-up-with-large-crowds-and-an-insult-filled-debate\">closely fought race\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The final choice for more than 150 million voters — living not just in Brazil but abroad in places including the Bay Area — is between the country’s incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of the leftist Workers’ Party, known as Lula, and Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, the son of convicted former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The choices are profoundly different,” said Harley Shaiken, professor emeritus at UC Berkeley, who previously led the university’s Center for Latin American Studies. Lula and Bolsonaro differ vastly in their policies around criminal justice, public spending and how to engage with the United States. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">President Donald Trump has publicly \u003ca href=\"https://www.trumpstruth.org/statuses/39041\">praised\u003c/a> Bolsonaro, after disagreements with Lula on \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/30/us-brazil-lula-trump-tariffs\">trade\u003c/a>, regulating \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/brazil-lula-big-techs-decree-pressure-610644693b3f0df5420f1c2a46c5db41\">U.S. tech companies\u003c/a> and the \u003ca href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/09/01/brazil-bolsonaro-trial-coup-trump/\">criminal trial\u003c/a> of Jair Bolsonaro.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1320\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2300746278-6df0dc89.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106089\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2300746278-6df0dc89.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2300746278-6df0dc89-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2300746278-6df0dc89-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Brazil’s right-wing senator and presidential candidate for the Liberal Party (PL), Flavio Bolsonaro, speaks during a campaign rally in Guarulhos, Sao Paulo State, Brazil, on Oct. 21, 2026, ahead of the presidential election runoff. (Miguel Schincariol/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump to: \u003ca href=\"#presidential-vote\">I’m a Brazilian citizen living abroad. Can I still register to vote in this election?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shaiken added that the two candidates also differ widely on how to \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/10/18/world/americas/brazil-election-amazon-deforestation.html\">preserve\u003c/a> the Amazon rainforest, most of which is located in Brazil. “Whether there are environmental protections in the Amazon or not, that impacts climate change,” he said — meaning that the results of Brazil’s election “will also affect every American.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">More than 2 million Brazilian nationals \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.br/mre/pt-br/consulado-munique/noticias/estimativas-das-comunidades-brasileiras-no-exterior\">live\u003c/a> in the United States — many of them part of the Bay Area’s own Brazilian diaspora. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This community will have the chance to cast their vote on Sunday at Brazil’s San Francisco consulate, which could influence the final results in this neck-and-neck race. Keep reading for what’s at stake in this momentous election and how local voters are preparing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What’s at stake in Brazil’s election?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the campaign trail, Lula has championed major poverty reduction programs created in his previous administrations — two terms from 2003 to 2011, then his return to the presidency in 2023.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lula’s government also claims that it has \u003ca href=\"https://www.lemonde.fr/en/environment/article/2026/09/27/lula-s-mixed-environmental-record-has-brought-less-deforestation-but-more-oil_6758014_114.html\">reduced\u003c/a> deforestation in the Amazon by about 50% from 2022 levels. And earlier this month, Lula secured a \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/15/brazil-cuts-work-week-to-40-hours-lula-bolsonaro-election-runoff\">policy win\u003c/a> that electrified his voter base: His allies in Congress passed a constitutional amendment that ends the six-day work week in Brazil and guarantees the country’s workers two days off per week without reducing their salary.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, polls still show the 80-year-old incumbent slightly behind Bolsonaro, who received 47% of votes during the first round on Oct. 4 — two percentage points ahead of Lula, but not a clear majority to secure the presidency. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1319\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2300746333-9ce03c86.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106090\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2300746333-9ce03c86.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2300746333-9ce03c86-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2300746333-9ce03c86-1536x1023.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Brazil’s right-wing senator and presidential candidate for the Liberal Party (PL), Flavio Bolsonaro, holds a sign reading “There are four days left until Lula retires” during a campaign rally in Guarulhos, Sao Paulo State, Brazil, on Oct. 21, 2026, ahead of the presidential election runoff. (Miguel Schincariol/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bolsonaro, the 45-year-old senator for Rio de Janeiro, champions a conservative platform similar to that of his father, prioritizing strong law enforcement, evangelical Christian values and the agricultural industry.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some political analysts even \u003ca href=\"https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220906-brazil-s-bolsonaro-still-the-bibles-bullets-and-beef-candidate\">refer to\u003c/a> these principles as “BBB”: bullets, Bibles and beef.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both candidates have accused the other of being linked to organized crime and enabling corruption in Brazil. In an onstage Oct. 18 debate, Bolsonaro claimed that 73% of prison inmates voted for Lula. In response, Lula said he wished that figure had instead been 100% — “including your father.” The elder Bolsonaro is currently serving a 27-year sentence for attempting a coup to overturn the 2022 electoral loss that ended his presidency.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As the campaign enters the final stretch, hundreds of thousands of Brazilians have filled the streets of the country’s major cities not just to rally behind their preferred candidate, but also to motivate those who didn’t turn out to vote during the first round. That particular population will be key to winning on Sunday, Shaiken said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The conventional wisdom tells us now that Flavio is going to win,” he said. “But through his entire political career, Lula has a tendency to come back swinging and win when he’s been written off.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Trump administration is closely \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnnbrasil.com.br/internacional/trump-volta-a-dizer-que-esta-acompanhando-as-eleicoes-do-brasil-de-perto/\">following\u003c/a> the election. Bolsonaro visited the White House earlier this year and has said that if he’s elected, Brazil will \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnnbrasil.com.br/politica/terras-raras-se-eleito-flavio-diz-que-fara-parcerias-estrategias-com-eua/\">work more closely\u003c/a> with the U.S. to extract its deposits of critical minerals. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A Bolsonaro victory would also represent another win in Latin America for a right-wing politician close to Trump — joining Javier Milei in Argentina, Abelardo de la Espriella in Colombia, José Antonio Kast in Chile and most recently, Keiko Fujimori in Peru.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“There’s no ambiguity about who the Trump administration favors,” Shaiken said. “Every major economy in the region would be run by a right-wing leader, with the exception of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11988472/what-to-know-about-mexicos-historic-election-this-weekend-and-how-to-vote-from-the-us\">Mexico and Claudia Sheinbaum\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How have Brazilians in the Bay Area mobilized?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nicolas Monteiro has lived in San Francisco for a little over 20 years, thousands of miles away from his family in São Paulo. But showing up to the city’s Brazilian Consulate on the morning of Oct. 4 to cast his vote for Lula in the first round of Brazil’s election felt intensely emotional, he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The only family I have here is my mom and my sibling,” said Monteiro, a union organizer in San Francisco. “Everyone else is in Brazil. What happens in Brazilian politics — both at the national and local level — directly impacts my whole family.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Other states like Florida and Massachusetts have a significantly bigger Brazilian population. But California hosts the only two Brazilian consulates on the West Coast — in San Francisco and Los Angeles — and in the Oct. 4 election, was among the states with the highest participation rates.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1320\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2300873858-804f2dfd.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106091\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2300873858-804f2dfd.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2300873858-804f2dfd-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2300873858-804f2dfd-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A woman walks past flags and towels bearing the images of Brazil’s President and presidential candidate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and right-wing senator and presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro for sale in a street in Brasília on Oct. 22, 2026. Lula da Silva and Bolsonaro head to a runoff election on Oct. 25, a race that has become mired in allegations of social media malfeasance. (Evaristo Sa/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The community here also stands out for being one of the firmest bases of support for Lula in the U.S. The first-round \u003ca href=\"https://resultados.tse.jus.br/oficial/app/index.html#/eleicao/6257/uf/zz/mu/30503/cargo/1/vis/nominal/resultados\">results\u003c/a> show that out of the roughly four thousand votes cast at the San Francisco consulate, 57% were for Lula — 20% more than Bolsonaro’s share of the vote, and the biggest margin in favor of the incumbent across all U.S.-based voters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But San Francisco is an exception to the bigger trend. More than 60% of the roughly 75,000 votes cast nationwide on Oct. 4 were for Bolsonaro.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lula supporters in the Bay Area have spent the past few weeks mobilizing voters across the region with the hope of helping the sitting president win. But there’s one challenge: Brazilian elections use electronic voting, which has to be done in person. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And for those living abroad, that requires traveling to the closest consulate, regardless of where they live now, to cast their vote.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“When you are voting, that part is easy,” said Allanys Godke, a student living in Redwood City who grew up near the Brazilian port city of Santos. “But you have to make it in person, no matter how far you are from a consulate.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Godke and her friend Bruna Campelo manage an Instagram account called \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thoquetalk/\">Thoque Talk\u003c/a>, where they promote cultural and social events for and by the Bay Area’s Brazilian community. But they’ve also used their platform to share information on the election and how Brazilians abroad can participate. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Oct. 4, for example, Godke and Campelo \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PizAzFXD6tI\">shared\u003c/a> their experience voting at the consulate step-by-step:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PizAzFXD6tI\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Our goal is to show people that they can have a normal life living abroad,” Campelo said —including retaining a voice in critical elections back home. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Getting involved in the election also helps them meet other Brazilians in the Bay Area, Godke said. “Soon you’re building a community,” she said. “It’s very organic.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Other Lula supporters in the region are bringing attention to Silicon Valley’s role in the election. Bruno Matos, an entrepreneur originally from Bahia now living in San Francisco, joined a protest on Wednesday outside the headquarters of tech giant Meta in Menlo Park. He said he’s frustrated with what he believes are attempts by U.S. tech companies to favor Bolsonaro.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In September, Meta temporarily \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/meta-tells-brazil-court-it-treats-lula-bolsonaro-campaigns-equally-2026-10-20/\">blocked\u003c/a> the Lula campaign from posting campaign ads on Facebook. Brazilian journalists soon after \u003ca href=\"https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/poder/2026/10/em-mensagens-internas-meta-admite-que-contas-de-lula-foram-prejudicadas-por-restricoes-engenheiros-falam-em-falhas-tecnicas.shtml\">reported\u003c/a> that internal messaging among Meta employees showed that restrictions on content from Lula favored Bolsonaro.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We care about our democracy and Big Tech should stay out of it,” Matos said. Meta has publicly \u003ca href=\"https://about.fb.com/br/news/2026/10/a-meta-nao-esta-interferindo-nas-eleicoes-brasileiras-estes-sao-os-fatos/\">stated\u003c/a> that “allegations that we are favoring or interfering on behalf of any candidate or political group are false and unfounded.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The company’s own independent oversight board, however, \u003ca href=\"https://www.oversightboard.com/news/oversight-board-statement-on-protecting-election-integrity-on-metas-platforms/?utm_source=chatgpt.com\">criticized\u003c/a> how Meta moderates content during global elections, pointing to an “overenforcement that suppresses political speech and underenforcement that undermines electoral integrity.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 id=\"presidential-vote\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can I still vote in Brazil’s Oct. 25 second-round presidential vote?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.br/mre/pt-br/consulado-sao-francisco/servicos-eleitorais/servicos-eleitorais\">Ministry of Foreign Relations\u003c/a>, eligible Brazilian voters had to complete their online voter registration with the Superior Electoral Court (or TSE in Portuguese) by May 6. This deadline also applies to updating your chosen voting center. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Brazilians abroad can choose to vote at whichever consulate is closest to them. On Oct. 25, you can only vote at the location you have previously chosen — and only on that date.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you did not register before May 6, you will not be able to vote in this election. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And if you are registered, but didn’t update your voter profile to include a voting center abroad, you won’t be able to vote at a consulate on Sunday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And if you \u003cem>are\u003c/em> registered and your voter profile does include a voting center abroad, Brazilian law requires you to vote in the presidential election or potentially face fines. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On its website, the Ministry of Foreign Relations points out that fees are processed on a \u003ca href=\"https://www.tse.jus.br/eleitor/titulo-eleitoral/quitacao-de-multas\">TSE portal\u003c/a>, not at a consulate.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>This story has been updated to reflect\u003c/em> Bruno Matos’ correct profession.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The final choice for more than 150 million voters — living not just in Brazil but abroad in places including the Bay Area — is between the country’s incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of the leftist Workers’ Party, known as Lula, and Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, the son of convicted former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The choices are profoundly different,” said Harley Shaiken, professor emeritus at UC Berkeley, who previously led the university’s Center for Latin American Studies. Lula and Bolsonaro differ vastly in their policies around criminal justice, public spending and how to engage with the United States. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The choices are profoundly different,” said Harley Shaiken, professor emeritus at UC Berkeley, who previously led the university’s Center for Latin American Studies. Lula and Bolsonaro differ vastly in their policies around criminal justice, public spending and how to engage with the United States. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>President Donald Trump has publicly \u003ca href=\"https://www.trumpstruth.org/statuses/39041\">praised\u003c/a> Bolsonaro, after disagreements with Lula on \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/30/us-brazil-lula-trump-tariffs\">trade\u003c/a>, regulating \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/brazil-lula-big-techs-decree-pressure-610644693b3f0df5420f1c2a46c5db41\">U.S. tech companies\u003c/a> and the \u003ca href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/09/01/brazil-bolsonaro-trial-coup-trump/\">criminal trial\u003c/a> of Jair Bolsonaro.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2300746278-6df0dc89.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106089\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2300746278-6df0dc89.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2300746278-6df0dc89-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2300746278-6df0dc89-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Brazil’s right-wing senator and presidential candidate for the Liberal Party (PL), Flavio Bolsonaro, speaks during a campaign rally in Guarulhos, Sao Paulo State, Brazil, on Oct. 21, 2026, ahead of the presidential election runoff.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miguel Schincariol/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2300746278-6df0dc89.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106089\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Brazil’s right-wing senator and presidential candidate for the Liberal Party (PL), Flavio Bolsonaro, speaks during a campaign rally in Guarulhos, Sao Paulo State, Brazil, on Oct. 21, 2026, ahead of the presidential election runoff.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miguel Schincariol/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump to: \u003ca href=\"#presidential-vote\">I’m a Brazilian citizen living abroad. Can I still register to vote in this election?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Shaiken added that the two candidates also differ widely on how to \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/10/18/world/americas/brazil-election-amazon-deforestation.html\">preserve\u003c/a> the Amazon rainforest, most of which is located in Brazil. “Whether there are environmental protections in the Amazon or not, that impacts climate change,” he said — meaning that the results of Brazil’s election “will also affect every American.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Shaiken added that the two candidates also differ widely on how to \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/10/18/world/americas/brazil-election-amazon-deforestation.html\">preserve\u003c/a> the Amazon rainforest, most of which is located in Brazil. “Whether there are environmental protections in the Amazon or not, that impacts climate change,” he said — meaning that the results of Brazil’s election “will also affect every American.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>More than 2 million Brazilian nationals \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.br/mre/pt-br/consulado-munique/noticias/estimativas-das-comunidades-brasileiras-no-exterior\">live\u003c/a> in the United States — many of them part of the Bay Area’s own Brazilian diaspora. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This community will have the chance to cast their vote on Sunday at Brazil’s San Francisco consulate, which could influence the final results in this neck-and-neck race. Keep reading for what’s at stake in this momentous election and how local voters are preparing.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This community will have the chance to cast their vote on Sunday at Brazil’s San Francisco consulate, which could influence the final results in this neck-and-neck race. Keep reading for what’s at stake in this momentous election and how local voters are preparing.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On the campaign trail, Lula has championed major poverty reduction programs created in his previous administrations — two terms from 2003 to 2011, then his return to the presidency in 2023.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Lula’s government also claims that it has \u003ca href=\"https://www.lemonde.fr/en/environment/article/2026/09/27/lula-s-mixed-environmental-record-has-brought-less-deforestation-but-more-oil_6758014_114.html\">reduced\u003c/a> deforestation in the Amazon by about 50% from 2022 levels. And earlier this month, Lula secured a \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/15/brazil-cuts-work-week-to-40-hours-lula-bolsonaro-election-runoff\">policy win\u003c/a> that electrified his voter base: His allies in Congress passed a constitutional amendment that ends the six-day work week in Brazil and guarantees the country’s workers two days off per week without reducing their salary.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Lula’s government also claims that it has \u003ca href=\"https://www.lemonde.fr/en/environment/article/2026/09/27/lula-s-mixed-environmental-record-has-brought-less-deforestation-but-more-oil_6758014_114.html\">reduced\u003c/a> deforestation in the Amazon by about 50% from 2022 levels. And earlier this month, Lula secured a \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/15/brazil-cuts-work-week-to-40-hours-lula-bolsonaro-election-runoff\">policy win\u003c/a> that electrified his voter base: His allies in Congress passed a constitutional amendment that ends the six-day work week in Brazil and guarantees the country’s workers two days off per week without reducing their salary.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>However, polls still show the 80-year-old incumbent slightly behind Bolsonaro, who received 47% of votes during the first round on Oct. 4 — two percentage points ahead of Lula, but not a clear majority to secure the presidency. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>However, polls still show the 80-year-old incumbent slightly behind Bolsonaro, who received 47% of votes during the first round on Oct. 4 — two percentage points ahead of Lula, but not a clear majority to secure the presidency. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2300746333-9ce03c86.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106090\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2300746333-9ce03c86.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2300746333-9ce03c86-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2300746333-9ce03c86-1536x1023.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Brazil’s right-wing senator and presidential candidate for the Liberal Party (PL), Flavio Bolsonaro, holds a sign reading “There are four days left until Lula retires” during a campaign rally in Guarulhos, Sao Paulo State, Brazil, on Oct. 21, 2026, ahead of the presidential election runoff.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miguel Schincariol/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2300746333-9ce03c86.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106090\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Brazil’s right-wing senator and presidential candidate for the Liberal Party (PL), Flavio Bolsonaro, holds a sign reading “There are four days left until Lula retires” during a campaign rally in Guarulhos, Sao Paulo State, Brazil, on Oct. 21, 2026, ahead of the presidential election runoff.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Miguel Schincariol/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Bolsonaro, the 45-year-old senator for Rio de Janeiro, champions a conservative platform similar to that of his father, prioritizing strong law enforcement, evangelical Christian values and the agricultural industry.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Bolsonaro, the 45-year-old senator for Rio de Janeiro, champions a conservative platform similar to that of his father, prioritizing strong law enforcement, evangelical Christian values and the agricultural industry.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Some political analysts even \u003ca href=\"https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220906-brazil-s-bolsonaro-still-the-bibles-bullets-and-beef-candidate\">refer to\u003c/a> these principles as “BBB”: bullets, Bibles and beef.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Both candidates have accused the other of being linked to organized crime and enabling corruption in Brazil. In an onstage Oct. 18 debate, Bolsonaro claimed that 73% of prison inmates voted for Lula. In response, Lula said he wished that figure had instead been 100% — “including your father.” The elder Bolsonaro is currently serving a 27-year sentence for attempting a coup to overturn the 2022 electoral loss that ended his presidency.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Both candidates have accused the other of being linked to organized crime and enabling corruption in Brazil. In an onstage Oct. 18 debate, Bolsonaro claimed that 73% of prison inmates voted for Lula. In response, Lula said he wished that figure had instead been 100% — “including your father.” The elder Bolsonaro is currently serving a 27-year sentence for attempting a coup to overturn the 2022 electoral loss that ended his presidency.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As the campaign enters the final stretch, hundreds of thousands of Brazilians have filled the streets of the country’s major cities not just to rally behind their preferred candidate, but also to motivate those who didn’t turn out to vote during the first round. That particular population will be key to winning on Sunday, Shaiken said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As the campaign enters the final stretch, hundreds of thousands of Brazilians have filled the streets of the country’s major cities not just to rally behind their preferred candidate, but also to motivate those who didn’t turn out to vote during the first round. That particular population will be key to winning on Sunday, Shaiken said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The conventional wisdom tells us now that Flavio is going to win,” he said. “But through his entire political career, Lula has a tendency to come back swinging and win when he’s been written off.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The conventional wisdom tells us now that Flavio is going to win,” he said. “But through his entire political career, Lula has a tendency to come back swinging and win when he’s been written off.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Trump administration is closely \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnnbrasil.com.br/internacional/trump-volta-a-dizer-que-esta-acompanhando-as-eleicoes-do-brasil-de-perto/\">following\u003c/a> the election. Bolsonaro visited the White House earlier this year and has said that if he’s elected, Brazil will \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnnbrasil.com.br/politica/terras-raras-se-eleito-flavio-diz-que-fara-parcerias-estrategias-com-eua/\">work more closely\u003c/a> with the U.S. to extract its deposits of critical minerals. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Trump administration is closely \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnnbrasil.com.br/internacional/trump-volta-a-dizer-que-esta-acompanhando-as-eleicoes-do-brasil-de-perto/\">following\u003c/a> the election. Bolsonaro visited the White House earlier this year and has said that if he’s elected, Brazil will \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnnbrasil.com.br/politica/terras-raras-se-eleito-flavio-diz-que-fara-parcerias-estrategias-com-eua/\">work more closely\u003c/a> with the U.S. to extract its deposits of critical minerals. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A Bolsonaro victory would also represent another win in Latin America for a right-wing politician close to Trump — joining Javier Milei in Argentina, Abelardo de la Espriella in Colombia, José Antonio Kast in Chile and most recently, Keiko Fujimori in Peru.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A Bolsonaro victory would also represent another win in Latin America for a right-wing politician close to Trump — joining Javier Milei in Argentina, Abelardo de la Espriella in Colombia, José Antonio Kast in Chile and most recently, Keiko Fujimori in Peru.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There’s no ambiguity about who the Trump administration favors,” Shaiken said. “Every major economy in the region would be run by a right-wing leader, with the exception of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11988472/what-to-know-about-mexicos-historic-election-this-weekend-and-how-to-vote-from-the-us\">Mexico and Claudia Sheinbaum\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“There’s no ambiguity about who the Trump administration favors,” Shaiken said. “Every major economy in the region would be run by a right-wing leader, with the exception of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11988472/what-to-know-about-mexicos-historic-election-this-weekend-and-how-to-vote-from-the-us\">Mexico and Claudia Sheinbaum\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "How have Brazilians in the Bay Area mobilized?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Nicolas Monteiro has lived in San Francisco for a little over 20 years, thousands of miles away from his family in São Paulo. But showing up to the city’s Brazilian Consulate on the morning of Oct. 4 to cast his vote for Lula in the first round of Brazil’s election felt intensely emotional, he said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Nicolas Monteiro has lived in San Francisco for a little over 20 years, thousands of miles away from his family in São Paulo. But showing up to the city’s Brazilian Consulate on the morning of Oct. 4 to cast his vote for Lula in the first round of Brazil’s election felt intensely emotional, he said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The only family I have here is my mom and my sibling,” said Monteiro, a union organizer in San Francisco. “Everyone else is in Brazil. What happens in Brazilian politics — both at the national and local level — directly impacts my whole family.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The only family I have here is my mom and my sibling,” said Monteiro, a union organizer in San Francisco. “Everyone else is in Brazil. What happens in Brazilian politics — both at the national and local level — directly impacts my whole family.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Other states like Florida and Massachusetts have a significantly bigger Brazilian population. But California hosts the only two Brazilian consulates on the West Coast — in San Francisco and Los Angeles — and in the Oct. 4 election, was among the states with the highest participation rates.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Other states like Florida and Massachusetts have a significantly bigger Brazilian population. But California hosts the only two Brazilian consulates on the West Coast — in San Francisco and Los Angeles — and in the Oct. 4 election, was among the states with the highest participation rates.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2300873858-804f2dfd.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106091\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2300873858-804f2dfd.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2300873858-804f2dfd-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2300873858-804f2dfd-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A woman walks past flags and towels bearing the images of Brazil’s President and presidential candidate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and right-wing senator and presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro for sale in a street in Brasília on Oct. 22, 2026. Lula da Silva and Bolsonaro head to a runoff election on Oct. 25, a race that has become mired in allegations of social media malfeasance.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Evaristo Sa/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The community here also stands out for being one of the firmest bases of support for Lula in the U.S. The first-round \u003ca href=\"https://resultados.tse.jus.br/oficial/app/index.html#/eleicao/6257/uf/zz/mu/30503/cargo/1/vis/nominal/resultados\">results\u003c/a> show that out of the roughly four thousand votes cast at the San Francisco consulate, 57% were for Lula — 20% more than Bolsonaro’s share of the vote, and the biggest margin in favor of the incumbent across all U.S.-based voters. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The community here also stands out for being one of the firmest bases of support for Lula in the U.S. The first-round \u003ca href=\"https://resultados.tse.jus.br/oficial/app/index.html#/eleicao/6257/uf/zz/mu/30503/cargo/1/vis/nominal/resultados\">results\u003c/a> show that out of the roughly four thousand votes cast at the San Francisco consulate, 57% were for Lula — 20% more than Bolsonaro’s share of the vote, and the biggest margin in favor of the incumbent across all U.S.-based voters. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But San Francisco is an exception to the bigger trend. More than 60% of the roughly 75,000 votes cast nationwide on Oct. 4 were for Bolsonaro.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Lula supporters in the Bay Area have spent the past few weeks mobilizing voters across the region with the hope of helping the sitting president win. But there’s one challenge: Brazilian elections use electronic voting, which has to be done in person. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And for those living abroad, that requires traveling to the closest consulate, regardless of where they live now, to cast their vote.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“When you are voting, that part is easy,” said Allanys Godke, a student living in Redwood City who grew up near the Brazilian port city of Santos. “But you have to make it in person, no matter how far you are from a consulate.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“When you are voting, that part is easy,” said Allanys Godke, a student living in Redwood City who grew up near the Brazilian port city of Santos. “But you have to make it in person, no matter how far you are from a consulate.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Godke and her friend Bruna Campelo manage an Instagram account called \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thoquetalk/\">Thoque Talk\u003c/a>, where they promote cultural and social events for and by the Bay Area’s Brazilian community. But they’ve also used their platform to share information on the election and how Brazilians abroad can participate. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Oct. 4, for example, Godke and Campelo \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PizAzFXD6tI\">shared\u003c/a> their experience voting at the consulate step-by-step:\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On Oct. 4, for example, Godke and Campelo \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PizAzFXD6tI\">shared\u003c/a> their experience voting at the consulate step-by-step:\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Our goal is to show people that they can have a normal life living abroad,” Campelo said —including retaining a voice in critical elections back home. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Getting involved in the election also helps them meet other Brazilians in the Bay Area, Godke said. “Soon you’re building a community,” she said. “It’s very organic.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Other Lula supporters in the region are bringing attention to Silicon Valley’s role in the election. Bruno Matos, an entrepreneur originally from Bahia now living in San Francisco, joined a protest on Wednesday outside the headquarters of tech giant Meta in Menlo Park. He said he’s frustrated with what he believes are attempts by U.S. tech companies to favor Bolsonaro.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Other Lula supporters in the region are bringing attention to Silicon Valley’s role in the election. Bruno Matos, an entrepreneur originally from Bahia now living in San Francisco, joined a protest on Wednesday outside the headquarters of tech giant Meta in Menlo Park. He said he’s frustrated with what he believes are attempts by U.S. tech companies to favor Bolsonaro.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In September, Meta temporarily \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/meta-tells-brazil-court-it-treats-lula-bolsonaro-campaigns-equally-2026-10-20/\">blocked\u003c/a> the Lula campaign from posting campaign ads on Facebook. Brazilian journalists soon after \u003ca href=\"https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/poder/2026/10/em-mensagens-internas-meta-admite-que-contas-de-lula-foram-prejudicadas-por-restricoes-engenheiros-falam-em-falhas-tecnicas.shtml\">reported\u003c/a> that internal messaging among Meta employees showed that restrictions on content from Lula favored Bolsonaro.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In September, Meta temporarily \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/meta-tells-brazil-court-it-treats-lula-bolsonaro-campaigns-equally-2026-10-20/\">blocked\u003c/a> the Lula campaign from posting campaign ads on Facebook. Brazilian journalists soon after \u003ca href=\"https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/poder/2026/10/em-mensagens-internas-meta-admite-que-contas-de-lula-foram-prejudicadas-por-restricoes-engenheiros-falam-em-falhas-tecnicas.shtml\">reported\u003c/a> that internal messaging among Meta employees showed that restrictions on content from Lula favored Bolsonaro.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We care about our democracy and Big Tech should stay out of it,” Matos said. Meta has publicly \u003ca href=\"https://about.fb.com/br/news/2026/10/a-meta-nao-esta-interferindo-nas-eleicoes-brasileiras-estes-sao-os-fatos/\">stated\u003c/a> that “allegations that we are favoring or interfering on behalf of any candidate or political group are false and unfounded.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We care about our democracy and Big Tech should stay out of it,” Matos said. Meta has publicly \u003ca href=\"https://about.fb.com/br/news/2026/10/a-meta-nao-esta-interferindo-nas-eleicoes-brasileiras-estes-sao-os-fatos/\">stated\u003c/a> that “allegations that we are favoring or interfering on behalf of any candidate or political group are false and unfounded.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The company’s own independent oversight board, however, \u003ca href=\"https://www.oversightboard.com/news/oversight-board-statement-on-protecting-election-integrity-on-metas-platforms/?utm_source=chatgpt.com\">criticized\u003c/a> how Meta moderates content during global elections, pointing to an “overenforcement that suppresses political speech and underenforcement that undermines electoral integrity.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The company’s own independent oversight board, however, \u003ca href=\"https://www.oversightboard.com/news/oversight-board-statement-on-protecting-election-integrity-on-metas-platforms/?utm_source=chatgpt.com\">criticized\u003c/a> how Meta moderates content during global elections, pointing to an “overenforcement that suppresses political speech and underenforcement that undermines electoral integrity.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Can I still vote in Brazil’s Oct. 25 second-round presidential vote?",
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"\n\u003ch2 id=\"presidential-vote\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can I still vote in Brazil’s Oct. 25 second-round presidential vote?\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>According to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.br/mre/pt-br/consulado-sao-francisco/servicos-eleitorais/servicos-eleitorais\">Ministry of Foreign Relations\u003c/a>, eligible Brazilian voters had to complete their online voter registration with the Superior Electoral Court (or TSE in Portuguese) by May 6. This deadline also applies to updating your chosen voting center. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>According to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.br/mre/pt-br/consulado-sao-francisco/servicos-eleitorais/servicos-eleitorais\">Ministry of Foreign Relations\u003c/a>, eligible Brazilian voters had to complete their online voter registration with the Superior Electoral Court (or TSE in Portuguese) by May 6. This deadline also applies to updating your chosen voting center. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Brazilians abroad can choose to vote at whichever consulate is closest to them. On Oct. 25, you can only vote at the location you have previously chosen — and only on that date.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And if you are registered, but didn’t update your voter profile to include a voting center abroad, you won’t be able to vote at a consulate on Sunday.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And if you \u003cem>are\u003c/em> registered and your voter profile does include a voting center abroad, Brazilian law requires you to vote in the presidential election or potentially face fines. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>And if you \u003cem>are\u003c/em> registered and your voter profile does include a voting center abroad, Brazilian law requires you to vote in the presidential election or potentially face fines. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On its website, the Ministry of Foreign Relations points out that fees are processed on a \u003ca href=\"https://www.tse.jus.br/eleitor/titulo-eleitoral/quitacao-de-multas\">TSE portal\u003c/a>, not at a consulate.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>On its website, the Ministry of Foreign Relations points out that fees are processed on a \u003ca href=\"https://www.tse.jus.br/eleitor/titulo-eleitoral/quitacao-de-multas\">TSE portal\u003c/a>, not at a consulate.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story has been updated to reflect\u003c/em> Bruno Matos’ correct profession.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "As the final face-off between Lula and Bolsonaro approaches, Brazilians in the Bay Area are mobilizing to make sure their community is ready to cast their vote from abroad.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Less than two weeks before Americans head to the polls for the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">midterms\u003c/a>, the second most-populous democracy in the Western Hemisphere has its own momentous election.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Sunday, Brazil will choose its next president — the second round of voting in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/10/19/nx-s1-6004280/brazils-run-off-is-heating-up-with-large-crowds-and-an-insult-filled-debate\">closely fought race\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The final choice for more than 150 million voters — living not just in Brazil but abroad in places including the Bay Area — is between the country’s incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of the leftist Workers’ Party, known as Lula, and Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, the son of convicted former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The choices are profoundly different,” said Harley Shaiken, professor emeritus at UC Berkeley, who previously led the university’s Center for Latin American Studies. Lula and Bolsonaro differ vastly in their policies around criminal justice, public spending and how to engage with the United States. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">President Donald Trump has publicly \u003ca href=\"https://www.trumpstruth.org/statuses/39041\">praised\u003c/a> Bolsonaro, after disagreements with Lula on \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/30/us-brazil-lula-trump-tariffs\">trade\u003c/a>, regulating \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/brazil-lula-big-techs-decree-pressure-610644693b3f0df5420f1c2a46c5db41\">U.S. tech companies\u003c/a> and the \u003ca href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/09/01/brazil-bolsonaro-trial-coup-trump/\">criminal trial\u003c/a> of Jair Bolsonaro.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1320\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2300746278-6df0dc89.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106089\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2300746278-6df0dc89.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2300746278-6df0dc89-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2300746278-6df0dc89-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Brazil’s right-wing senator and presidential candidate for the Liberal Party (PL), Flavio Bolsonaro, speaks during a campaign rally in Guarulhos, Sao Paulo State, Brazil, on Oct. 21, 2026, ahead of the presidential election runoff. (Miguel Schincariol/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump to: \u003ca href=\"#presidential-vote\">I’m a Brazilian citizen living abroad. Can I still register to vote in this election?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shaiken added that the two candidates also differ widely on how to \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/10/18/world/americas/brazil-election-amazon-deforestation.html\">preserve\u003c/a> the Amazon rainforest, most of which is located in Brazil. “Whether there are environmental protections in the Amazon or not, that impacts climate change,” he said — meaning that the results of Brazil’s election “will also affect every American.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">More than 2 million Brazilian nationals \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.br/mre/pt-br/consulado-munique/noticias/estimativas-das-comunidades-brasileiras-no-exterior\">live\u003c/a> in the United States — many of them part of the Bay Area’s own Brazilian diaspora. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This community will have the chance to cast their vote on Sunday at Brazil’s San Francisco consulate, which could influence the final results in this neck-and-neck race. Keep reading for what’s at stake in this momentous election and how local voters are preparing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What’s at stake in Brazil’s election?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the campaign trail, Lula has championed major poverty reduction programs created in his previous administrations — two terms from 2003 to 2011, then his return to the presidency in 2023.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lula’s government also claims that it has \u003ca href=\"https://www.lemonde.fr/en/environment/article/2026/09/27/lula-s-mixed-environmental-record-has-brought-less-deforestation-but-more-oil_6758014_114.html\">reduced\u003c/a> deforestation in the Amazon by about 50% from 2022 levels. And earlier this month, Lula secured a \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/15/brazil-cuts-work-week-to-40-hours-lula-bolsonaro-election-runoff\">policy win\u003c/a> that electrified his voter base: His allies in Congress passed a constitutional amendment that ends the six-day work week in Brazil and guarantees the country’s workers two days off per week without reducing their salary.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, polls still show the 80-year-old incumbent slightly behind Bolsonaro, who received 47% of votes during the first round on Oct. 4 — two percentage points ahead of Lula, but not a clear majority to secure the presidency. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1319\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2300746333-9ce03c86.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106090\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2300746333-9ce03c86.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2300746333-9ce03c86-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2300746333-9ce03c86-1536x1023.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Brazil’s right-wing senator and presidential candidate for the Liberal Party (PL), Flavio Bolsonaro, holds a sign reading “There are four days left until Lula retires” during a campaign rally in Guarulhos, Sao Paulo State, Brazil, on Oct. 21, 2026, ahead of the presidential election runoff. (Miguel Schincariol/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bolsonaro, the 45-year-old senator for Rio de Janeiro, champions a conservative platform similar to that of his father, prioritizing strong law enforcement, evangelical Christian values and the agricultural industry.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some political analysts even \u003ca href=\"https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220906-brazil-s-bolsonaro-still-the-bibles-bullets-and-beef-candidate\">refer to\u003c/a> these principles as “BBB”: bullets, Bibles and beef.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both candidates have accused the other of being linked to organized crime and enabling corruption in Brazil. In an onstage Oct. 18 debate, Bolsonaro claimed that 73% of prison inmates voted for Lula. In response, Lula said he wished that figure had instead been 100% — “including your father.” The elder Bolsonaro is currently serving a 27-year sentence for attempting a coup to overturn the 2022 electoral loss that ended his presidency.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As the campaign enters the final stretch, hundreds of thousands of Brazilians have filled the streets of the country’s major cities not just to rally behind their preferred candidate, but also to motivate those who didn’t turn out to vote during the first round. That particular population will be key to winning on Sunday, Shaiken said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The conventional wisdom tells us now that Flavio is going to win,” he said. “But through his entire political career, Lula has a tendency to come back swinging and win when he’s been written off.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Trump administration is closely \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnnbrasil.com.br/internacional/trump-volta-a-dizer-que-esta-acompanhando-as-eleicoes-do-brasil-de-perto/\">following\u003c/a> the election. Bolsonaro visited the White House earlier this year and has said that if he’s elected, Brazil will \u003ca href=\"https://www.cnnbrasil.com.br/politica/terras-raras-se-eleito-flavio-diz-que-fara-parcerias-estrategias-com-eua/\">work more closely\u003c/a> with the U.S. to extract its deposits of critical minerals. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A Bolsonaro victory would also represent another win in Latin America for a right-wing politician close to Trump — joining Javier Milei in Argentina, Abelardo de la Espriella in Colombia, José Antonio Kast in Chile and most recently, Keiko Fujimori in Peru.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“There’s no ambiguity about who the Trump administration favors,” Shaiken said. “Every major economy in the region would be run by a right-wing leader, with the exception of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11988472/what-to-know-about-mexicos-historic-election-this-weekend-and-how-to-vote-from-the-us\">Mexico and Claudia Sheinbaum\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How have Brazilians in the Bay Area mobilized?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nicolas Monteiro has lived in San Francisco for a little over 20 years, thousands of miles away from his family in São Paulo. But showing up to the city’s Brazilian Consulate on the morning of Oct. 4 to cast his vote for Lula in the first round of Brazil’s election felt intensely emotional, he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The only family I have here is my mom and my sibling,” said Monteiro, a union organizer in San Francisco. “Everyone else is in Brazil. What happens in Brazilian politics — both at the national and local level — directly impacts my whole family.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Other states like Florida and Massachusetts have a significantly bigger Brazilian population. But California hosts the only two Brazilian consulates on the West Coast — in San Francisco and Los Angeles — and in the Oct. 4 election, was among the states with the highest participation rates.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1320\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2300873858-804f2dfd.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106091\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2300873858-804f2dfd.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2300873858-804f2dfd-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/GettyImages-2300873858-804f2dfd-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A woman walks past flags and towels bearing the images of Brazil’s President and presidential candidate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and right-wing senator and presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro for sale in a street in Brasília on Oct. 22, 2026. Lula da Silva and Bolsonaro head to a runoff election on Oct. 25, a race that has become mired in allegations of social media malfeasance. (Evaristo Sa/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The community here also stands out for being one of the firmest bases of support for Lula in the U.S. The first-round \u003ca href=\"https://resultados.tse.jus.br/oficial/app/index.html#/eleicao/6257/uf/zz/mu/30503/cargo/1/vis/nominal/resultados\">results\u003c/a> show that out of the roughly four thousand votes cast at the San Francisco consulate, 57% were for Lula — 20% more than Bolsonaro’s share of the vote, and the biggest margin in favor of the incumbent across all U.S.-based voters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But San Francisco is an exception to the bigger trend. More than 60% of the roughly 75,000 votes cast nationwide on Oct. 4 were for Bolsonaro.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lula supporters in the Bay Area have spent the past few weeks mobilizing voters across the region with the hope of helping the sitting president win. But there’s one challenge: Brazilian elections use electronic voting, which has to be done in person. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And for those living abroad, that requires traveling to the closest consulate, regardless of where they live now, to cast their vote.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“When you are voting, that part is easy,” said Allanys Godke, a student living in Redwood City who grew up near the Brazilian port city of Santos. “But you have to make it in person, no matter how far you are from a consulate.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Godke and her friend Bruna Campelo manage an Instagram account called \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/thoquetalk/\">Thoque Talk\u003c/a>, where they promote cultural and social events for and by the Bay Area’s Brazilian community. But they’ve also used their platform to share information on the election and how Brazilians abroad can participate. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Oct. 4, for example, Godke and Campelo \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PizAzFXD6tI\">shared\u003c/a> their experience voting at the consulate step-by-step:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/PizAzFXD6tI'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/PizAzFXD6tI'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Our goal is to show people that they can have a normal life living abroad,” Campelo said —including retaining a voice in critical elections back home. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Getting involved in the election also helps them meet other Brazilians in the Bay Area, Godke said. “Soon you’re building a community,” she said. “It’s very organic.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Other Lula supporters in the region are bringing attention to Silicon Valley’s role in the election. Bruno Matos, an entrepreneur originally from Bahia now living in San Francisco, joined a protest on Wednesday outside the headquarters of tech giant Meta in Menlo Park. He said he’s frustrated with what he believes are attempts by U.S. tech companies to favor Bolsonaro.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In September, Meta temporarily \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/meta-tells-brazil-court-it-treats-lula-bolsonaro-campaigns-equally-2026-10-20/\">blocked\u003c/a> the Lula campaign from posting campaign ads on Facebook. Brazilian journalists soon after \u003ca href=\"https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/poder/2026/10/em-mensagens-internas-meta-admite-que-contas-de-lula-foram-prejudicadas-por-restricoes-engenheiros-falam-em-falhas-tecnicas.shtml\">reported\u003c/a> that internal messaging among Meta employees showed that restrictions on content from Lula favored Bolsonaro.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We care about our democracy and Big Tech should stay out of it,” Matos said. Meta has publicly \u003ca href=\"https://about.fb.com/br/news/2026/10/a-meta-nao-esta-interferindo-nas-eleicoes-brasileiras-estes-sao-os-fatos/\">stated\u003c/a> that “allegations that we are favoring or interfering on behalf of any candidate or political group are false and unfounded.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The company’s own independent oversight board, however, \u003ca href=\"https://www.oversightboard.com/news/oversight-board-statement-on-protecting-election-integrity-on-metas-platforms/?utm_source=chatgpt.com\">criticized\u003c/a> how Meta moderates content during global elections, pointing to an “overenforcement that suppresses political speech and underenforcement that undermines electoral integrity.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 id=\"presidential-vote\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can I still vote in Brazil’s Oct. 25 second-round presidential vote?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.br/mre/pt-br/consulado-sao-francisco/servicos-eleitorais/servicos-eleitorais\">Ministry of Foreign Relations\u003c/a>, eligible Brazilian voters had to complete their online voter registration with the Superior Electoral Court (or TSE in Portuguese) by May 6. This deadline also applies to updating your chosen voting center. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Brazilians abroad can choose to vote at whichever consulate is closest to them. On Oct. 25, you can only vote at the location you have previously chosen — and only on that date.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you did not register before May 6, you will not be able to vote in this election. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And if you are registered, but didn’t update your voter profile to include a voting center abroad, you won’t be able to vote at a consulate on Sunday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And if you \u003cem>are\u003c/em> registered and your voter profile does include a voting center abroad, Brazilian law requires you to vote in the presidential election or potentially face fines. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On its website, the Ministry of Foreign Relations points out that fees are processed on a \u003ca href=\"https://www.tse.jus.br/eleitor/titulo-eleitoral/quitacao-de-multas\">TSE portal\u003c/a>, not at a consulate.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>This story has been updated to reflect\u003c/em> Bruno Matos’ correct profession.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "an-ice-surge-in-california-ahead-of-the-midterms-heres-what-we-know",
"title": "An ICE Surge in California Ahead of the Midterms? Here’s What We Know",
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"headTitle": "An ICE Surge in California Ahead of the Midterms? Here’s What We Know | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>With just a few weeks until the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/\">Nov. 3 midterm elections\u003c/a>, concerns — and rumors — about operations by U.S. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/immigration\">Immigration and Customs Enforcement\u003c/a> are once again spreading among immigrant communities in California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Advocates have confirmed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103799/bay-area-officials-immigration-advocates-brace-for-ice-surge-after-central-valley-arrests\">a wave\u003c/a> of immigration arrests across the Central Valley this month, with more than 100 farmworkers and other people detained since Monday. And while Bay Area groups that monitor ICE activity have not seen a similar surge in the region, elected officials and community groups have expressed concern that the fear of immigration raids could discourage even eligible citizens from voting on Election Day.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We know what Republicans are trying to do — intimidate Latino citizens so they stay at home and don’t exercise their right to vote,” East Bay Rep. Lateefah Simon told KQED in an emailed statement.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/241202-NewBayAreaCongressmembers-05-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12068706\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/241202-NewBayAreaCongressmembers-05-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/241202-NewBayAreaCongressmembers-05-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/241202-NewBayAreaCongressmembers-05-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lateefah Simon, Congresswoman-elect for California’s 12th congressional district, speaks with KQED politics reporter Scott Shafer at KQED’s offices in San Francisco on Dec. 2, 2024. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Whenever there’s been a confirmed, major ICE operation in California, local businesses in majority Latino neighborhoods \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12050993/a-day-in-the-life-of-san-joses-rapid-response-network-built-to-resist-ice-fear\">struggle\u003c/a>, schools \u003ca href=\"https://siepr.stanford.edu/news/student-absences-increased-under-threat-deportation-efforts-study-finds\">see more absences\u003c/a>, and immigrant families even postpone \u003ca href=\"https://cssp.org/resource/through-their-eyes-immigration-enforcement-health-wellbeing-children-families/\">going to the doctor\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If people hear the rumors that ICE is present, then right away the community lets itself know: ‘We need to stay home’,” said Jacob Sandoval, director of the California chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump to: \u003ca href=\"#ice-agents\">What does the law say about law enforcement at polling booths?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a statement released solely in Spanish on Oct. 9, Gov. Gavin Newsom acknowledged an increase in reports of federal immigration enforcement in California. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But he urged state residents to know their rights, adding that “Donald Trump uses fear as a weapon — putting families in danger, weakening trust and terrifying communities.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Here’s what we know so far about immigration enforcement in California in the run-up to the midterm election.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How reports and rumors are fueling anxieties ahead of the midterms\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>An article published earlier this month by the \u003cem>Washington Examiner\u003c/em> stated that ICE had launched a 45-day operation across California to arrest all immigrants without legal status. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Several \u003ca href=\"https://newrepublic.com/post/216405/ice-terrifying-marching-orders-california\">other publications\u003c/a> picked up the story and within days, dozens of posts warning about what ICE was allegedly calling “Operation Safe California” circulated on social media.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The original reporting only quotes two unnamed sources and pointed to San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego as the three main targets of ICE’s apparent surge. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This move, the story suggested, was part of a strategy by the White House to focus immigration enforcement on California ahead of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">Nov. 3 elections\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Noting the proximity to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">midterm elections\u003c/a>, the story said: “the decision to focus ICE resources throughout the sanctuary state is the latest effort by the Trump administration to unleash ICE in a blue state following surges to Minnesota, Illinois, New York, and Oregon.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a statement to KQED, the Department of Homeland Security said that “for operational security and the safety of our officers, ICE will not disclose or discuss law enforcement operations.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Every day, DHS enforces the laws of the nation across the country including in California,” a spokesperson wrote via email. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Back in January, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071704/ice-super-bowl-immigration-enforcement-santa-clara-san-francisco-bay-area-2026\">similar rumors\u003c/a> about possible ICE activity at Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara spread across the Bay Area in the run-up to the event — rumors which DHS similarly refused to confirm or deny following KQED’s queries. (Ultimately, no mass immigration enforcement materialized at the event.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Voting fears among even citizens\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A recent investigation \u003ca href=\"https://projects.propublica.org/american-citizens-detained-dhs-civil-rights/\">by ProPublica\u003c/a> found that immigration enforcement agents have detained more than 500 U.S. citizens during the second Trump administration.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And LULAC’s Sandoval emphasized that fears about increased ICE activity can also impact mixed-status families — where some relatives are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, while others have no legal status. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Families might not feel comfortable with their loved ones going to the polls, even if they’re U.S. citizens,” Sandoval said. “We don’t want law enforcement or ICE around polling places where people might feel intimidated.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-2285787606-scaled-e1791586238561.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091600\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the nation from the East Room of the White House on July 16, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Saul Loeb/Pool via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When it comes to citizenship and voter eligibility, California is already fighting a separate legal battle with the federal government ahead of the midterms. On Thursday, the Department of Justice \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104425/california-officials-denounce-trump-dojs-demands-to-prove-voters-citizenship\">filed a lawsuit\u003c/a> in order to force state officials to set aside the ballots already mailed to over 20,000 registered voters — individuals that the Trump administration claimed are not actually eligible citizens.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, the state’s top elections official, said in a letter that she will review any evidence from the federal government that proves certain voters are not citizens.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“However, I will not disenfranchise thousands of Californians — or order any county elections official to do so — based solely upon an unsupported and likely inaccurate ‘belie[f]’ that certain voters are ‘likely’ noncitizens,” she added.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Has there been an immigration enforcement surge in the Bay Area?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>KQED \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103799/bay-area-officials-immigration-advocates-brace-for-ice-surge-after-central-valley-arrests\">reached out\u003c/a> to immigration advocates and rapid response networks across the state to confirm if they were seeing a surge in ICE operations in the wake of the Central Valley arrests and the \u003cem>Washington Examiner\u003c/em>’s claims.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We are definitely on the alert and preparing in case of increased ICE activity or large-scale raids in our region,” said Lourdes Martínez, co-director of the Alameda County Immigration Legal and Education Partnership, the county’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12050971/meet-the-community-members-behind-santa-clara-countys-ice-rapid-response-network\">rapid response network\u003c/a>. “We have not been able to verify any specifics, so we are monitoring the situation.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She added that lawyers are preparing in case large-scale raids do materialize. Outreach workers are also sharing an \u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ACILEP-Safety-Planning-Checklist-for-Families-2026-9a7f4962.pdf\">“Emergency Planning Checklist for Families”\u003c/a> to help immigrants prepare, said Martínez, in case a family member is arrested.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/ICE-Arrests-CA-Getty2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098459\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/ICE-Arrests-CA-Getty2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/ICE-Arrests-CA-Getty2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/ICE-Arrests-CA-Getty2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents walk a detainee out of the Ventura County Government Center in Ventura, California, on July 27, 2026. (Blake Fagan/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other groups in the Bay Area that monitor ICE activity have told KQED they haven’t yet seen a major surge, but confirmed that rumors about “Operation California” \u003cem>have \u003c/em>circulated widely in their communities.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meanwhile in the Central Valley, state Sen. Anna Caballero — who represents parts of Fresno and Merced — said she had heard of an estimated 60 arrests last week within the communities she represents.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The facility in downtown Fresno is having trouble processing” this amount of detainees, Caballero’s spokesperson Elisa Rivera told KQED in an email. “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084687/like-an-angel-meet-the-helpers-working-at-bay-area-immigration-court\">Legal observers\u003c/a> are having little success gaining access.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"ice-agents\">What does the law say about ICE agents at polling locations?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Earlier this year, California lawmakers \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb884\">approved stronger restrictions\u003c/a> on how law enforcement officers can conduct arrests during an election.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>SB 884 prohibits law enforcement — a category which includes federal agents like ICE but also state and local officers — from making arrests within 200 feet of a polling place on Election Day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The law does specify an exception: Arrests can still be made within the 200 feet “buffer zone” for crimes “related to disrupting the operation of the polling place, a crime against a person, or a crime against property.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251104-SCCVOTE-JG-05_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088632\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251104-SCCVOTE-JG-05_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251104-SCCVOTE-JG-05_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251104-SCCVOTE-JG-05_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Edgardo Domingo fills out a ballot at a voting booth at the Vietnamese American Cultural Center in San José on Nov. 4, 2025. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We know that it can be a form of intimidation if folks are going to vote in person and see law enforcement there,” said Angélica Salceda, with the ACLU of Northern California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We all have a right to be able to cast our ballot free from coercion or intimidation,” she added. “We have the right for that vote to be secret. We don’t have to answer any questions about who we voted for if we don’t want to.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If county officials determine that voting was disrupted at a polling place because law enforcement violated this law, they can extend the time voters have to turn in their ballots beyond the usual poll closing time of 8 p.m.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, SB 884 specifies that the buffer zone only applies on Election Day — Nov. 3 of this year. There is no mention of these restrictions being effective on the weeks leading up to Election Day, when many voters go to their county election office or early voting center to turn in their ballots.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Salceda points out that there are also other ways to vote, including mailing in your ballot by Nov. 3 or placing it in an official county drop box. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Trump administration has tried to change the rules around voting by mail, but these efforts were \u003ca href=\"https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/u-s-supreme-court-blocks-postal-service-from-restricting-mail-ballots\">blocked earlier\u003c/a> this year by the Supreme Court.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Armed law enforcement aren’t the only ones capable of voter intimidation, added Salceda. “We’re talking about situations where someone would want to drop their ballot at the dropbox and someone is there harassing or intimidating people,” she said. “Those are unlawful actions that should be reported.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California’s secretary of state has \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/contact\">a hotline available\u003c/a> in multiple languages where residents can report incidents that may violate electoral law.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>English: 800-345-VOTE (8683) \u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Spanish: 800-232-VOTA (8682)\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Chinese: 800-339-2857 \u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Hindi: 888-345-2692\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Tagalog: 800-339-2957\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/tychehendricks\">\u003cem>Tyche Hendricks \u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>and \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/lfitzgerald\">\u003cem>Laura Fitzgerald\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>With just a few weeks until the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/\">Nov. 3 midterm elections\u003c/a>, concerns — and rumors — about operations by U.S. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/immigration\">Immigration and Customs Enforcement\u003c/a> are once again spreading among immigrant communities in California.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>With just a few weeks until the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/\">Nov. 3 midterm elections\u003c/a>, concerns — and rumors — about operations by U.S. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/immigration\">Immigration and Customs Enforcement\u003c/a> are once again spreading among immigrant communities in California.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Advocates have confirmed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103799/bay-area-officials-immigration-advocates-brace-for-ice-surge-after-central-valley-arrests\">a wave\u003c/a> of immigration arrests across the Central Valley this month, with more than 100 farmworkers and other people detained since Monday. And while Bay Area groups that monitor ICE activity have not seen a similar surge in the region, elected officials and community groups have expressed concern that the fear of immigration raids could discourage even eligible citizens from voting on Election Day.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Advocates have confirmed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103799/bay-area-officials-immigration-advocates-brace-for-ice-surge-after-central-valley-arrests\">a wave\u003c/a> of immigration arrests across the Central Valley this month, with more than 100 farmworkers and other people detained since Monday. And while Bay Area groups that monitor ICE activity have not seen a similar surge in the region, elected officials and community groups have expressed concern that the fear of immigration raids could discourage even eligible citizens from voting on Election Day.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We know what Republicans are trying to do — intimidate Latino citizens so they stay at home and don’t exercise their right to vote,” East Bay Rep. Lateefah Simon told KQED in an emailed statement.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We know what Republicans are trying to do — intimidate Latino citizens so they stay at home and don’t exercise their right to vote,” East Bay Rep. Lateefah Simon told KQED in an emailed statement.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/241202-NewBayAreaCongressmembers-05-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12068706\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/241202-NewBayAreaCongressmembers-05-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/241202-NewBayAreaCongressmembers-05-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/241202-NewBayAreaCongressmembers-05-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lateefah Simon, Congresswoman-elect for California’s 12th congressional district, speaks with KQED politics reporter Scott Shafer at KQED’s offices in San Francisco on Dec. 2, 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/241202-NewBayAreaCongressmembers-05-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12068706\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lateefah Simon, Congresswoman-elect for California’s 12th congressional district, speaks with KQED politics reporter Scott Shafer at KQED’s offices in San Francisco on Dec. 2, 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Whenever there’s been a confirmed, major ICE operation in California, local businesses in majority Latino neighborhoods \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12050993/a-day-in-the-life-of-san-joses-rapid-response-network-built-to-resist-ice-fear\">struggle\u003c/a>, schools \u003ca href=\"https://siepr.stanford.edu/news/student-absences-increased-under-threat-deportation-efforts-study-finds\">see more absences\u003c/a>, and immigrant families even postpone \u003ca href=\"https://cssp.org/resource/through-their-eyes-immigration-enforcement-health-wellbeing-children-families/\">going to the doctor\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Whenever there’s been a confirmed, major ICE operation in California, local businesses in majority Latino neighborhoods \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12050993/a-day-in-the-life-of-san-joses-rapid-response-network-built-to-resist-ice-fear\">struggle\u003c/a>, schools \u003ca href=\"https://siepr.stanford.edu/news/student-absences-increased-under-threat-deportation-efforts-study-finds\">see more absences\u003c/a>, and immigrant families even postpone \u003ca href=\"https://cssp.org/resource/through-their-eyes-immigration-enforcement-health-wellbeing-children-families/\">going to the doctor\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If people hear the rumors that ICE is present, then right away the community lets itself know: ‘We need to stay home’,” said Jacob Sandoval, director of the California chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“If people hear the rumors that ICE is present, then right away the community lets itself know: ‘We need to stay home’,” said Jacob Sandoval, director of the California chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump to: \u003ca href=\"#ice-agents\">What does the law say about law enforcement at polling booths?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump to: \u003ca href=\"#ice-agents\">What does the law say about law enforcement at polling booths?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a statement released solely in Spanish on Oct. 9, Gov. Gavin Newsom acknowledged an increase in reports of federal immigration enforcement in California. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In a statement released solely in Spanish on Oct. 9, Gov. Gavin Newsom acknowledged an increase in reports of federal immigration enforcement in California. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But he urged state residents to know their rights, adding that “Donald Trump uses fear as a weapon — putting families in danger, weakening trust and terrifying communities.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But he urged state residents to know their rights, adding that “Donald Trump uses fear as a weapon — putting families in danger, weakening trust and terrifying communities.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Here’s what we know so far about immigration enforcement in California in the run-up to the midterm election.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Here’s what we know so far about immigration enforcement in California in the run-up to the midterm election.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "How reports and rumors are fueling anxieties ahead of the midterms",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How reports and rumors are fueling anxieties ahead of the midterms\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>An article published earlier this month by the \u003cem>Washington Examiner\u003c/em> stated that ICE had launched a 45-day operation across California to arrest all immigrants without legal status. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>An article published earlier this month by the \u003cem>Washington Examiner\u003c/em> stated that ICE had launched a 45-day operation across California to arrest all immigrants without legal status. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Several \u003ca href=\"https://newrepublic.com/post/216405/ice-terrifying-marching-orders-california\">other publications\u003c/a> picked up the story and within days, dozens of posts warning about what ICE was allegedly calling “Operation Safe California” circulated on social media.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Several \u003ca href=\"https://newrepublic.com/post/216405/ice-terrifying-marching-orders-california\">other publications\u003c/a> picked up the story and within days, dozens of posts warning about what ICE was allegedly calling “Operation Safe California” circulated on social media.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The original reporting only quotes two unnamed sources and pointed to San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego as the three main targets of ICE’s apparent surge. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The original reporting only quotes two unnamed sources and pointed to San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego as the three main targets of ICE’s apparent surge. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This move, the story suggested, was part of a strategy by the White House to focus immigration enforcement on California ahead of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">Nov. 3 elections\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>This move, the story suggested, was part of a strategy by the White House to focus immigration enforcement on California ahead of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">Nov. 3 elections\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Noting the proximity to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">midterm elections\u003c/a>, the story said: “the decision to focus ICE resources throughout the sanctuary state is the latest effort by the Trump administration to unleash ICE in a blue state following surges to Minnesota, Illinois, New York, and Oregon.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Noting the proximity to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">midterm elections\u003c/a>, the story said: “the decision to focus ICE resources throughout the sanctuary state is the latest effort by the Trump administration to unleash ICE in a blue state following surges to Minnesota, Illinois, New York, and Oregon.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a statement to KQED, the Department of Homeland Security said that “for operational security and the safety of our officers, ICE will not disclose or discuss law enforcement operations.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In a statement to KQED, the Department of Homeland Security said that “for operational security and the safety of our officers, ICE will not disclose or discuss law enforcement operations.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Every day, DHS enforces the laws of the nation across the country including in California,” a spokesperson wrote via email. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Every day, DHS enforces the laws of the nation across the country including in California,” a spokesperson wrote via email. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Back in January, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071704/ice-super-bowl-immigration-enforcement-santa-clara-san-francisco-bay-area-2026\">similar rumors\u003c/a> about possible ICE activity at Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara spread across the Bay Area in the run-up to the event — rumors which DHS similarly refused to confirm or deny following KQED’s queries. (Ultimately, no mass immigration enforcement materialized at the event.)\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Back in January, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071704/ice-super-bowl-immigration-enforcement-santa-clara-san-francisco-bay-area-2026\">similar rumors\u003c/a> about possible ICE activity at Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara spread across the Bay Area in the run-up to the event — rumors which DHS similarly refused to confirm or deny following KQED’s queries. (Ultimately, no mass immigration enforcement materialized at the event.)\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A recent investigation \u003ca href=\"https://projects.propublica.org/american-citizens-detained-dhs-civil-rights/\">by ProPublica\u003c/a> found that immigration enforcement agents have detained more than 500 U.S. citizens during the second Trump administration.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A recent investigation \u003ca href=\"https://projects.propublica.org/american-citizens-detained-dhs-civil-rights/\">by ProPublica\u003c/a> found that immigration enforcement agents have detained more than 500 U.S. citizens during the second Trump administration.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And LULAC’s Sandoval emphasized that fears about increased ICE activity can also impact mixed-status families — where some relatives are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, while others have no legal status. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>And LULAC’s Sandoval emphasized that fears about increased ICE activity can also impact mixed-status families — where some relatives are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, while others have no legal status. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Families might not feel comfortable with their loved ones going to the polls, even if they’re U.S. citizens,” Sandoval said. “We don’t want law enforcement or ICE around polling places where people might feel intimidated.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Families might not feel comfortable with their loved ones going to the polls, even if they’re U.S. citizens,” Sandoval said. “We don’t want law enforcement or ICE around polling places where people might feel intimidated.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-2285787606-scaled-e1791586238561.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091600\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the nation from the East Room of the White House on July 16, 2026, in Washington, D.C. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Saul Loeb/Pool via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-2285787606-scaled-e1791586238561.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091600\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the nation from the East Room of the White House on July 16, 2026, in Washington, D.C. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Saul Loeb/Pool via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When it comes to citizenship and voter eligibility, California is already fighting a separate legal battle with the federal government ahead of the midterms. On Thursday, the Department of Justice \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104425/california-officials-denounce-trump-dojs-demands-to-prove-voters-citizenship\">filed a lawsuit\u003c/a> in order to force state officials to set aside the ballots already mailed to over 20,000 registered voters — individuals that the Trump administration claimed are not actually eligible citizens.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>When it comes to citizenship and voter eligibility, California is already fighting a separate legal battle with the federal government ahead of the midterms. On Thursday, the Department of Justice \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104425/california-officials-denounce-trump-dojs-demands-to-prove-voters-citizenship\">filed a lawsuit\u003c/a> in order to force state officials to set aside the ballots already mailed to over 20,000 registered voters — individuals that the Trump administration claimed are not actually eligible citizens.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, the state’s top elections official, said in a letter that she will review any evidence from the federal government that proves certain voters are not citizens.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, the state’s top elections official, said in a letter that she will review any evidence from the federal government that proves certain voters are not citizens.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“However, I will not disenfranchise thousands of Californians — or order any county elections official to do so — based solely upon an unsupported and likely inaccurate ‘belie[f]’ that certain voters are ‘likely’ noncitizens,” she added.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“However, I will not disenfranchise thousands of Californians — or order any county elections official to do so — based solely upon an unsupported and likely inaccurate ‘belie[f]’ that certain voters are ‘likely’ noncitizens,” she added.\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "Has there been an immigration enforcement surge in the Bay Area?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Has there been an immigration enforcement surge in the Bay Area?\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Has there been an immigration enforcement surge in the Bay Area?\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>KQED \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103799/bay-area-officials-immigration-advocates-brace-for-ice-surge-after-central-valley-arrests\">reached out\u003c/a> to immigration advocates and rapid response networks across the state to confirm if they were seeing a surge in ICE operations in the wake of the Central Valley arrests and the \u003cem>Washington Examiner\u003c/em>’s claims.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>KQED \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103799/bay-area-officials-immigration-advocates-brace-for-ice-surge-after-central-valley-arrests\">reached out\u003c/a> to immigration advocates and rapid response networks across the state to confirm if they were seeing a surge in ICE operations in the wake of the Central Valley arrests and the \u003cem>Washington Examiner\u003c/em>’s claims.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We are definitely on the alert and preparing in case of increased ICE activity or large-scale raids in our region,” said Lourdes Martínez, co-director of the Alameda County Immigration Legal and Education Partnership, the county’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12050971/meet-the-community-members-behind-santa-clara-countys-ice-rapid-response-network\">rapid response network\u003c/a>. “We have not been able to verify any specifics, so we are monitoring the situation.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We are definitely on the alert and preparing in case of increased ICE activity or large-scale raids in our region,” said Lourdes Martínez, co-director of the Alameda County Immigration Legal and Education Partnership, the county’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12050971/meet-the-community-members-behind-santa-clara-countys-ice-rapid-response-network\">rapid response network\u003c/a>. “We have not been able to verify any specifics, so we are monitoring the situation.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She added that lawyers are preparing in case large-scale raids do materialize. Outreach workers are also sharing an \u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ACILEP-Safety-Planning-Checklist-for-Families-2026-9a7f4962.pdf\">“Emergency Planning Checklist for Families”\u003c/a> to help immigrants prepare, said Martínez, in case a family member is arrested.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>She added that lawyers are preparing in case large-scale raids do materialize. Outreach workers are also sharing an \u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ACILEP-Safety-Planning-Checklist-for-Families-2026-9a7f4962.pdf\">“Emergency Planning Checklist for Families”\u003c/a> to help immigrants prepare, said Martínez, in case a family member is arrested.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/ICE-Arrests-CA-Getty2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098459\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/ICE-Arrests-CA-Getty2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/ICE-Arrests-CA-Getty2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/ICE-Arrests-CA-Getty2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents walk a detainee out of the Ventura County Government Center in Ventura, California, on July 27, 2026. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Blake Fagan/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/ICE-Arrests-CA-Getty2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098459\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents walk a detainee out of the Ventura County Government Center in Ventura, California, on July 27, 2026. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Blake Fagan/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Other groups in the Bay Area that monitor ICE activity have told KQED they haven’t yet seen a major surge, but confirmed that rumors about “Operation California” \u003cem>have \u003c/em>circulated widely in their communities.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Other groups in the Bay Area that monitor ICE activity have told KQED they haven’t yet seen a major surge, but confirmed that rumors about “Operation California” \u003cem>have \u003c/em>circulated widely in their communities.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Meanwhile in the Central Valley, state Sen. Anna Caballero — who represents parts of Fresno and Merced — said she had heard of an estimated 60 arrests last week within the communities she represents.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Meanwhile in the Central Valley, state Sen. Anna Caballero — who represents parts of Fresno and Merced — said she had heard of an estimated 60 arrests last week within the communities she represents.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The facility in downtown Fresno is having trouble processing” this amount of detainees, Caballero’s spokesperson Elisa Rivera told KQED in an email. “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084687/like-an-angel-meet-the-helpers-working-at-bay-area-immigration-court\">Legal observers\u003c/a> are having little success gaining access.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The facility in downtown Fresno is having trouble processing” this amount of detainees, Caballero’s spokesperson Elisa Rivera told KQED in an email. “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084687/like-an-angel-meet-the-helpers-working-at-bay-area-immigration-court\">Legal observers\u003c/a> are having little success gaining access.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "What does the law say about ICE agents at polling locations?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"ice-agents\">What does the law say about ICE agents at polling locations?\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"ice-agents\">What does the law say about ICE agents at polling locations?\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Earlier this year, California lawmakers \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb884\">approved stronger restrictions\u003c/a> on how law enforcement officers can conduct arrests during an election.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Earlier this year, California lawmakers \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb884\">approved stronger restrictions\u003c/a> on how law enforcement officers can conduct arrests during an election.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>SB 884 prohibits law enforcement — a category which includes federal agents like ICE but also state and local officers — from making arrests within 200 feet of a polling place on Election Day. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>SB 884 prohibits law enforcement — a category which includes federal agents like ICE but also state and local officers — from making arrests within 200 feet of a polling place on Election Day. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The law does specify an exception: Arrests can still be made within the 200 feet “buffer zone” for crimes “related to disrupting the operation of the polling place, a crime against a person, or a crime against property.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The law does specify an exception: Arrests can still be made within the 200 feet “buffer zone” for crimes “related to disrupting the operation of the polling place, a crime against a person, or a crime against property.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251104-SCCVOTE-JG-05_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251104-SCCVOTE-JG-05_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251104-SCCVOTE-JG-05_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251104-SCCVOTE-JG-05_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088632\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251104-SCCVOTE-JG-05_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251104-SCCVOTE-JG-05_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251104-SCCVOTE-JG-05_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Edgardo Domingo fills out a ballot at a voting booth at the Vietnamese American Cultural Center in San José on Nov. 4, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251104-SCCVOTE-JG-05_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088632\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Edgardo Domingo fills out a ballot at a voting booth at the Vietnamese American Cultural Center in San José on Nov. 4, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We know that it can be a form of intimidation if folks are going to vote in person and see law enforcement there,” said Angélica Salceda, with the ACLU of Northern California.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We know that it can be a form of intimidation if folks are going to vote in person and see law enforcement there,” said Angélica Salceda, with the ACLU of Northern California.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We all have a right to be able to cast our ballot free from coercion or intimidation,” she added. “We have the right for that vote to be secret. We don’t have to answer any questions about who we voted for if we don’t want to.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We all have a right to be able to cast our ballot free from coercion or intimidation,” she added. “We have the right for that vote to be secret. We don’t have to answer any questions about who we voted for if we don’t want to.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If county officials determine that voting was disrupted at a polling place because law enforcement violated this law, they can extend the time voters have to turn in their ballots beyond the usual poll closing time of 8 p.m.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>If county officials determine that voting was disrupted at a polling place because law enforcement violated this law, they can extend the time voters have to turn in their ballots beyond the usual poll closing time of 8 p.m.\u003c/p>\n"
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"label": "2026 California Voter Guide",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>However, SB 884 specifies that the buffer zone only applies on Election Day — Nov. 3 of this year. There is no mention of these restrictions being effective on the weeks leading up to Election Day, when many voters go to their county election office or early voting center to turn in their ballots.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>However, SB 884 specifies that the buffer zone only applies on Election Day — Nov. 3 of this year. There is no mention of these restrictions being effective on the weeks leading up to Election Day, when many voters go to their county election office or early voting center to turn in their ballots.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Salceda points out that there are also other ways to vote, including mailing in your ballot by Nov. 3 or placing it in an official county drop box. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Salceda points out that there are also other ways to vote, including mailing in your ballot by Nov. 3 or placing it in an official county drop box. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Trump administration has tried to change the rules around voting by mail, but these efforts were \u003ca href=\"https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/u-s-supreme-court-blocks-postal-service-from-restricting-mail-ballots\">blocked earlier\u003c/a> this year by the Supreme Court.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Trump administration has tried to change the rules around voting by mail, but these efforts were \u003ca href=\"https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/u-s-supreme-court-blocks-postal-service-from-restricting-mail-ballots\">blocked earlier\u003c/a> this year by the Supreme Court.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Armed law enforcement aren’t the only ones capable of voter intimidation, added Salceda. “We’re talking about situations where someone would want to drop their ballot at the dropbox and someone is there harassing or intimidating people,” she said. “Those are unlawful actions that should be reported.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Armed law enforcement aren’t the only ones capable of voter intimidation, added Salceda. “We’re talking about situations where someone would want to drop their ballot at the dropbox and someone is there harassing or intimidating people,” she said. “Those are unlawful actions that should be reported.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California’s secretary of state has \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/contact\">a hotline available\u003c/a> in multiple languages where residents can report incidents that may violate electoral law.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>California’s secretary of state has \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/contact\">a hotline available\u003c/a> in multiple languages where residents can report incidents that may violate electoral law.\u003c/p>\n"
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"English: 800-345-VOTE (8683) ",
"Spanish: 800-232-VOTA (8682)",
"Chinese: 800-339-2857 ",
"Hindi: 888-345-2692",
"Tagalog: 800-339-2957"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>English: 800-345-VOTE (8683) \u003c/li>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Spanish: 800-232-VOTA (8682)\u003c/li>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/tychehendricks\">\u003cem>Tyche Hendricks \u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>and \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/lfitzgerald\">\u003cem>Laura Fitzgerald\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "With midterm elections less than three weeks away and reports of an immigration enforcement surge in California, immigrant communities are bracing for a potentially heightened ICE presence — and are concerned about their safety at the polls.",
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"title": "An ICE Surge in California Ahead of the Midterms? Here’s What We Know | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>With just a few weeks until the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide/\">Nov. 3 midterm elections\u003c/a>, concerns — and rumors — about operations by U.S. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/immigration\">Immigration and Customs Enforcement\u003c/a> are once again spreading among immigrant communities in California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Advocates have confirmed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103799/bay-area-officials-immigration-advocates-brace-for-ice-surge-after-central-valley-arrests\">a wave\u003c/a> of immigration arrests across the Central Valley this month, with more than 100 farmworkers and other people detained since Monday. And while Bay Area groups that monitor ICE activity have not seen a similar surge in the region, elected officials and community groups have expressed concern that the fear of immigration raids could discourage even eligible citizens from voting on Election Day.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We know what Republicans are trying to do — intimidate Latino citizens so they stay at home and don’t exercise their right to vote,” East Bay Rep. Lateefah Simon told KQED in an emailed statement.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/241202-NewBayAreaCongressmembers-05-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12068706\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/241202-NewBayAreaCongressmembers-05-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/241202-NewBayAreaCongressmembers-05-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/241202-NewBayAreaCongressmembers-05-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lateefah Simon, Congresswoman-elect for California’s 12th congressional district, speaks with KQED politics reporter Scott Shafer at KQED’s offices in San Francisco on Dec. 2, 2024. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Whenever there’s been a confirmed, major ICE operation in California, local businesses in majority Latino neighborhoods \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12050993/a-day-in-the-life-of-san-joses-rapid-response-network-built-to-resist-ice-fear\">struggle\u003c/a>, schools \u003ca href=\"https://siepr.stanford.edu/news/student-absences-increased-under-threat-deportation-efforts-study-finds\">see more absences\u003c/a>, and immigrant families even postpone \u003ca href=\"https://cssp.org/resource/through-their-eyes-immigration-enforcement-health-wellbeing-children-families/\">going to the doctor\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If people hear the rumors that ICE is present, then right away the community lets itself know: ‘We need to stay home’,” said Jacob Sandoval, director of the California chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump to: \u003ca href=\"#ice-agents\">What does the law say about law enforcement at polling booths?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a statement released solely in Spanish on Oct. 9, Gov. Gavin Newsom acknowledged an increase in reports of federal immigration enforcement in California. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But he urged state residents to know their rights, adding that “Donald Trump uses fear as a weapon — putting families in danger, weakening trust and terrifying communities.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Here’s what we know so far about immigration enforcement in California in the run-up to the midterm election.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How reports and rumors are fueling anxieties ahead of the midterms\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>An article published earlier this month by the \u003cem>Washington Examiner\u003c/em> stated that ICE had launched a 45-day operation across California to arrest all immigrants without legal status. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Several \u003ca href=\"https://newrepublic.com/post/216405/ice-terrifying-marching-orders-california\">other publications\u003c/a> picked up the story and within days, dozens of posts warning about what ICE was allegedly calling “Operation Safe California” circulated on social media.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The original reporting only quotes two unnamed sources and pointed to San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego as the three main targets of ICE’s apparent surge. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This move, the story suggested, was part of a strategy by the White House to focus immigration enforcement on California ahead of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">Nov. 3 elections\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Noting the proximity to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/voterguide\">midterm elections\u003c/a>, the story said: “the decision to focus ICE resources throughout the sanctuary state is the latest effort by the Trump administration to unleash ICE in a blue state following surges to Minnesota, Illinois, New York, and Oregon.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a statement to KQED, the Department of Homeland Security said that “for operational security and the safety of our officers, ICE will not disclose or discuss law enforcement operations.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Every day, DHS enforces the laws of the nation across the country including in California,” a spokesperson wrote via email. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Back in January, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071704/ice-super-bowl-immigration-enforcement-santa-clara-san-francisco-bay-area-2026\">similar rumors\u003c/a> about possible ICE activity at Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara spread across the Bay Area in the run-up to the event — rumors which DHS similarly refused to confirm or deny following KQED’s queries. (Ultimately, no mass immigration enforcement materialized at the event.)\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Voting fears among even citizens\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A recent investigation \u003ca href=\"https://projects.propublica.org/american-citizens-detained-dhs-civil-rights/\">by ProPublica\u003c/a> found that immigration enforcement agents have detained more than 500 U.S. citizens during the second Trump administration.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And LULAC’s Sandoval emphasized that fears about increased ICE activity can also impact mixed-status families — where some relatives are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, while others have no legal status. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Families might not feel comfortable with their loved ones going to the polls, even if they’re U.S. citizens,” Sandoval said. “We don’t want law enforcement or ICE around polling places where people might feel intimidated.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/GettyImages-2285787606-scaled-e1791586238561.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091600\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the nation from the East Room of the White House on July 16, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Saul Loeb/Pool via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When it comes to citizenship and voter eligibility, California is already fighting a separate legal battle with the federal government ahead of the midterms. On Thursday, the Department of Justice \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104425/california-officials-denounce-trump-dojs-demands-to-prove-voters-citizenship\">filed a lawsuit\u003c/a> in order to force state officials to set aside the ballots already mailed to over 20,000 registered voters — individuals that the Trump administration claimed are not actually eligible citizens.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, the state’s top elections official, said in a letter that she will review any evidence from the federal government that proves certain voters are not citizens.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“However, I will not disenfranchise thousands of Californians — or order any county elections official to do so — based solely upon an unsupported and likely inaccurate ‘belie[f]’ that certain voters are ‘likely’ noncitizens,” she added.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Has there been an immigration enforcement surge in the Bay Area?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>KQED \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103799/bay-area-officials-immigration-advocates-brace-for-ice-surge-after-central-valley-arrests\">reached out\u003c/a> to immigration advocates and rapid response networks across the state to confirm if they were seeing a surge in ICE operations in the wake of the Central Valley arrests and the \u003cem>Washington Examiner\u003c/em>’s claims.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We are definitely on the alert and preparing in case of increased ICE activity or large-scale raids in our region,” said Lourdes Martínez, co-director of the Alameda County Immigration Legal and Education Partnership, the county’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12050971/meet-the-community-members-behind-santa-clara-countys-ice-rapid-response-network\">rapid response network\u003c/a>. “We have not been able to verify any specifics, so we are monitoring the situation.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She added that lawyers are preparing in case large-scale raids do materialize. Outreach workers are also sharing an \u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ACILEP-Safety-Planning-Checklist-for-Families-2026-9a7f4962.pdf\">“Emergency Planning Checklist for Families”\u003c/a> to help immigrants prepare, said Martínez, in case a family member is arrested.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/ICE-Arrests-CA-Getty2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098459\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/ICE-Arrests-CA-Getty2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/ICE-Arrests-CA-Getty2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/ICE-Arrests-CA-Getty2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents walk a detainee out of the Ventura County Government Center in Ventura, California, on July 27, 2026. (Blake Fagan/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other groups in the Bay Area that monitor ICE activity have told KQED they haven’t yet seen a major surge, but confirmed that rumors about “Operation California” \u003cem>have \u003c/em>circulated widely in their communities.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meanwhile in the Central Valley, state Sen. Anna Caballero — who represents parts of Fresno and Merced — said she had heard of an estimated 60 arrests last week within the communities she represents.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The facility in downtown Fresno is having trouble processing” this amount of detainees, Caballero’s spokesperson Elisa Rivera told KQED in an email. “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084687/like-an-angel-meet-the-helpers-working-at-bay-area-immigration-court\">Legal observers\u003c/a> are having little success gaining access.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"ice-agents\">What does the law say about ICE agents at polling locations?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Earlier this year, California lawmakers \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb884\">approved stronger restrictions\u003c/a> on how law enforcement officers can conduct arrests during an election.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>SB 884 prohibits law enforcement — a category which includes federal agents like ICE but also state and local officers — from making arrests within 200 feet of a polling place on Election Day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The law does specify an exception: Arrests can still be made within the 200 feet “buffer zone” for crimes “related to disrupting the operation of the polling place, a crime against a person, or a crime against property.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251104-SCCVOTE-JG-05_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088632\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251104-SCCVOTE-JG-05_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251104-SCCVOTE-JG-05_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251104-SCCVOTE-JG-05_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Edgardo Domingo fills out a ballot at a voting booth at the Vietnamese American Cultural Center in San José on Nov. 4, 2025. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We know that it can be a form of intimidation if folks are going to vote in person and see law enforcement there,” said Angélica Salceda, with the ACLU of Northern California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We all have a right to be able to cast our ballot free from coercion or intimidation,” she added. “We have the right for that vote to be secret. We don’t have to answer any questions about who we voted for if we don’t want to.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If county officials determine that voting was disrupted at a polling place because law enforcement violated this law, they can extend the time voters have to turn in their ballots beyond the usual poll closing time of 8 p.m.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, SB 884 specifies that the buffer zone only applies on Election Day — Nov. 3 of this year. There is no mention of these restrictions being effective on the weeks leading up to Election Day, when many voters go to their county election office or early voting center to turn in their ballots.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Salceda points out that there are also other ways to vote, including mailing in your ballot by Nov. 3 or placing it in an official county drop box. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Trump administration has tried to change the rules around voting by mail, but these efforts were \u003ca href=\"https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/u-s-supreme-court-blocks-postal-service-from-restricting-mail-ballots\">blocked earlier\u003c/a> this year by the Supreme Court.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Armed law enforcement aren’t the only ones capable of voter intimidation, added Salceda. “We’re talking about situations where someone would want to drop their ballot at the dropbox and someone is there harassing or intimidating people,” she said. “Those are unlawful actions that should be reported.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California’s secretary of state has \u003ca href=\"https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/contact\">a hotline available\u003c/a> in multiple languages where residents can report incidents that may violate electoral law.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>English: 800-345-VOTE (8683) \u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Spanish: 800-232-VOTA (8682)\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Chinese: 800-339-2857 \u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Hindi: 888-345-2692\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Tagalog: 800-339-2957\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/tychehendricks\">\u003cem>Tyche Hendricks \u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>and \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/lfitzgerald\">\u003cem>Laura Fitzgerald\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Here are the morning’s top stories on Thursday, October 8, 2026: \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>The USS Abraham Lincoln \u003ca href=\"https://www.kpbs.org/news/military/2026/10/07/uss-abraham-lincoln-returning-to-san-diego-after-extended-iran-deployment\">returns to San Diego today\u003c/a> after an intense, months-long deployment to the Middle East. The aircraft carrier spent more than 260 days at sea without a port call, and there have been multiple reports of low morale for the crew.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Chico State students \u003ca href=\"https://www.mynspr.org/news/2026-10-07/chico-state-students-rally-against-sexual-assault-amid-cornell-controversy-see-photos-from-the-protest\">rallied yesterday against sexual assault on college campuses\u003c/a>. It’s part of a nationwide outcry following rape allegations at Cornell University in New York.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>In the San Joaquin Valley, leaders of a faith-based nonprofit in the San Joaquin Valley announced a new initiative yesterday that trains residents to become “poll chaplains.” The Merced FOCUS reports that the “poll chaplains” aim to de-escalate tensions at polling places.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">USS Abraham Lincoln’s return\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln \u003ca href=\"https://www.kpbs.org/news/military/2026/10/07/uss-abraham-lincoln-returning-to-san-diego-after-extended-iran-deployment\">is due back in San Diego today\u003c/a>, a homecoming that marks an end to a deployment of more than 10 months that included combat operations, supply shortages and more than 260 consecutive days at sea.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The morale issues among the embarked crew brought on by the arduous nature of this deployment reportedly contributed to at least one sailor jumping overboard.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao told Congress last month eight service members in the Lincoln’s battle group attempted suicide — a number that is close to the suicide attempt rate Navy-wide in 2024, according to a Defense Department report.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spoke with sailors on the carrier’s flight deck Wednesday off the San Diego coast. He said he was responsible for twice extending their deployment and praised the crew’s resilience.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There were a few folks in the media who tried to turn the USS Abraham Lincoln into some sort of a symbol — a symbol of dysfunction, or a symbol of low morale or a symbol of a failed mission,” Hegseth said. “I know it’s the exact opposite.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hegseth told the crew the news media often sees “success” as a symbol of things gone wrong.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They see success, and they see excellence, and they see difficulty and challenge that needs to be overcome … and they want to … point at it as, as a symbol of something that was missed or wrong,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Chico State students rally against sexual assault\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chico State students \u003ca href=\"https://www.mynspr.org/news/2026-10-07/chico-state-students-rally-against-sexual-assault-amid-cornell-controversy-see-photos-from-the-protest\">rallied Wednesday\u003c/a> against sexual assault on college campuses, part of a nationwide outcry following \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/10/07/nx-s1-5993761/a-legal-loophole-could-shape-how-the-cornell-rape-case-is-prosecuted\">rape allegations\u003c/a> at Cornell University in New York.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kassandra Ramondo, a student organizer, said this is a moment to speak up.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’ve been a victim of sexual assault,” Ramondo said. “I just want to use my voice and my power to stand up for that community because sometimes a lot of those survivors don’t have the capacity for that.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The protest drew more than 100 people on campus, many holding signs reading “I am Jane Doe” in reference to the Cornell case.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">San Joaquin Valley ‘poll chaplains’ try to de-escalate tensions\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The nonprofit Faith in the Valley are promoting the so-called “poll chaplains” to encourage voter turnout and dispel misinformation about elections during the election season. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Madeleine Guekguezian is a poll chaplain and a pastor at the United Methodist Church in the city of Merced. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If you feel like you want to be a presence of calm — of trust — to learn how to de-escalate when folks want to cause a scene around a voting center, then I courage you to leave your contact information,” Guekguezian said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Faith in the Valley plans to hold several training sessions for volunteers before Election Day on Nov. 3. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The chaplains will still follow election rules, such as standing at least 100 feet away from polling center entrances. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Here are the morning’s top stories on Thursday, October 8, 2026: \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>The USS Abraham Lincoln \u003ca href=\"https://www.kpbs.org/news/military/2026/10/07/uss-abraham-lincoln-returning-to-san-diego-after-extended-iran-deployment\">returns to San Diego today\u003c/a> after an intense, months-long deployment to the Middle East. The aircraft carrier spent more than 260 days at sea without a port call, and there have been multiple reports of low morale for the crew.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Chico State students \u003ca href=\"https://www.mynspr.org/news/2026-10-07/chico-state-students-rally-against-sexual-assault-amid-cornell-controversy-see-photos-from-the-protest\">rallied yesterday against sexual assault on college campuses\u003c/a>. It’s part of a nationwide outcry following rape allegations at Cornell University in New York.\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>In the San Joaquin Valley, leaders of a faith-based nonprofit in the San Joaquin Valley announced a new initiative yesterday that trains residents to become “poll chaplains.” The Merced FOCUS reports that the “poll chaplains” aim to de-escalate tensions at polling places.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">USS Abraham Lincoln’s return\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln \u003ca href=\"https://www.kpbs.org/news/military/2026/10/07/uss-abraham-lincoln-returning-to-san-diego-after-extended-iran-deployment\">is due back in San Diego today\u003c/a>, a homecoming that marks an end to a deployment of more than 10 months that included combat operations, supply shortages and more than 260 consecutive days at sea.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The morale issues among the embarked crew brought on by the arduous nature of this deployment reportedly contributed to at least one sailor jumping overboard.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao told Congress last month eight service members in the Lincoln’s battle group attempted suicide — a number that is close to the suicide attempt rate Navy-wide in 2024, according to a Defense Department report.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spoke with sailors on the carrier’s flight deck Wednesday off the San Diego coast. He said he was responsible for twice extending their deployment and praised the crew’s resilience.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There were a few folks in the media who tried to turn the USS Abraham Lincoln into some sort of a symbol — a symbol of dysfunction, or a symbol of low morale or a symbol of a failed mission,” Hegseth said. “I know it’s the exact opposite.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hegseth told the crew the news media often sees “success” as a symbol of things gone wrong.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They see success, and they see excellence, and they see difficulty and challenge that needs to be overcome … and they want to … point at it as, as a symbol of something that was missed or wrong,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Chico State students rally against sexual assault\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chico State students \u003ca href=\"https://www.mynspr.org/news/2026-10-07/chico-state-students-rally-against-sexual-assault-amid-cornell-controversy-see-photos-from-the-protest\">rallied Wednesday\u003c/a> against sexual assault on college campuses, part of a nationwide outcry following \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/10/07/nx-s1-5993761/a-legal-loophole-could-shape-how-the-cornell-rape-case-is-prosecuted\">rape allegations\u003c/a> at Cornell University in New York.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kassandra Ramondo, a student organizer, said this is a moment to speak up.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’ve been a victim of sexual assault,” Ramondo said. “I just want to use my voice and my power to stand up for that community because sometimes a lot of those survivors don’t have the capacity for that.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The protest drew more than 100 people on campus, many holding signs reading “I am Jane Doe” in reference to the Cornell case.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">San Joaquin Valley ‘poll chaplains’ try to de-escalate tensions\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The nonprofit Faith in the Valley are promoting the so-called “poll chaplains” to encourage voter turnout and dispel misinformation about elections during the election season. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Madeleine Guekguezian is a poll chaplain and a pastor at the United Methodist Church in the city of Merced. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If you feel like you want to be a presence of calm — of trust — to learn how to de-escalate when folks want to cause a scene around a voting center, then I courage you to leave your contact information,” Guekguezian said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Faith in the Valley plans to hold several training sessions for volunteers before Election Day on Nov. 3. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The chaplains will still follow election rules, such as standing at least 100 feet away from polling center entrances. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Shasta County Registrar Subpoenaed Over Election Claims",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Here are the morning’s top stories on Thursday, September 24, 2026\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>A federal grand jury has subpoenaed Shasta County’s registrar of voters to report to Sacramento on Thursday. They’ve asked him to bring ballots he seized from the June election. The subpoenas came after Clint Curtis, the registrar, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/09/shasta-county-elections-fbi-ballot-investigation/\">locked up stacks of those ballots,\u003c/a> saying they looked and smelled suspicious. Curtis counters that he doesn’t have to bring ballots to Sacramento because the FBI is already on the case. \u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>The group behind a ballot measure to reform California’s landmark environmental protection law is rejecting claims it will make it easier to build data centers. \u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Residents in Riverside County are raising the alarm on a small data center project being proposed for the fairgrounds near Lake Perris. But officials say the proposal is still in its early stages.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/09/shasta-county-elections-fbi-ballot-investigation/\">FBI visits California MAGA stronghold after elections chief alleges ballot stuffing\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>FBI agents paid a visit to Shasta County last week after Registrar of Voters Clint Curtis claimed ballots looked, felt and smelled funny as workers were counting them in the June primary, an election he happened to lose. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They visited the room in the Shasta County elections office where Curtis had locked away ballots from the June election in anticipation of the FBI’s eventual arrival. The agents, Curtis said, inspected the boxes holding them as part of what he claims is an election-fraud investigation. Curtis said a federal grand jury subpoena ordered him to bring the ballots to court in Sacramento this week. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The FBI’s inspection came after other Shasta County officials also urged the federal and state government to investigate, but for a different reason: To prove Curtis’ claims about widespread election fraud wrong. “The county condemns the conduct of the Clerk-Registrar of Voters and invites all relevant state and federal agencies to review the allegations he has made and to proactively investigate his official actions and practices as Shasta County’s elections official,” officials said \u003ca href=\"https://www.shastacounty.gov/media/85046\">in a statement last month\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The extraordinary level of federal involvement in the heavily conservative county a two-and-a-half hour drive north of Sacramento comes as Trump and his MAGA movement hunt for evidence of widespread election fraud that experts say doesn’t exist. It follows a handful of cases this year of federal and MAGA-aligned local authorities seizing ballots from past elections in California and in other states. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After he lost the June election, Curtis, a longtime conspiracy theorist and election denier whose final official act will be to oversee November’s election in Shasta, began claiming some of the mail-in ballots that arrived at the elections office seemed off. “We had a lot of weird ballots coming in, so we have the whole counterfeit ballot thing, which is what the feds are looking at, which is essentially the fact that the paper is wrong,” Curtis said in an hourlong interview with CalMatters in the Redding elections office. “And it smelled wrong before, but now it doesn’t smell anymore. Two months have gone by, but when we did our first initial — you know, I had a dozen people say ‘Something’s wrong with this.’ When you’re flipping through ballots, you kind of get used to the thickness and the size, and suddenly you hit one that’s, you know, considerably thicker.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Curtis claims the wrong paper issue is possible proof of something he and other MAGA conspiracy theorists have long claimed happens regularly in California and other states with mail-in voting: Nefarious actors are fixing elections by stuffing fake ballots into drop-off boxes. Election experts have a word for such claims: Nonsense. They say there are so many safeguards in place to verify signatures and scan ballots that it would be nearly impossible to forge huge numbers of ballots and not get immediately caught. Sonni Waknin, an attorney at the UCLA Voting Rights Project, used her own experience to highlight how well California’s safeguards work. She said one of her ballots in a past election was flagged at a California elections office because the signature she used to register to vote didn’t appear to match the one she signed on her ballot. Elections officials reached out to her to verify it was her signature, and she was required to fill out a form to declare it was indeed Waknin who filled out her ballot. “You get caught when it’s not even forged,” she said. “When people try to commit fraud, they get caught.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Curtis said FBI agents showed up last week at the election office to inspect the room where he’d stored ballots. Curtis had a padlock installed and had hung “Keep Out” signs on the door in anticipation of an investigation. The FBI agents brought bolt cutters to get in the room. Curtis said representatives from the California secretary of state’s office were also there observing. He said the federal authorities didn’t take any ballots with them. They left a green evidence cable lock marked with the word “SECURED” where Curtis’ padlock once hung. Curtis said the FBI didn’t tell him what they were looking for. “I just showed them what we had,” he said. “The FBI never says anything to you, by the way … it’s information in and nothing out.” Curtis says a federal grand jury in Sacramento ordered him to bring boxes containing the ballots but on Monday he said he was told he no longer needs to, though he’s not yet received a written notice that his subpoena is canceled. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100915/housing-fix-or-data-center-loophole-this-ballot-measure-would-overhaul-ceqa\">Could Prop 45 make it easier to build data centers?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Proposition 45 on the November ballot would reform the California Environmental Quality Act, also known as CEQA. Proponents argue the measure would help with the state’s affordability crisis by speeding up housing construction. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, public polling shows support for the measure has tanked in the last few months as critics argue the measure would make it easier to build data centers, which are deeply unpopular with voters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The measure is sponsored by the state Chamber of Commerce, which argues it will help expedite housing construction. CalChamber CEO Jennifer Barrera spoke with KQED. “The opposition is raising it to scare voters. They’re butchering the definition of broadband to try and make data centers fit into it, and it just doesn’t fit,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Polling from the Public Policy Institute of California shows support for the measure among likely voters dropped from 73% in July to 49% last week.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Proposed data center project raises concerns in Riverside County\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Residents in Riverside County are raising the alarm on a small data center project being proposed for the fairgrounds near Lake Perris. But officials said the proposal is still in its early stages.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Last month, Global Stack, an infrastructure company, got approval to explore the construction of a small data center for emergency response. It would sit at the Southern California Fair and Events Center at Lake Perris. As a public benefit, the Santa Ana-based company agreed to build a large parking structure for public events and a helipad.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On its website, Global Stack said it aims to build similar data centers on fairgrounds across the state. The company didn’t respond to requests for comment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Russell Vanderberg, the CEO of the SoCal Fair and Events Center, said construction hasn’t been approved. “We met with the representatives of Global Stack and decided to sign a non-binding memorandum of understanding,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But residents who live nearby say they didn’t know about the non-binding memorandum. And they’re concerned about data centers water and energy use. This comes as the city of Perris’ planning commission \u003ca href=\"https://www.kvcrnews.org/local-news/2026-09-17/perris-planning-commission-recommends-data-center-ban-as-residents-oppose-state-fairgrounds-project\">is recommending a citywide ban on data centers. \u003c/a> \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>A federal grand jury has subpoenaed Shasta County’s registrar of voters to report to Sacramento on Thursday. They’ve asked him to bring ballots he seized from the June election. The subpoenas came after Clint Curtis, the registrar, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/09/shasta-county-elections-fbi-ballot-investigation/\">locked up stacks of those ballots,\u003c/a> saying they looked and smelled suspicious. Curtis counters that he doesn’t have to bring ballots to Sacramento because the FBI is already on the case. \u003c/li>\n",
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"\n\u003cli>A federal grand jury has subpoenaed Shasta County’s registrar of voters to report to Sacramento on Thursday. They’ve asked him to bring ballots he seized from the June election. The subpoenas came after Clint Curtis, the registrar, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/09/shasta-county-elections-fbi-ballot-investigation/\">locked up stacks of those ballots,\u003c/a> saying they looked and smelled suspicious. Curtis counters that he doesn’t have to bring ballots to Sacramento because the FBI is already on the case. \u003c/li>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>The group behind a ballot measure to reform California’s landmark environmental protection law is rejecting claims it will make it easier to build data centers. \u003c/li>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cli>Residents in Riverside County are raising the alarm on a small data center project being proposed for the fairgrounds near Lake Perris. But officials say the proposal is still in its early stages.\u003c/li>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>FBI agents paid a visit to Shasta County last week after Registrar of Voters Clint Curtis claimed ballots looked, felt and smelled funny as workers were counting them in the June primary, an election he happened to lose. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>They visited the room in the Shasta County elections office where Curtis had locked away ballots from the June election in anticipation of the FBI’s eventual arrival. The agents, Curtis said, inspected the boxes holding them as part of what he claims is an election-fraud investigation. Curtis said a federal grand jury subpoena ordered him to bring the ballots to court in Sacramento this week. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>They visited the room in the Shasta County elections office where Curtis had locked away ballots from the June election in anticipation of the FBI’s eventual arrival. The agents, Curtis said, inspected the boxes holding them as part of what he claims is an election-fraud investigation. Curtis said a federal grand jury subpoena ordered him to bring the ballots to court in Sacramento this week. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The FBI’s inspection came after other Shasta County officials also urged the federal and state government to investigate, but for a different reason: To prove Curtis’ claims about widespread election fraud wrong. “The county condemns the conduct of the Clerk-Registrar of Voters and invites all relevant state and federal agencies to review the allegations he has made and to proactively investigate his official actions and practices as Shasta County’s elections official,” officials said \u003ca href=\"https://www.shastacounty.gov/media/85046\">in a statement last month\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The FBI’s inspection came after other Shasta County officials also urged the federal and state government to investigate, but for a different reason: To prove Curtis’ claims about widespread election fraud wrong. “The county condemns the conduct of the Clerk-Registrar of Voters and invites all relevant state and federal agencies to review the allegations he has made and to proactively investigate his official actions and practices as Shasta County’s elections official,” officials said \u003ca href=\"https://www.shastacounty.gov/media/85046\">in a statement last month\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The extraordinary level of federal involvement in the heavily conservative county a two-and-a-half hour drive north of Sacramento comes as Trump and his MAGA movement hunt for evidence of widespread election fraud that experts say doesn’t exist. It follows a handful of cases this year of federal and MAGA-aligned local authorities seizing ballots from past elections in California and in other states. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The extraordinary level of federal involvement in the heavily conservative county a two-and-a-half hour drive north of Sacramento comes as Trump and his MAGA movement hunt for evidence of widespread election fraud that experts say doesn’t exist. It follows a handful of cases this year of federal and MAGA-aligned local authorities seizing ballots from past elections in California and in other states. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After he lost the June election, Curtis, a longtime conspiracy theorist and election denier whose final official act will be to oversee November’s election in Shasta, began claiming some of the mail-in ballots that arrived at the elections office seemed off. “We had a lot of weird ballots coming in, so we have the whole counterfeit ballot thing, which is what the feds are looking at, which is essentially the fact that the paper is wrong,” Curtis said in an hourlong interview with CalMatters in the Redding elections office. “And it smelled wrong before, but now it doesn’t smell anymore. Two months have gone by, but when we did our first initial — you know, I had a dozen people say ‘Something’s wrong with this.’ When you’re flipping through ballots, you kind of get used to the thickness and the size, and suddenly you hit one that’s, you know, considerably thicker.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>After he lost the June election, Curtis, a longtime conspiracy theorist and election denier whose final official act will be to oversee November’s election in Shasta, began claiming some of the mail-in ballots that arrived at the elections office seemed off. “We had a lot of weird ballots coming in, so we have the whole counterfeit ballot thing, which is what the feds are looking at, which is essentially the fact that the paper is wrong,” Curtis said in an hourlong interview with CalMatters in the Redding elections office. “And it smelled wrong before, but now it doesn’t smell anymore. Two months have gone by, but when we did our first initial — you know, I had a dozen people say ‘Something’s wrong with this.’ When you’re flipping through ballots, you kind of get used to the thickness and the size, and suddenly you hit one that’s, you know, considerably thicker.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Curtis claims the wrong paper issue is possible proof of something he and other MAGA conspiracy theorists have long claimed happens regularly in California and other states with mail-in voting: Nefarious actors are fixing elections by stuffing fake ballots into drop-off boxes. Election experts have a word for such claims: Nonsense. They say there are so many safeguards in place to verify signatures and scan ballots that it would be nearly impossible to forge huge numbers of ballots and not get immediately caught. Sonni Waknin, an attorney at the UCLA Voting Rights Project, used her own experience to highlight how well California’s safeguards work. She said one of her ballots in a past election was flagged at a California elections office because the signature she used to register to vote didn’t appear to match the one she signed on her ballot. Elections officials reached out to her to verify it was her signature, and she was required to fill out a form to declare it was indeed Waknin who filled out her ballot. “You get caught when it’s not even forged,” she said. “When people try to commit fraud, they get caught.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Curtis claims the wrong paper issue is possible proof of something he and other MAGA conspiracy theorists have long claimed happens regularly in California and other states with mail-in voting: Nefarious actors are fixing elections by stuffing fake ballots into drop-off boxes. Election experts have a word for such claims: Nonsense. They say there are so many safeguards in place to verify signatures and scan ballots that it would be nearly impossible to forge huge numbers of ballots and not get immediately caught. Sonni Waknin, an attorney at the UCLA Voting Rights Project, used her own experience to highlight how well California’s safeguards work. She said one of her ballots in a past election was flagged at a California elections office because the signature she used to register to vote didn’t appear to match the one she signed on her ballot. Elections officials reached out to her to verify it was her signature, and she was required to fill out a form to declare it was indeed Waknin who filled out her ballot. “You get caught when it’s not even forged,” she said. “When people try to commit fraud, they get caught.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Curtis said FBI agents showed up last week at the election office to inspect the room where he’d stored ballots. Curtis had a padlock installed and had hung “Keep Out” signs on the door in anticipation of an investigation. The FBI agents brought bolt cutters to get in the room. Curtis said representatives from the California secretary of state’s office were also there observing. He said the federal authorities didn’t take any ballots with them. They left a green evidence cable lock marked with the word “SECURED” where Curtis’ padlock once hung. Curtis said the FBI didn’t tell him what they were looking for. “I just showed them what we had,” he said. “The FBI never says anything to you, by the way … it’s information in and nothing out.” Curtis says a federal grand jury in Sacramento ordered him to bring boxes containing the ballots but on Monday he said he was told he no longer needs to, though he’s not yet received a written notice that his subpoena is canceled. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Curtis said FBI agents showed up last week at the election office to inspect the room where he’d stored ballots. Curtis had a padlock installed and had hung “Keep Out” signs on the door in anticipation of an investigation. The FBI agents brought bolt cutters to get in the room. Curtis said representatives from the California secretary of state’s office were also there observing. He said the federal authorities didn’t take any ballots with them. They left a green evidence cable lock marked with the word “SECURED” where Curtis’ padlock once hung. Curtis said the FBI didn’t tell him what they were looking for. “I just showed them what we had,” he said. “The FBI never says anything to you, by the way … it’s information in and nothing out.” Curtis says a federal grand jury in Sacramento ordered him to bring boxes containing the ballots but on Monday he said he was told he no longer needs to, though he’s not yet received a written notice that his subpoena is canceled. \u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
"text": "Could Prop 45 make it easier to build data centers?",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100915/housing-fix-or-data-center-loophole-this-ballot-measure-would-overhaul-ceqa\">Could Prop 45 make it easier to build data centers?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100915/housing-fix-or-data-center-loophole-this-ballot-measure-would-overhaul-ceqa\">Could Prop 45 make it easier to build data centers?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Proposition 45 on the November ballot would reform the California Environmental Quality Act, also known as CEQA. Proponents argue the measure would help with the state’s affordability crisis by speeding up housing construction. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Proposition 45 on the November ballot would reform the California Environmental Quality Act, also known as CEQA. Proponents argue the measure would help with the state’s affordability crisis by speeding up housing construction. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>However, public polling shows support for the measure has tanked in the last few months as critics argue the measure would make it easier to build data centers, which are deeply unpopular with voters. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>However, public polling shows support for the measure has tanked in the last few months as critics argue the measure would make it easier to build data centers, which are deeply unpopular with voters. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The measure is sponsored by the state Chamber of Commerce, which argues it will help expedite housing construction. CalChamber CEO Jennifer Barrera spoke with KQED. “The opposition is raising it to scare voters. They’re butchering the definition of broadband to try and make data centers fit into it, and it just doesn’t fit,” she said.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>The measure is sponsored by the state Chamber of Commerce, which argues it will help expedite housing construction. CalChamber CEO Jennifer Barrera spoke with KQED. “The opposition is raising it to scare voters. They’re butchering the definition of broadband to try and make data centers fit into it, and it just doesn’t fit,” she said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Polling from the Public Policy Institute of California shows support for the measure among likely voters dropped from 73% in July to 49% last week.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Polling from the Public Policy Institute of California shows support for the measure among likely voters dropped from 73% in July to 49% last week.\u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
"text": "Proposed data center project raises concerns in Riverside County",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Proposed data center project raises concerns in Riverside County\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Residents in Riverside County are raising the alarm on a small data center project being proposed for the fairgrounds near Lake Perris. But officials said the proposal is still in its early stages.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Residents in Riverside County are raising the alarm on a small data center project being proposed for the fairgrounds near Lake Perris. But officials said the proposal is still in its early stages.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Last month, Global Stack, an infrastructure company, got approval to explore the construction of a small data center for emergency response. It would sit at the Southern California Fair and Events Center at Lake Perris. As a public benefit, the Santa Ana-based company agreed to build a large parking structure for public events and a helipad.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Last month, Global Stack, an infrastructure company, got approval to explore the construction of a small data center for emergency response. It would sit at the Southern California Fair and Events Center at Lake Perris. As a public benefit, the Santa Ana-based company agreed to build a large parking structure for public events and a helipad.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On its website, Global Stack said it aims to build similar data centers on fairgrounds across the state. The company didn’t respond to requests for comment.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>On its website, Global Stack said it aims to build similar data centers on fairgrounds across the state. The company didn’t respond to requests for comment.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Russell Vanderberg, the CEO of the SoCal Fair and Events Center, said construction hasn’t been approved. “We met with the representatives of Global Stack and decided to sign a non-binding memorandum of understanding,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Russell Vanderberg, the CEO of the SoCal Fair and Events Center, said construction hasn’t been approved. “We met with the representatives of Global Stack and decided to sign a non-binding memorandum of understanding,” he said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But residents who live nearby say they didn’t know about the non-binding memorandum. And they’re concerned about data centers water and energy use. This comes as the city of Perris’ planning commission \u003ca href=\"https://www.kvcrnews.org/local-news/2026-09-17/perris-planning-commission-recommends-data-center-ban-as-residents-oppose-state-fairgrounds-project\">is recommending a citywide ban on data centers. \u003c/a> \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But residents who live nearby say they didn’t know about the non-binding memorandum. And they’re concerned about data centers water and energy use. This comes as the city of Perris’ planning commission \u003ca href=\"https://www.kvcrnews.org/local-news/2026-09-17/perris-planning-commission-recommends-data-center-ban-as-residents-oppose-state-fairgrounds-project\">is recommending a citywide ban on data centers. \u003c/a> \u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Clint Curtis said ballots looked, smelled and felt funny after he lost in this MAGA stronghold. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Here are the morning’s top stories on Thursday, September 24, 2026\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>A federal grand jury has subpoenaed Shasta County’s registrar of voters to report to Sacramento on Thursday. They’ve asked him to bring ballots he seized from the June election. The subpoenas came after Clint Curtis, the registrar, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/09/shasta-county-elections-fbi-ballot-investigation/\">locked up stacks of those ballots,\u003c/a> saying they looked and smelled suspicious. Curtis counters that he doesn’t have to bring ballots to Sacramento because the FBI is already on the case. \u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>The group behind a ballot measure to reform California’s landmark environmental protection law is rejecting claims it will make it easier to build data centers. \u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>Residents in Riverside County are raising the alarm on a small data center project being proposed for the fairgrounds near Lake Perris. But officials say the proposal is still in its early stages.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/09/shasta-county-elections-fbi-ballot-investigation/\">FBI visits California MAGA stronghold after elections chief alleges ballot stuffing\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>FBI agents paid a visit to Shasta County last week after Registrar of Voters Clint Curtis claimed ballots looked, felt and smelled funny as workers were counting them in the June primary, an election he happened to lose. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They visited the room in the Shasta County elections office where Curtis had locked away ballots from the June election in anticipation of the FBI’s eventual arrival. The agents, Curtis said, inspected the boxes holding them as part of what he claims is an election-fraud investigation. Curtis said a federal grand jury subpoena ordered him to bring the ballots to court in Sacramento this week. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The FBI’s inspection came after other Shasta County officials also urged the federal and state government to investigate, but for a different reason: To prove Curtis’ claims about widespread election fraud wrong. “The county condemns the conduct of the Clerk-Registrar of Voters and invites all relevant state and federal agencies to review the allegations he has made and to proactively investigate his official actions and practices as Shasta County’s elections official,” officials said \u003ca href=\"https://www.shastacounty.gov/media/85046\">in a statement last month\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The extraordinary level of federal involvement in the heavily conservative county a two-and-a-half hour drive north of Sacramento comes as Trump and his MAGA movement hunt for evidence of widespread election fraud that experts say doesn’t exist. It follows a handful of cases this year of federal and MAGA-aligned local authorities seizing ballots from past elections in California and in other states. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After he lost the June election, Curtis, a longtime conspiracy theorist and election denier whose final official act will be to oversee November’s election in Shasta, began claiming some of the mail-in ballots that arrived at the elections office seemed off. “We had a lot of weird ballots coming in, so we have the whole counterfeit ballot thing, which is what the feds are looking at, which is essentially the fact that the paper is wrong,” Curtis said in an hourlong interview with CalMatters in the Redding elections office. “And it smelled wrong before, but now it doesn’t smell anymore. Two months have gone by, but when we did our first initial — you know, I had a dozen people say ‘Something’s wrong with this.’ When you’re flipping through ballots, you kind of get used to the thickness and the size, and suddenly you hit one that’s, you know, considerably thicker.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Curtis claims the wrong paper issue is possible proof of something he and other MAGA conspiracy theorists have long claimed happens regularly in California and other states with mail-in voting: Nefarious actors are fixing elections by stuffing fake ballots into drop-off boxes. Election experts have a word for such claims: Nonsense. They say there are so many safeguards in place to verify signatures and scan ballots that it would be nearly impossible to forge huge numbers of ballots and not get immediately caught. Sonni Waknin, an attorney at the UCLA Voting Rights Project, used her own experience to highlight how well California’s safeguards work. She said one of her ballots in a past election was flagged at a California elections office because the signature she used to register to vote didn’t appear to match the one she signed on her ballot. Elections officials reached out to her to verify it was her signature, and she was required to fill out a form to declare it was indeed Waknin who filled out her ballot. “You get caught when it’s not even forged,” she said. “When people try to commit fraud, they get caught.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Curtis said FBI agents showed up last week at the election office to inspect the room where he’d stored ballots. Curtis had a padlock installed and had hung “Keep Out” signs on the door in anticipation of an investigation. The FBI agents brought bolt cutters to get in the room. Curtis said representatives from the California secretary of state’s office were also there observing. He said the federal authorities didn’t take any ballots with them. They left a green evidence cable lock marked with the word “SECURED” where Curtis’ padlock once hung. Curtis said the FBI didn’t tell him what they were looking for. “I just showed them what we had,” he said. “The FBI never says anything to you, by the way … it’s information in and nothing out.” Curtis says a federal grand jury in Sacramento ordered him to bring boxes containing the ballots but on Monday he said he was told he no longer needs to, though he’s not yet received a written notice that his subpoena is canceled. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12100915/housing-fix-or-data-center-loophole-this-ballot-measure-would-overhaul-ceqa\">Could Prop 45 make it easier to build data centers?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Proposition 45 on the November ballot would reform the California Environmental Quality Act, also known as CEQA. Proponents argue the measure would help with the state’s affordability crisis by speeding up housing construction. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, public polling shows support for the measure has tanked in the last few months as critics argue the measure would make it easier to build data centers, which are deeply unpopular with voters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The measure is sponsored by the state Chamber of Commerce, which argues it will help expedite housing construction. CalChamber CEO Jennifer Barrera spoke with KQED. “The opposition is raising it to scare voters. They’re butchering the definition of broadband to try and make data centers fit into it, and it just doesn’t fit,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Polling from the Public Policy Institute of California shows support for the measure among likely voters dropped from 73% in July to 49% last week.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Proposed data center project raises concerns in Riverside County\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Residents in Riverside County are raising the alarm on a small data center project being proposed for the fairgrounds near Lake Perris. But officials said the proposal is still in its early stages.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Last month, Global Stack, an infrastructure company, got approval to explore the construction of a small data center for emergency response. It would sit at the Southern California Fair and Events Center at Lake Perris. As a public benefit, the Santa Ana-based company agreed to build a large parking structure for public events and a helipad.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On its website, Global Stack said it aims to build similar data centers on fairgrounds across the state. The company didn’t respond to requests for comment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Russell Vanderberg, the CEO of the SoCal Fair and Events Center, said construction hasn’t been approved. “We met with the representatives of Global Stack and decided to sign a non-binding memorandum of understanding,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But residents who live nearby say they didn’t know about the non-binding memorandum. And they’re concerned about data centers water and energy use. This comes as the city of Perris’ planning commission \u003ca href=\"https://www.kvcrnews.org/local-news/2026-09-17/perris-planning-commission-recommends-data-center-ban-as-residents-oppose-state-fairgrounds-project\">is recommending a citywide ban on data centers. \u003c/a> \u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "california-billionaires-tax-has-a-slim-lead-in-new-poll-but-still-a-lot-of-work-to-do",
"title": "California Billionaire Tax Has a Slim Lead in New Poll, but Still ‘a Lot of Work to Do’",
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"headTitle": "California Billionaire Tax Has a Slim Lead in New Poll, but Still ‘a Lot of Work to Do’ | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>A slim majority of likely California voters are backing a proposed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/billionaire-tax\">tax on billionaires\u003c/a>, according to a new poll, but voters are also lining up behind two competing November ballot measures that could nullify the billionaire tax.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Voters will weigh in Nov. 3 on Proposition 40, which would impose a one-time, 5% wealth tax on billionaires who lived in California as of Jan. 1, 2026. The tax is estimated to raise up to $100 billion and would be used to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12093303/the-union-man-taking-on-the-democratic-establishment-with-a-billionaire-tax\">offset deep federal healthcare cuts\u003c/a> imposed last year by Congress. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to the poll released late Tuesday by the Public Policy Institute of California, 52% of likely voters said they would vote yes on the tax, while 46% said they would vote no. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Supporters of Proposition 40, the so-called billionaire tax initiative, have a lot of work to do,” said Mark Baldassare, the institute’s statewide survey director, noting the challenge of keeping support above 50% with what is only a “slim” lead. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CaliforniaBillionairesTaxGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093728\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CaliforniaBillionairesTaxGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CaliforniaBillionairesTaxGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CaliforniaBillionairesTaxGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A T-shirt with a campaign message is seen before the start of a rally led by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, an Independent from Vermont, during the campaign kickoff for the California Billionaire Tax Act at The Wiltern in Los Angeles on Feb. 18, 2026. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097870/stanford-economist-makes-the-case-against-californias-billionaire-tax-measure\">opponents of the tax\u003c/a>, led by several billionaires, also are asking voters to weigh in on Propositions 41 and 42, which have provisions that could nullify the billionaire tax if they pass with more votes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Proposition 41, which would make any new taxes subject to the state’s existing spending limit, is leading in the Public Policy Institute of California poll 51% to 44%.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Proposition 42 would prohibit taxes on financial assets such as stocks and other personal property other than real estate. It’s leading in the poll 54% to 43%.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If all three pass, but Proposition 41 or 42 gets more votes than Proposition 40 gets, the state will be prohibited from enforcing the billionaire tax. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“So the supporters [of Proposition 40] have the work to do of both keeping their support, which is now just above 50%, in the majority range, and also raising questions about Propositions 41 and 42 that may reduce support below what Proposition 40 is getting,” Baldassare said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That task will likely be made even harder by the large amount of money being spent by billionaires against the proposed wealth tax: Opponents of the billionaire tax have already raised nearly $120 million to fight Proposition 40 and support Propositions 41 and 42. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The poll from the Public Policy Institute surveyed 1,103 likely voters from Sept. 4–10 and found an electorate that is pessimistic about the trajectory of both the state and the nation. Majorities of adults and likely voters told pollsters that price increases have caused financial hardship for their households, and just 27% of likely voters approve of President Donald Trump’s job performance. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The survey also found Democrat Xavier Becerra leading Republican Steve Hilton 60%-38% in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california-governors-race\">race for California governor\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Affordability continues to be top of mind for Californians,” Baldassare said, “when considering their choice for governor: 65% of likely voters say that a candidate’s plans to address cost-of-living issues are very important to their vote.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The poll also asked voters about the other 11 ballot measures on the November ballot. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It found strong support for Proposition 3, which would make existing higher tax rates permanent for individuals earning more than $371,000 a year, and for Proposition 37, which would create a new loan program for middle-income home buyers in the state.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Proposition 45, which is aimed at speeding up construction by expediting some environmental reviews, is narrowly leading 48% to 46%. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Likely voters are also backing Proposition 1, which would authorize $11 billion in state bonds for affordable housing, and Proposition 2, which would increase the state’s rainy-day fund. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But a voter ID measure, authored by Republicans in the state Legislature, is trailing in the poll, with 43% of likely voters backing Proposition 39 and 55% opposed. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095745\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A voter is given a sticker after dropping his ballot at City Hall in San Francisco on Oct. 30, 2025, ahead of the statewide special election. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The survey also shows several other measures trailing among likely voters, including Proposition 4, which would repeal a prohibition against public funding of candidate campaigns; Proposition 5, which would change the process for replacing a state elected official who is recalled by voters; and Proposition 43, which would make it harder for voters to approve local tax increases. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In all, California voters will weigh in on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12088883/california-billionaire-tax-november-ballot-measures\">14 ballot measures \u003c/a>this fall, and the Public Policy Institute found voters “exhausted” by the responsibility: Nearly 80% of respondents said they are frustrated with the size of the ballot. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Baldassare said it’s the rare question that unites Democrats, Republicans and Independents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Every time we’ve asked this question of Californians, they tell us that, you know, there’s too many ballot measures that they have to deal with,” he said. “This is something that everybody agrees on.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A slim majority of likely California voters are backing a proposed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/billionaire-tax\">tax on billionaires\u003c/a>, according to a new poll, but voters are also lining up behind two competing November ballot measures that could nullify the billionaire tax.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Voters will weigh in Nov. 3 on Proposition 40, which would impose a one-time, 5% wealth tax on billionaires who lived in California as of Jan. 1, 2026. The tax is estimated to raise up to $100 billion and would be used to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12093303/the-union-man-taking-on-the-democratic-establishment-with-a-billionaire-tax\">offset deep federal healthcare cuts\u003c/a> imposed last year by Congress. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Voters will weigh in Nov. 3 on Proposition 40, which would impose a one-time, 5% wealth tax on billionaires who lived in California as of Jan. 1, 2026. The tax is estimated to raise up to $100 billion and would be used to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12093303/the-union-man-taking-on-the-democratic-establishment-with-a-billionaire-tax\">offset deep federal healthcare cuts\u003c/a> imposed last year by Congress. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>According to the poll released late Tuesday by the Public Policy Institute of California, 52% of likely voters said they would vote yes on the tax, while 46% said they would vote no. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>According to the poll released late Tuesday by the Public Policy Institute of California, 52% of likely voters said they would vote yes on the tax, while 46% said they would vote no. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Supporters of Proposition 40, the so-called billionaire tax initiative, have a lot of work to do,” said Mark Baldassare, the institute’s statewide survey director, noting the challenge of keeping support above 50% with what is only a “slim” lead. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Supporters of Proposition 40, the so-called billionaire tax initiative, have a lot of work to do,” said Mark Baldassare, the institute’s statewide survey director, noting the challenge of keeping support above 50% with what is only a “slim” lead. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CaliforniaBillionairesTaxGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093728\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CaliforniaBillionairesTaxGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CaliforniaBillionairesTaxGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CaliforniaBillionairesTaxGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A T-shirt with a campaign message is seen before the start of a rally led by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, an Independent from Vermont, during the campaign kickoff for the California Billionaire Tax Act at The Wiltern in Los Angeles on Feb. 18, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CaliforniaBillionairesTaxGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093728\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A T-shirt with a campaign message is seen before the start of a rally led by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, an Independent from Vermont, during the campaign kickoff for the California Billionaire Tax Act at The Wiltern in Los Angeles on Feb. 18, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097870/stanford-economist-makes-the-case-against-californias-billionaire-tax-measure\">opponents of the tax\u003c/a>, led by several billionaires, also are asking voters to weigh in on Propositions 41 and 42, which have provisions that could nullify the billionaire tax if they pass with more votes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097870/stanford-economist-makes-the-case-against-californias-billionaire-tax-measure\">opponents of the tax\u003c/a>, led by several billionaires, also are asking voters to weigh in on Propositions 41 and 42, which have provisions that could nullify the billionaire tax if they pass with more votes. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Proposition 41, which would make any new taxes subject to the state’s existing spending limit, is leading in the Public Policy Institute of California poll 51% to 44%.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Proposition 41, which would make any new taxes subject to the state’s existing spending limit, is leading in the Public Policy Institute of California poll 51% to 44%.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Proposition 42 would prohibit taxes on financial assets such as stocks and other personal property other than real estate. It’s leading in the poll 54% to 43%.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Proposition 42 would prohibit taxes on financial assets such as stocks and other personal property other than real estate. It’s leading in the poll 54% to 43%.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If all three pass, but Proposition 41 or 42 gets more votes than Proposition 40 gets, the state will be prohibited from enforcing the billionaire tax. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If all three pass, but Proposition 41 or 42 gets more votes than Proposition 40 gets, the state will be prohibited from enforcing the billionaire tax. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“So the supporters [of Proposition 40] have the work to do of both keeping their support, which is now just above 50%, in the majority range, and also raising questions about Propositions 41 and 42 that may reduce support below what Proposition 40 is getting,” Baldassare said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“So the supporters [of Proposition 40] have the work to do of both keeping their support, which is now just above 50%, in the majority range, and also raising questions about Propositions 41 and 42 that may reduce support below what Proposition 40 is getting,” Baldassare said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That task will likely be made even harder by the large amount of money being spent by billionaires against the proposed wealth tax: Opponents of the billionaire tax have already raised nearly $120 million to fight Proposition 40 and support Propositions 41 and 42. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>That task will likely be made even harder by the large amount of money being spent by billionaires against the proposed wealth tax: Opponents of the billionaire tax have already raised nearly $120 million to fight Proposition 40 and support Propositions 41 and 42. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The poll from the Public Policy Institute surveyed 1,103 likely voters from Sept. 4–10 and found an electorate that is pessimistic about the trajectory of both the state and the nation. Majorities of adults and likely voters told pollsters that price increases have caused financial hardship for their households, and just 27% of likely voters approve of President Donald Trump’s job performance. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The poll from the Public Policy Institute surveyed 1,103 likely voters from Sept. 4–10 and found an electorate that is pessimistic about the trajectory of both the state and the nation. Majorities of adults and likely voters told pollsters that price increases have caused financial hardship for their households, and just 27% of likely voters approve of President Donald Trump’s job performance. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The survey also found Democrat Xavier Becerra leading Republican Steve Hilton 60%-38% in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california-governors-race\">race for California governor\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The survey also found Democrat Xavier Becerra leading Republican Steve Hilton 60%-38% in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california-governors-race\">race for California governor\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Affordability continues to be top of mind for Californians,” Baldassare said, “when considering their choice for governor: 65% of likely voters say that a candidate’s plans to address cost-of-living issues are very important to their vote.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Affordability continues to be top of mind for Californians,” Baldassare said, “when considering their choice for governor: 65% of likely voters say that a candidate’s plans to address cost-of-living issues are very important to their vote.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The poll also asked voters about the other 11 ballot measures on the November ballot. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The poll also asked voters about the other 11 ballot measures on the November ballot. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It found strong support for Proposition 3, which would make existing higher tax rates permanent for individuals earning more than $371,000 a year, and for Proposition 37, which would create a new loan program for middle-income home buyers in the state.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>It found strong support for Proposition 3, which would make existing higher tax rates permanent for individuals earning more than $371,000 a year, and for Proposition 37, which would create a new loan program for middle-income home buyers in the state.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Proposition 45, which is aimed at speeding up construction by expediting some environmental reviews, is narrowly leading 48% to 46%. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Proposition 45, which is aimed at speeding up construction by expediting some environmental reviews, is narrowly leading 48% to 46%. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Likely voters are also backing Proposition 1, which would authorize $11 billion in state bonds for affordable housing, and Proposition 2, which would increase the state’s rainy-day fund. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Likely voters are also backing Proposition 1, which would authorize $11 billion in state bonds for affordable housing, and Proposition 2, which would increase the state’s rainy-day fund. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But a voter ID measure, authored by Republicans in the state Legislature, is trailing in the poll, with 43% of likely voters backing Proposition 39 and 55% opposed. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But a voter ID measure, authored by Republicans in the state Legislature, is trailing in the poll, with 43% of likely voters backing Proposition 39 and 55% opposed. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095745\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A voter is given a sticker after dropping his ballot at City Hall in San Francisco on Oct. 30, 2025, ahead of the statewide special election.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095745\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A voter is given a sticker after dropping his ballot at City Hall in San Francisco on Oct. 30, 2025, ahead of the statewide special election.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The survey also shows several other measures trailing among likely voters, including Proposition 4, which would repeal a prohibition against public funding of candidate campaigns; Proposition 5, which would change the process for replacing a state elected official who is recalled by voters; and Proposition 43, which would make it harder for voters to approve local tax increases. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The survey also shows several other measures trailing among likely voters, including Proposition 4, which would repeal a prohibition against public funding of candidate campaigns; Proposition 5, which would change the process for replacing a state elected official who is recalled by voters; and Proposition 43, which would make it harder for voters to approve local tax increases. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In all, California voters will weigh in on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12088883/california-billionaire-tax-november-ballot-measures\">14 ballot measures \u003c/a>this fall, and the Public Policy Institute found voters “exhausted” by the responsibility: Nearly 80% of respondents said they are frustrated with the size of the ballot. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In all, California voters will weigh in on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12088883/california-billionaire-tax-november-ballot-measures\">14 ballot measures \u003c/a>this fall, and the Public Policy Institute found voters “exhausted” by the responsibility: Nearly 80% of respondents said they are frustrated with the size of the ballot. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Baldassare said it’s the rare question that unites Democrats, Republicans and Independents. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Every time we’ve asked this question of Californians, they tell us that, you know, there’s too many ballot measures that they have to deal with,” he said. “This is something that everybody agrees on.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Every time we’ve asked this question of Californians, they tell us that, you know, there’s too many ballot measures that they have to deal with,” he said. “This is something that everybody agrees on.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "While 52% of likely voters said they would vote yes on Proposition 40, they are also lining up behind two competing November ballot measures that could nullify the wealth tax.",
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"title": "California Billionaire Tax Has a Slim Lead in New Poll, but Still ‘a Lot of Work to Do’ | KQED",
"description": "While 52% of likely voters said they would vote yes on Proposition 40, they are also lining up behind two competing November ballot measures that could nullify the wealth tax.",
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"headline": "California Billionaire Tax Has a Slim Lead in New Poll, but Still ‘a Lot of Work to Do’",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>A slim majority of likely California voters are backing a proposed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/billionaire-tax\">tax on billionaires\u003c/a>, according to a new poll, but voters are also lining up behind two competing November ballot measures that could nullify the billionaire tax.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Voters will weigh in Nov. 3 on Proposition 40, which would impose a one-time, 5% wealth tax on billionaires who lived in California as of Jan. 1, 2026. The tax is estimated to raise up to $100 billion and would be used to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12093303/the-union-man-taking-on-the-democratic-establishment-with-a-billionaire-tax\">offset deep federal healthcare cuts\u003c/a> imposed last year by Congress. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to the poll released late Tuesday by the Public Policy Institute of California, 52% of likely voters said they would vote yes on the tax, while 46% said they would vote no. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Supporters of Proposition 40, the so-called billionaire tax initiative, have a lot of work to do,” said Mark Baldassare, the institute’s statewide survey director, noting the challenge of keeping support above 50% with what is only a “slim” lead. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CaliforniaBillionairesTaxGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12093728\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CaliforniaBillionairesTaxGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CaliforniaBillionairesTaxGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/CaliforniaBillionairesTaxGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A T-shirt with a campaign message is seen before the start of a rally led by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, an Independent from Vermont, during the campaign kickoff for the California Billionaire Tax Act at The Wiltern in Los Angeles on Feb. 18, 2026. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097870/stanford-economist-makes-the-case-against-californias-billionaire-tax-measure\">opponents of the tax\u003c/a>, led by several billionaires, also are asking voters to weigh in on Propositions 41 and 42, which have provisions that could nullify the billionaire tax if they pass with more votes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Proposition 41, which would make any new taxes subject to the state’s existing spending limit, is leading in the Public Policy Institute of California poll 51% to 44%.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Proposition 42 would prohibit taxes on financial assets such as stocks and other personal property other than real estate. It’s leading in the poll 54% to 43%.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If all three pass, but Proposition 41 or 42 gets more votes than Proposition 40 gets, the state will be prohibited from enforcing the billionaire tax. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“So the supporters [of Proposition 40] have the work to do of both keeping their support, which is now just above 50%, in the majority range, and also raising questions about Propositions 41 and 42 that may reduce support below what Proposition 40 is getting,” Baldassare said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That task will likely be made even harder by the large amount of money being spent by billionaires against the proposed wealth tax: Opponents of the billionaire tax have already raised nearly $120 million to fight Proposition 40 and support Propositions 41 and 42. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The poll from the Public Policy Institute surveyed 1,103 likely voters from Sept. 4–10 and found an electorate that is pessimistic about the trajectory of both the state and the nation. Majorities of adults and likely voters told pollsters that price increases have caused financial hardship for their households, and just 27% of likely voters approve of President Donald Trump’s job performance. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The survey also found Democrat Xavier Becerra leading Republican Steve Hilton 60%-38% in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california-governors-race\">race for California governor\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Affordability continues to be top of mind for Californians,” Baldassare said, “when considering their choice for governor: 65% of likely voters say that a candidate’s plans to address cost-of-living issues are very important to their vote.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The poll also asked voters about the other 11 ballot measures on the November ballot. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It found strong support for Proposition 3, which would make existing higher tax rates permanent for individuals earning more than $371,000 a year, and for Proposition 37, which would create a new loan program for middle-income home buyers in the state.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Proposition 45, which is aimed at speeding up construction by expediting some environmental reviews, is narrowly leading 48% to 46%. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Likely voters are also backing Proposition 1, which would authorize $11 billion in state bonds for affordable housing, and Proposition 2, which would increase the state’s rainy-day fund. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But a voter ID measure, authored by Republicans in the state Legislature, is trailing in the poll, with 43% of likely voters backing Proposition 39 and 55% opposed. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095745\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/251030-BayAreaVoters-06-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A voter is given a sticker after dropping his ballot at City Hall in San Francisco on Oct. 30, 2025, ahead of the statewide special election. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The survey also shows several other measures trailing among likely voters, including Proposition 4, which would repeal a prohibition against public funding of candidate campaigns; Proposition 5, which would change the process for replacing a state elected official who is recalled by voters; and Proposition 43, which would make it harder for voters to approve local tax increases. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In all, California voters will weigh in on \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12088883/california-billionaire-tax-november-ballot-measures\">14 ballot measures \u003c/a>this fall, and the Public Policy Institute found voters “exhausted” by the responsibility: Nearly 80% of respondents said they are frustrated with the size of the ballot. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Baldassare said it’s the rare question that unites Democrats, Republicans and Independents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Every time we’ve asked this question of Californians, they tell us that, you know, there’s too many ballot measures that they have to deal with,” he said. “This is something that everybody agrees on.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "What to Know About the Mail-In Voting Fight at the Supreme Court",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/donald-trump\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/donald-trump\">Trump administration\u003c/a> has \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28598022-26a297/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">asked the Supreme Court\u003c/a> to lift a block on the U.S. Postal Service plan for President Trump’s attempt to restrict mail-in voting for the midterm election.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For now, key parts of that plan are blocked by \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28585290-league-of-women-voters-of-massachusetts-2026-08-27-memorandum-and-order-granting-in-part-plaintiffs-motions-for-a-temporary-restraining-order/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a temporary restraining order\u003c/a> from a federal judge in Boston.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A ruling from the high court is not expected until sometime after 10 a.m. ET on Sept. 8. \u003ca href=\"https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/DocketFiles/html/Public/26A297.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">That’s the deadline\u003c/a> Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson set for legal briefs from the plan’s challengers, although the administration has asked Jackson to pause the block on the Postal Service immediately while the court prepares to rule.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12085887\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-6-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-6-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-6-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Colby Brown, rover supervisor at the Veterans Memorial Center voting center, seals a ballot drop box, in Davis on June 2, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As the legal fight over \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/03/31/nx-s1-5508948/trump-voter-list-mail-ballots-executive-order\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Trump’s mail-in voting order\u003c/a> continues, here’s what to know about the state of voting by mail for the midterms:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Has the USPS plan directly changed mail-in voting for the midterms?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>No, key parts of the plan, including requirements for states, are currently blocked by a court order. Voting by mail is still available to all voters who are eligible for it in their states, and USPS is expected to deliver mail-in ballots for the midterm election as usual.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How could the USPS plan change mail-in voting?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>State election officials would be required to turn over lists of mail-in voters’ names and addresses to USPS and have certain barcodes on their mail ballot envelopes, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/2026-17238/ballot-mail-for-federal-elections\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">revised rule\u003c/a> for federal ballot mail the Postal Service issued in August. USPS says it would not deliver ballots to voters for election officials that don’t meet those requirements.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>When does mail-in voting start for the midterms?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>North Carolina has to start mailing out its absentee ballots on Friday, which officially kicks off the voting season for this year’s midterms. Many \u003ca href=\"https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/table-7-when-states-mail-out-absentee-mail-ballots\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">other states\u003c/a> are set to begin sending out their mail-in ballots later this month.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Is it possible for the USPS plan to be carried out for the midterms?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many election experts say it is too late for USPS to carry out this plan without causing major disruptions. A \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/09/01/nx-s1-5950869/trump-mail-in-voting-usps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">whistleblower report\u003c/a> claims USPS has not properly tested the online portal system that would collect mail-in voters’ information. The report also alleges the agency has set up a policy for verifying ballot envelopes that could result in many voters not getting their ballots in time for the midterm election or at all.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What are the legal arguments for and against the USPS plan?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>USPS came up with this plan in response to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/03/31/nx-s1-5508948/trump-voter-list-mail-ballots-executive-order\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">March executive order\u003c/a> by President Trump, who said he issued the directives to USPS to stop illegal voting by non-U.S. citizens. Many studies and audits show, however, \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/07/30/nx-s1-5462836/noncitizen-voting-trump-ceir-review\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">that problem is incredibly rare\u003c/a>. While USPS claims its revised rule is an effort to regulate mail, challengers of the USPS plan argue it is illegal because the mailing agency has no authority to control voting by mail.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Hasn’t the Supreme Court already ruled on Trump’s mail-in voting order?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yes, the Supreme Court \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/08/24/nx-s1-5909592/trump-mail-voting-order-supreme-court\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ruled in August on a procedural question\u003c/a> about one of the lawsuits. But so far, the justices have not ruled on the legality of the order or the USPS plan.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How long has mail-in voting been around in the United States?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Historians consider the Civil War election of 1864 — the year Abraham Lincoln was reelected president — as \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2024/08/24/nx-s1-5060433/voting-by-mail-history-absentee-smithsonian-national-postal-museum\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the start of large-scale voting by mail\u003c/a>, although there are earlier examples of mail-in voting at the state and local levels going back to the 18th century.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Editor’s note:\u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003cem> The U.S. Postal Service is a financial supporter of NPR.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Edited by \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/people/1157496779/megan-pratz\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u003cem>Megan Pratz\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/donald-trump\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/donald-trump\">Trump administration\u003c/a> has \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28598022-26a297/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">asked the Supreme Court\u003c/a> to lift a block on the U.S. Postal Service plan for President Trump’s attempt to restrict mail-in voting for the midterm election.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For now, key parts of that plan are blocked by \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28585290-league-of-women-voters-of-massachusetts-2026-08-27-memorandum-and-order-granting-in-part-plaintiffs-motions-for-a-temporary-restraining-order/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a temporary restraining order\u003c/a> from a federal judge in Boston.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>For now, key parts of that plan are blocked by \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28585290-league-of-women-voters-of-massachusetts-2026-08-27-memorandum-and-order-granting-in-part-plaintiffs-motions-for-a-temporary-restraining-order/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a temporary restraining order\u003c/a> from a federal judge in Boston.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A ruling from the high court is not expected until sometime after 10 a.m. ET on Sept. 8. \u003ca href=\"https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/DocketFiles/html/Public/26A297.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">That’s the deadline\u003c/a> Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson set for legal briefs from the plan’s challengers, although the administration has asked Jackson to pause the block on the Postal Service immediately while the court prepares to rule.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A ruling from the high court is not expected until sometime after 10 a.m. ET on Sept. 8. \u003ca href=\"https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/DocketFiles/html/Public/26A297.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">That’s the deadline\u003c/a> Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson set for legal briefs from the plan’s challengers, although the administration has asked Jackson to pause the block on the Postal Service immediately while the court prepares to rule.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12085887\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-6-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-6-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-6-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Colby Brown, rover supervisor at the Veterans Memorial Center voting center, seals a ballot drop box, in Davis on June 2, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12085887\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Colby Brown, rover supervisor at the Veterans Memorial Center voting center, seals a ballot drop box, in Davis on June 2, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As the legal fight over \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/03/31/nx-s1-5508948/trump-voter-list-mail-ballots-executive-order\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Trump’s mail-in voting order\u003c/a> continues, here’s what to know about the state of voting by mail for the midterms:\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As the legal fight over \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/03/31/nx-s1-5508948/trump-voter-list-mail-ballots-executive-order\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Trump’s mail-in voting order\u003c/a> continues, here’s what to know about the state of voting by mail for the midterms:\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Has the USPS plan directly changed mail-in voting for the midterms?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>No, key parts of the plan, including requirements for states, are currently blocked by a court order. Voting by mail is still available to all voters who are eligible for it in their states, and USPS is expected to deliver mail-in ballots for the midterm election as usual.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>No, key parts of the plan, including requirements for states, are currently blocked by a court order. Voting by mail is still available to all voters who are eligible for it in their states, and USPS is expected to deliver mail-in ballots for the midterm election as usual.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How could the USPS plan change mail-in voting?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How could the USPS plan change mail-in voting?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>State election officials would be required to turn over lists of mail-in voters’ names and addresses to USPS and have certain barcodes on their mail ballot envelopes, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/2026-17238/ballot-mail-for-federal-elections\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">revised rule\u003c/a> for federal ballot mail the Postal Service issued in August. USPS says it would not deliver ballots to voters for election officials that don’t meet those requirements.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>State election officials would be required to turn over lists of mail-in voters’ names and addresses to USPS and have certain barcodes on their mail ballot envelopes, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/2026-17238/ballot-mail-for-federal-elections\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">revised rule\u003c/a> for federal ballot mail the Postal Service issued in August. USPS says it would not deliver ballots to voters for election officials that don’t meet those requirements.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>When does mail-in voting start for the midterms?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>When does mail-in voting start for the midterms?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>North Carolina has to start mailing out its absentee ballots on Friday, which officially kicks off the voting season for this year’s midterms. Many \u003ca href=\"https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/table-7-when-states-mail-out-absentee-mail-ballots\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">other states\u003c/a> are set to begin sending out their mail-in ballots later this month.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>North Carolina has to start mailing out its absentee ballots on Friday, which officially kicks off the voting season for this year’s midterms. Many \u003ca href=\"https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/table-7-when-states-mail-out-absentee-mail-ballots\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">other states\u003c/a> are set to begin sending out their mail-in ballots later this month.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Is it possible for the USPS plan to be carried out for the midterms?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Is it possible for the USPS plan to be carried out for the midterms?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Many election experts say it is too late for USPS to carry out this plan without causing major disruptions. A \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/09/01/nx-s1-5950869/trump-mail-in-voting-usps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">whistleblower report\u003c/a> claims USPS has not properly tested the online portal system that would collect mail-in voters’ information. The report also alleges the agency has set up a policy for verifying ballot envelopes that could result in many voters not getting their ballots in time for the midterm election or at all.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Many election experts say it is too late for USPS to carry out this plan without causing major disruptions. A \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/09/01/nx-s1-5950869/trump-mail-in-voting-usps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">whistleblower report\u003c/a> claims USPS has not properly tested the online portal system that would collect mail-in voters’ information. The report also alleges the agency has set up a policy for verifying ballot envelopes that could result in many voters not getting their ballots in time for the midterm election or at all.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What are the legal arguments for and against the USPS plan?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>USPS came up with this plan in response to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/03/31/nx-s1-5508948/trump-voter-list-mail-ballots-executive-order\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">March executive order\u003c/a> by President Trump, who said he issued the directives to USPS to stop illegal voting by non-U.S. citizens. Many studies and audits show, however, \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/07/30/nx-s1-5462836/noncitizen-voting-trump-ceir-review\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">that problem is incredibly rare\u003c/a>. While USPS claims its revised rule is an effort to regulate mail, challengers of the USPS plan argue it is illegal because the mailing agency has no authority to control voting by mail.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>USPS came up with this plan in response to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/03/31/nx-s1-5508948/trump-voter-list-mail-ballots-executive-order\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">March executive order\u003c/a> by President Trump, who said he issued the directives to USPS to stop illegal voting by non-U.S. citizens. Many studies and audits show, however, \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/07/30/nx-s1-5462836/noncitizen-voting-trump-ceir-review\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">that problem is incredibly rare\u003c/a>. While USPS claims its revised rule is an effort to regulate mail, challengers of the USPS plan argue it is illegal because the mailing agency has no authority to control voting by mail.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Hasn’t the Supreme Court already ruled on Trump’s mail-in voting order?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Hasn’t the Supreme Court already ruled on Trump’s mail-in voting order?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Yes, the Supreme Court \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/08/24/nx-s1-5909592/trump-mail-voting-order-supreme-court\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ruled in August on a procedural question\u003c/a> about one of the lawsuits. But so far, the justices have not ruled on the legality of the order or the USPS plan.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Yes, the Supreme Court \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/08/24/nx-s1-5909592/trump-mail-voting-order-supreme-court\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ruled in August on a procedural question\u003c/a> about one of the lawsuits. But so far, the justices have not ruled on the legality of the order or the USPS plan.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How long has mail-in voting been around in the United States?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Historians consider the Civil War election of 1864 — the year Abraham Lincoln was reelected president — as \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2024/08/24/nx-s1-5060433/voting-by-mail-history-absentee-smithsonian-national-postal-museum\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the start of large-scale voting by mail\u003c/a>, although there are earlier examples of mail-in voting at the state and local levels going back to the 18th century.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Historians consider the Civil War election of 1864 — the year Abraham Lincoln was reelected president — as \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2024/08/24/nx-s1-5060433/voting-by-mail-history-absentee-smithsonian-national-postal-museum\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the start of large-scale voting by mail\u003c/a>, although there are earlier examples of mail-in voting at the state and local levels going back to the 18th century.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Editor’s note:\u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003cem> The U.S. Postal Service is a financial supporter of NPR.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Editor’s note:\u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003cem> The U.S. Postal Service is a financial supporter of NPR.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Edited by \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/people/1157496779/megan-pratz\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u003cem>Megan Pratz\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "As the legal fight over President Donald Trump's mail-in voting order continues, here's what to know about the state of voting by mail for the midterms.",
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"title": "What to Know About the Mail-In Voting Fight at the Supreme Court | KQED",
"description": "As the legal fight over President Donald Trump's mail-in voting order continues, here's what to know about the state of voting by mail for the midterms.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/donald-trump\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/donald-trump\">Trump administration\u003c/a> has \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28598022-26a297/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">asked the Supreme Court\u003c/a> to lift a block on the U.S. Postal Service plan for President Trump’s attempt to restrict mail-in voting for the midterm election.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For now, key parts of that plan are blocked by \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28585290-league-of-women-voters-of-massachusetts-2026-08-27-memorandum-and-order-granting-in-part-plaintiffs-motions-for-a-temporary-restraining-order/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a temporary restraining order\u003c/a> from a federal judge in Boston.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A ruling from the high court is not expected until sometime after 10 a.m. ET on Sept. 8. \u003ca href=\"https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/DocketFiles/html/Public/26A297.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">That’s the deadline\u003c/a> Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson set for legal briefs from the plan’s challengers, although the administration has asked Jackson to pause the block on the Postal Service immediately while the court prepares to rule.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12085887\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-6-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-6-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260602_PRIMARY2026CD4_GC-6-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Colby Brown, rover supervisor at the Veterans Memorial Center voting center, seals a ballot drop box, in Davis on June 2, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As the legal fight over \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/03/31/nx-s1-5508948/trump-voter-list-mail-ballots-executive-order\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Trump’s mail-in voting order\u003c/a> continues, here’s what to know about the state of voting by mail for the midterms:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Has the USPS plan directly changed mail-in voting for the midterms?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>No, key parts of the plan, including requirements for states, are currently blocked by a court order. Voting by mail is still available to all voters who are eligible for it in their states, and USPS is expected to deliver mail-in ballots for the midterm election as usual.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How could the USPS plan change mail-in voting?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>State election officials would be required to turn over lists of mail-in voters’ names and addresses to USPS and have certain barcodes on their mail ballot envelopes, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/2026-17238/ballot-mail-for-federal-elections\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">revised rule\u003c/a> for federal ballot mail the Postal Service issued in August. USPS says it would not deliver ballots to voters for election officials that don’t meet those requirements.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>When does mail-in voting start for the midterms?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>North Carolina has to start mailing out its absentee ballots on Friday, which officially kicks off the voting season for this year’s midterms. Many \u003ca href=\"https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/table-7-when-states-mail-out-absentee-mail-ballots\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">other states\u003c/a> are set to begin sending out their mail-in ballots later this month.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Is it possible for the USPS plan to be carried out for the midterms?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many election experts say it is too late for USPS to carry out this plan without causing major disruptions. A \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/09/01/nx-s1-5950869/trump-mail-in-voting-usps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">whistleblower report\u003c/a> claims USPS has not properly tested the online portal system that would collect mail-in voters’ information. The report also alleges the agency has set up a policy for verifying ballot envelopes that could result in many voters not getting their ballots in time for the midterm election or at all.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>What are the legal arguments for and against the USPS plan?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>USPS came up with this plan in response to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/03/31/nx-s1-5508948/trump-voter-list-mail-ballots-executive-order\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">March executive order\u003c/a> by President Trump, who said he issued the directives to USPS to stop illegal voting by non-U.S. citizens. Many studies and audits show, however, \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/07/30/nx-s1-5462836/noncitizen-voting-trump-ceir-review\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">that problem is incredibly rare\u003c/a>. While USPS claims its revised rule is an effort to regulate mail, challengers of the USPS plan argue it is illegal because the mailing agency has no authority to control voting by mail.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Hasn’t the Supreme Court already ruled on Trump’s mail-in voting order?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yes, the Supreme Court \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2026/08/24/nx-s1-5909592/trump-mail-voting-order-supreme-court\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ruled in August on a procedural question\u003c/a> about one of the lawsuits. But so far, the justices have not ruled on the legality of the order or the USPS plan.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How long has mail-in voting been around in the United States?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Historians consider the Civil War election of 1864 — the year Abraham Lincoln was reelected president — as \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2024/08/24/nx-s1-5060433/voting-by-mail-history-absentee-smithsonian-national-postal-museum\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the start of large-scale voting by mail\u003c/a>, although there are earlier examples of mail-in voting at the state and local levels going back to the 18th century.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cem>Editor’s note:\u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003cem> The U.S. Postal Service is a financial supporter of NPR.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Edited by \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/people/1157496779/megan-pratz\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u003cem>Megan Pratz\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"info": "Gentrification is changing cities across America, forcing people from neighborhoods they have long called home. Call them the displaced. Now those priced out of the Bay Area are looking for a better life in an unlikely place. American Suburb follows this migration to one California town along the Delta, 45 miles from San Francisco. But is this once sleepy suburb ready for them?",
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},
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"id": "baycurious",
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"tagline": "Exploring the Bay Area, one question at a time",
"info": "KQED’s new podcast, Bay Curious, gets to the bottom of the mysteries — both profound and peculiar — that give the Bay Area its unique identity. And we’ll do it with your help! You ask the questions. You decide what Bay Curious investigates. And you join us on the journey to find the answers.",
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},
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},
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"info": "KQED’s statewide radio news program providing daily coverage of issues, trends and public policy decisions.",
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"order": 8
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"tagline": "Your state, your stories",
"info": "Every week, The California Report Magazine takes you on a road trip for the ears: to visit the places and meet the people who make California unique. The in-depth storytelling podcast from the California Report.",
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"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
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"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
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"order": 1
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"title": "Code Switch / Life Kit",
"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
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"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
"airtime": "THU 10pm, FRI 1am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Commonwealth-Club-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
"link": "/radio/program/commonwealth-club",
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"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9am-11am, 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"order": 9
},
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"meta": {
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"source": "WNYC"
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"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
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"hidden-brain": {
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"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
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"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
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"source": "NPR"
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"how-i-built-this": {
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"title": "How I Built This with Guy Raz",
"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
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"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
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"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
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"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
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"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
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"order": 18
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},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
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},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
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"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
}
},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
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"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
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