Governor Warns Federal Judges of Possible Attempts to Seize Ballots Before Certification
Governor Gavin Newsom wrote on October 31 to the chief judges of California's four federal district courts, warning that federal agents might seek search warrants to seize ballots, election records or certified voting equipment while the November 3 midterm election is counted and before results are certified on December 11.
Newsom said he has 'grave concerns' based on recent Justice Department actions and public statements, citing letters from Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter to state and local election officials, social-media posts by U.S. Attorney Bilal Essayli threatening prosecution of election workers, and federal grand jury subpoenas issued to Los Angeles County election staff.
The letter enclosed a September 2026 resource from UC Berkeley's Edley Center on Law & Democracy, Questions for Assessing A Search Warrant for Election Materials, for judges to use through certification. The Governor's Office said it is not aware of any warrant applications currently pending in those courts.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
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