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President Donald Trump on Monday rehashed his disdain for mail-in voting — a method that Trump has often attacked as part of the reason he lost the presidential election in 2020.
During a meeting with Ukraine’s president, Trump said that lawyers are working to draft an executive order to end mail-in ballots before the 2026 midterm elections. That same day on social media, Trump said, without evidence, that mail-in ballots and voting machines are a scam and “a complete and total disaster.”
But in a state where vote-by-mail has been available by default for all Californians since 2021, can Trump really do that?
Though the U.S. has allowed people to vote by mail since the Civil War, its usage and accessibility ramped up in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Experts say that while voting by mail does increase the risk of fraud compared to in-person voting, mail-in voting fraud is still exceedingly rare.
Voters are more likely to get hit by lightning than to commit mail ballot fraud, said California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, citing one analysis.
- Weber: “The president himself has voted by mail in his home state of Florida, so we know he has trusted the system enough to use it himself. He has won elections and lost elections with mail-in votes being counted.”
Though some California Republicans in Congress supported Trump’s unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud, state GOP leaders have embraced mail voting. Of the more than 16 million votes cast by Californians during the 2024 general election, more than 13 million, or nearly 81%, was through vote-by-mail.
- State Sen. Sabrina Cervantes, a Riverside Democrat and chairperson of the Senate elections committee: “Mail-in balloting gives voters who may experience challenges, such as health or even distance from voting centers, their right to vote.”
In addition to putting the Republican party and strategists in a bind, Trump’s pledges to eliminate mail-in voting by the end of next year is also unlikely. Congress has the authority to oversee federal elections, and should the president move ahead with his plan, “we will fight to defend our democracy,” said Assemblymember Gail Pellerin, the chairperson of the Assembly elections committee.
- Pellerin, a Santa Cruz Democrat: “While I understand that Trump has a difficult time understanding the Constitution and the limits of his power, the truth is that he does not have the authority to do this.”
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Other Stories You Should Know
GOP’s Hail Mary to stop redistricting
Speaking of the 2026 elections, a group of Republican legislators said Tuesday that they are suing to stop the state from advancing Gov. Gavin Newsom’s mid-cycle redistricting plan, reports CalMatters’ Maya C. Miller.
The emergency petition, filed with the California Supreme Court, relates to a three-bill package that Democrats in the Legislature are scrambling to pass that would enable voters to accept or reject redrawn congressional maps during a Nov. 4 special election.
The GOP lawmakers said that Democrats are violating the state constitution by sidestepping a rule that requires legislation, with some exceptions, to be publicly available for 30 days before lawmakers can vote on it.
Also Tuesday, CalMatters’ Alexei Koseff was at the Capitol speaking to Republican voters who happened to be traveling to Sacramento to protest against an unrelated bill. When word spread that the Legislature was holding hearings to weigh the redistricting proposal, dozens of them mobilized to voice their opposition to that too.
- David Bolog, a maintenance worker with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power: “We already feel very unrepresented. Even though you know it’s not going to stop it, you still have to say no.”
CA’s clean energy plan in the Trump era
In their first formal response since the Trump administration undercut a handful of California’s climate policies during the past few months, state regulators unveiled guidelines Tuesday that aim to reaffirm California’s clean energy initiatives, write CalMatters’ Alejandro Lazo and Alejandra Reyes-Velarde.
The proposals include recommending more private investment, asking the Legislature to backfill electric vehicle incentives and rewriting clean car rules. Several state agencies developed the recommendations as a joint effort in response to Newsom’s June executive order directing regulators to double down on transitioning away from fossil fuels.
Though the chairperson of California’s Air Resources Board said “California … will not give up on cleaner air and better public health,” some climate experts said the suggestions weren’t aggressive enough.
- Daniel Sperling, a former air board member and current director of UC Davis’ Institute for Transportation Studies: “I’m puzzled, actually, because they had acted like they were really going to do something significant.”
A spokesman for the governor said Newsom would review the proposals.
And lastly: ‘Compensation’ for Eaton Fire victims?
Southern California Edison says it plans to create a compensation program this fall to pay for Eaton Fire claims. CalMatters’ Malena Carollo and video strategy director Robert Meeks have a video segment on why survivors remain skeptical of the utility company’s proposal as part of our partnership with PBS SoCal. Watch it here.
SoCalMatters airs at 5:58 p.m. weekdays on PBS SoCal.
California Voices
CalMatters columnist Dan Walters: As federal cuts exacerbate California’s already precarious finances, the state could see another tax hike to help ease budget deficits.
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Oklahoma ideology test for teachers from NY and CA draws criticism // AP News
CA teachers still waiting for paid pregnancy leave after Assembly bill fails to advance // EdSource
Public funding for elections? The idea is back in CA // LAist
As CA’s proposed redistricting maps are released, North State representatives push back // Shasta Scout
Anaheim warns of ‘most significant and disruptive’ immigration raids as feds swarm city // Los Angeles Times
UCLA’s Jewish community unites against Trump’s $1B demand // Los Angeles Times
The summer’s most dangerous heat wave is set to broil SoCal, elevating fire and health risks // Los Angeles Times
