The Secretary of State called the federal lawsuit a “reckless political stunt”; according to reports not officially confirmed, Rob Bonta rejects the fraud accusations. Some of the figures remain unconfirmed.
The California Secretary of State reported on October 20, 2026 that it formally opposes the Department of Justice (DOJ) lawsuit seeking to hold back mail ballots sent to people the federal government considers “likely” noncitizens. State Attorney General Rob Bonta rejects the Trump administration's election fraud accusations, according to reports.
What the Secretary of State says
In a statement from October 20, the office of Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber said that a day earlier the Trump administration asked a federal court to require election officials to hold those ballots and that, according to the text, it presented no concrete evidence.
The statement describes the lawsuit as “a reckless political stunt” and says it “threatens to disenfranchise thousands of Californians this election.” It also notes that the Los Angeles County registrar reviewed a small sample of the federal data and found significant accuracy problems.
Earlier, on October 15, Weber made public a response letter to the DOJ's request to review a list of people the federal government believes are “likely noncitizens.” The statement does not detail the content of the letter or the size of the list.
What is not confirmed
According to press reports, the government is seeking to exclude about 20,000 votes in California. It is also reported that on October 23 letters were sent to counties with a 48-hour deadline to set aside, without canceling, unverified ballots, and that the case reached the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. None of this could be confirmed on an official page when this story was published, nor was Bonta's position verified in a document from his office.
The charges the DOJ announced on October 19 against 28 lawful permanent residents are an accusation: the defendants are presumed innocent.
What does it mean to you?
- If you are a citizen and registered, there is no confirmed order in official sources setting aside your ballot.
- You can check your registration and the status of your ballot on the California Secretary of State's website.
- If you are not a citizen, do not register or vote in federal elections.
- The general election is November 3, 2026.
Legal notice: This information is general and does not replace guidance from the official agency or a licensed professional regarding your specific case.
Editor's note: Some information in this article could not be confirmed with official sources at the time of publication; it comes from reports by other media outlets or from the individuals quoted. We will update the article if the information changes.
