Newsom Signs Law to Protect California Elections from Federal Interference Ahead of Primary

Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation on Wednesday aimed at shielding California elections from federal interference, citing concerns that President Donald Trump's administration might attempt to meddle in the upcoming midterm elections. The law, effective immediately and just days before the June 2 primary, prohibits any person, including federal agents, from accessing voter rolls or election technology without a court order.

It also restricts law enforcement officers from disrupting election workers except in cases of public safety emergencies.

While Trump administration officials have stated they have no plans to send immigration agents to polling locations—a concern raised by several Democratic secretaries of state—Newsom warned, "We have to be prepared for everything because there’s no rules anymore with the Trump administration." Voting is already underway in California's closely watched gubernatorial primary, where a crowded field of Democrats and two viable Republicans are competing for the top two spots on the November ballot under the state's open primary system.

Newsom, who cannot seek a third term, described the law as a response to "legitimate anxiety" about Trump's tactics, particularly in Democratic-led states where the president has deployed federal agents over local objections. "I expect the worst with Trump because he’s done the worst," Newsom said at a news conference.

White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson countered that Trump is committed to ensuring public confidence in election administration, adding, "Instead of levying false attacks at the President, Newscum should look in the mirror," using Trump's derogatory nickname for Newsom.

The law also makes it a crime to knowingly remove voted ballots from the custody of election officials. This provision follows the FBI's seizure of 2020 general election ballots from Georgia's most populous county, a heavily Democratic area central to Trump's false claims of fraud.

The FBI and Justice Department have also sought records from previous elections in large counties in Arizona and Michigan. Trump has triggered a national redistricting frenzy ahead of the midterms, urging Republicans in Texas and other states to redraw U.S.

House districts to benefit the party. Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Florida, and Tennessee have enacted new maps that could favor Republicans, while Democrats hope to gain seats in California and Utah.