Newsom Signs Law to Shield California Elections from Federal Interference

Gavin Newsom signed legislation Wednesday aimed at shielding California elections from federal interference, citing expectations that President Donald Trump's administration would attempt to meddle in the upcoming midterms. The law, effective immediately and enacted days before next Tuesday's 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 public safety emergencies.

Trump administration officials have stated they have no plans to send immigration agents to polling locations across the U.S., a concern raised by several Democratic secretaries of state this year. However, 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 primary for governor, where a crowded field of Democrats and two viable Republicans are competing for just two spots on the November ballot. Under the state's open primary system, only the top two vote-getters advance to the general election, regardless of party affiliation.

Newsom, who cannot seek a third term, said the election law responds 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 responded, stating Trump is committed to ensuring full confidence in election administration.

"Instead of levying false attacks at the President, Newscum should look in the mirror," she said, using Trump's derogatory nickname for Newsom. In a 2025 Vanity Fair interview, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles dismissed the idea that Trump would deploy the military to suppress voting, calling it "categorically false."

The California law also makes it a crime to knowingly take voted ballots out of the custody of election officials. Earlier this year, the FBI under Trump seized the 2020 general election ballots from Georgia's most populous county, heavily Democratic and central to the president's false claims of fraud.

The FBI and Justice Department have also sought records from previous elections in the largest counties of Arizona and Michigan.

Trump triggered a national redistricting frenzy ahead of the midterms by urging Republicans in Texas and elsewhere to redraw U.S. House districts to help retain control of the closely divided chamber.

Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Florida, and Tennessee have enacted new maps that could benefit Republicans, with Louisiana expected to follow. Republicans estimate they could gain up to 14 seats from redistricting in November, while Democrats believe they could gain six in California and Utah.