All articles tagged with #voter fraud
As the 2026 midterms near, DHS reportedly expands voter-fraud probes using ICE, raising concerns about election interference norms; a whistleblower warns of a flawed mail-ballot verification system that could disenfranchise voters, while Trump hints at national-security actions to reshape voting rules—signs of potentially troubling scenarios ahead of the election, with uncertain concrete outcomes.
CNN reports that Homeland Security Investigations will launch a coordinated surge through mid-October to pursue alleged noncitizen voting in multiple states. The piece notes that noncitizen voting is exceedingly rare and suggests the probe may be used to justify tighter voting restrictions and could draw ICE into midterm scrutiny, creating a continued wave of allegations ahead of the elections.
The Department of Homeland Security is planning a coordinated surge in voter-fraud investigations in nine states (Washington, Wisconsin, Missouri, Georgia, California, Pennsylvania, Nevada, New York and Connecticut), led by Homeland Security Investigations, with probes to audit voter histories and potentially withhold grants from places not adopting broader election reforms. DHS aims to pursue leads and interview subjects from this week through mid-October, a move that experts say is not yet supported by evidence of widespread fraud. The policy and timing echo long-running tensions about overt election actions, though officials insist the effort targets fraud risk and aims to safeguard elections. Internal DHS disclosures also show that earlier claims of mass noncitizen voting were far more limited than initially suggested.
In Los Angeles, the first arrest in a broader Trump-era election-fraud crackdown—Honduran national Darwin Jonathan Rivera Flores—charges him with fraudulent voter registration and false citizenship claims; the DOJ says California's safeguards have allowed noncitizens to register and urges a comprehensive voter-roll audit, while Rivera Flores, who did not vote, faces possible deportation if convicted.
Democrat James Talarico, challenging Ken Paxton in Texas’s U.S. Senate race, accuses Paxton of voting in six elections from an address he no longer lives at, based on ProPublica and Texas Tribune reporting that prompted a secretary of state complaint. Paxton has not answered reporters’ questions; experts say the residency issue could raise legal questions, while the secretary of state reviews the complaint and no outcome is known.
Democrat James Talarico is accusing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton of voter fraud after reporting Paxton voted from an address he no longer lives at, including in the March Republican primary. ProPublica and The Texas Tribune found Paxton moved out in 2024 but continued to vote from that address, prompting an election-fraud complaint to the secretary of state and questions about potential state-law violations. Paxton has largely avoided answering questions about his registration or residency as the controversy unfolds amid his Senate bid.
Mullin pledged to aggressively pursue voter fraud at a White House briefing after Trump revived debunked election claims, while the live updates also cover Trump’s speech, immigration enforcement questions surrounding an ICE shooting in Maine, and ongoing U.S.–Iran tensions, highlighting a broader focus on election security and national security.
President Trump's bid to crack down on alleged mass voter fraud is running into legal obstacles and Senate resistance, with courts blocking expansions of the SAVE database and a citizenship-verification rule, and Senate Republicans signaling insufficient votes to pass the SAVE America Act—even as the White House defends the measures and calls for a uniform voting standard.
NBC News reports that the Trump administration has redirected resources from multiple agencies to pursue voter-fraud investigations ahead of the midterms, but NBC’s review finds no evidence of widespread fraud. While isolated cases have been charged, there is no indication of a systemic problem capable of changing election outcomes, despite the president’s persistent claims that elections are rigged.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli in Los Angeles publicly promises multiple election-fraud investigations with FBI coordination and says charges will follow California’s vote certification, a move at odds with Justice Department guidelines that discourage public pre-certification actions. Critics warn such rhetoric could chill voting and politicize elections, and there is no evidence of widespread fraud yet; the investigations appear focused on individuals and reflect broader partisan debates over election integrity.
California’s slow ballot counting continues as mail-in ballots and verification steps delay results; there is no credible evidence of voter fraud, despite claims by Trump and allies. With more than 2.5 million ballots left, the governor’s race and LA mayoral runoff remain undecided, as late-arriving ballots—especially from Democratic voters who mail in—shift results. DOJ observers have noted investigations, but officials say no fraud has been proven. The pace could improve with more funding for ballot processing and legislative changes; some counties have already sped up counting. Raman did not concede in the LA race, and outcomes may still change.
A POLITICO/Public First poll finds Democrats mainly worry about voter suppression while Republicans focus on voter fraud, revealing a deep partisan divide over what constitutes a 'stolen' election and broad concern for midterm integrity. The survey shows mixed beliefs on issues like mail-in voting, ICE at polling sites, and proof-of-citizenship requirements, with some areas of bipartisan agreement (e.g., same-day registration) but persistent disagreement on core election processes and trust in the system.
The California Supreme Court ordered Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco to pause the investigation into alleged 2025 election fraud and preserve more than 650,000 seized ballots while it reviews the petition for review, effectively halting the probe as litigation continues. Attorney General Rob Bonta praised the ruling, which stops Bianco’s actions amid a contested special election on a new Democratic-drawn congressional map; a coalition of media outlets is seeking to unseal the warrant tied to the ballot seizure.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco paused his months-long independent probe into alleged Prop 50 voter irregularities amid politically charged lawsuits and court filings; he had seized more than 650,000 ballots, a move opposed by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who asked the state Supreme Court to stop the investigation, arguing Bianco lacked authority. The dispute centers on tallies discrepancies claimed by the Riverside Election Integrity Team (reporting a 45,896 difference) versus officials' assertion of a 103-vote margin, and UCLA’s Voting Rights Project has filed suit, making the probe a political flashpoint in California ahead of the governor race.
The Justice Department is struggling to meet White House demands to prosecute noncitizen voters, with officials saying there is insufficient evidence even as Trump allies press for a broader crackdown on alleged fraud.