Trump: California redistricting votes under review

By Jack Phillips
Contributing Writer

President Donald Trump said the California redistricting proposal on the ballot on Tuesday may have problems and that mail-in ballots were under review. 

“The entire process, in particular the voting itself, is RIGGED,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Tuesday afternoon, referring to the ballot proposal. 

He added that “all ‘mail-in’ ballots, where the Republicans in that state are ‘Shut Out,’ is under very serious legal and criminal review.” 

The president did not provide additional details but called on people to “STAY TUNED.” 

The president also did not say what agencies would be reviewing the ballots. 

In response, California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday dismissed Trump’s comment and said on X that the president “knows he’s about to LOSE.” 

U.S. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon wrote in a post on X on Tuesday: “If you go to the polls where you are registered to vote today, and are unable to vote due to some malfunction of equipment or error in the poll books, demand to vote provisionally. Don’t panic, and don’t be deterred from exercising your right to vote.” 

Bomb threats were sent to polling locations across New Jersey on Tuesday amid a closely watched gubernatorial election between Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli. 

New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said on Tuesday that bomb threats were emailed to polling areas in Bergen, Essex, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, and Passaic counties. 

“Law enforcement officers have responded at each affected polling place, and they have worked swiftly to secure these polling locations and ensure the safety of every voter,” his statement said on X. “Some of these polling locations have already reopened to the public. At others, voters will be directed to a nearby polling location to cast their ballot.” 

Last month, the Department of Justice announced it would monitor polling sites in Passaic County, a former Democratic stronghold that Trump won in 2024’s presidential election. 

The department said it would also monitor elections in California, including Kern, Riverside, Fresno, Orange and Los Angeles counties, with Dhillon leading the effort. 

A DOJ statement announcing the effort said that the poll-monitoring initiative was designed to create transparency and communication between election monitors and poll watchers. 

Voters in California have been casting ballots on the Proposition 50 initiative led by state Democrats, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, that would allow state leaders to temporarily bypass a redistricting commission that was set up to draw the state’s congressional districts. Democrats have said they want to redraw the state’s House maps after Texas redrew its map to create more Republican seats. 

Other closely watched contests on Tuesday include the New York City mayoralty race, the gubernatorial and attorney general’s races in Virginia, and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court election. Also, Jersey City, New Jersey; Buffalo, New York; Detroit; and Pittsburgh will elect new mayors, while incumbents in Atlanta, Minneapolis, and Cincinnati are seeking another term. 

Several ballot measures are being considered in other states. Maine voters will decide statewide questions on voting and on a “red flag” law targeting firearms. Texas’ 17 ballot measures include constitutional amendments on parental rights and limiting voting to only U.S. citizens. Colorado and Washington also have statewide measures on the ballot. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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