Are Local Elections in Peril?

By Pat Cervelli
Published: March 6, 2026
Last updated: March 5, 2026
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We are facing a potentially dire electoral emergency. Will Congress outlaw vote-by-mail before November? Will voters feel threatened at the polls by armed ICE agents or other intimidating law enforcement proxies (1)? Will federal agents ultimately seize our ballots? Will we have a free and fair election given the president’s illegal executive order issued last March and his repeated statements that “elections should be federalized” and they are “fraud-ridden” (2,3)? Can any of this happen, and can it happen here in the Foothills? Some commentators believe there will be no elections in November (4).

Article I, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution, known as the Elections Clause, states:

The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Places of [choosing] Senators (5).”

California is preparing for a federal assault on elections in November. Attorney General Rob Bonta said in an interview that his office “would go into court and we would get a restraining order within hours” if the Trump administration tries to intervene in California elections (6). Despite the president’s statements and threats, he cannot ban mail-in voting (7,8). “Voting-by-mail increases voter participation in elections – especially in states where ballots are mailed to all voters (6).“

I spoke recently with a former local elections worker who said the biggest threat to our local elections is a loss of confidence in the election process. He sees this as part of a larger loss of faith in government institutions at all levels – local, state, and federal. While working in elections for several years in Tuolumne County and in another, larger county, he never encountered any voter fraud or irregularity. In fact, he found the opposite: election workers are very particular and extremely careful to follow secure procedures. He said the atmosphere in an elections office was deliberately apolitical to protect election integrity. Unfortunately, the president and his appointees are now aiming to politicize the process.

Very few Tuolumne County voters appear in person to cast their ballot; instead, they either mail their ballot, put it in a drop box, or deposit it at a Vote Center. With over 36,000 registered voters, Tuolumne County’s voter turnout is extremely high, as much as 82.2% in the 2024 presidential election (9).

California has had vote-by-mail since 2018. Despite claims to the contrary, no voter fraud has been found (10,11). Ballots can be safely deposited at five Vote Centers and in drop boxes at ten, 24-hour locations before 8:00 p.m. on Election Day, or mailed if postmarked by Election Day. According to the Secretary of State’s website, “California has the strongest voter security system standards in the country (12).”

Take Action

  1. Volunteer as a poll worker either at a Vote Center or at the county Elections Office.
  2. Volunteer to be an elections observer while ballots are being counted at the Elections Office.
  3. Know the facts and challenge disinformation and misinformation whenever possible.
  4. Talk to your friends and family who may be skeptical about election integrity.

NOTES

  1. Rachel Leingang, “Steve Bannon Calls for Immigration Agents at Polling Places During Midterms,” The Guardian, February 4, 2026.
  2. Jonathan Shorman, “Trump’s calls to ‘nationalize’ elections have state, local election officials bracing for tumult: Some election leaders are preparing for the possibility of federal pressure,” Stateline, February 6, 2026.
  3. “Support for vote-by-mail strong despite attacks,” US Mail Not for Sale. https://usmailnotforsale.org/news-article/support-for-vote-by-mail-stands-strong-despite-white-house-attacks/
  4. “Is the U.S. heading into a dictatorship?” Fresh Air Podcast, February 4, 2026.
  5. Shawn Griffiths, “11 Ways the MEGA Act in Congress Tries to Control How You Vote,” Independent Voter News, February 6, 2026.
  6. Kevin Rector, Hailey Branson-Potts, and Ana Ceballos, “Trump, California and the multi-front war over the next election,” Los Angeles Times, February 8, 2025.
  7. “No, the President Can’t Ban Mail Voting,” Protect Democracy, October 1, 2026. https://protectdemocracy.org/work/no-the-president-cant-ban-mail-voting/
  8. “Sharing the Facts About the President’s Threat to Ban Vote-By-Mail,” States United Democracy Center, August 19, 2026.
  9. 2024 General Election Results, Tuolumne County Election Information.
  10. Chris Nichols, “There’s Nothing ‘Mysterious’ About California’s Mail-In Voting System, Despite False Facebook Claim,” CapRadio, November 4, 2020.
  11. Kathleen Bush-Joseph, “Explainer: Noncitizen Voting in U.S. Elections,” Migration Policy Institute, September 2024.
  12. Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D., “California Trusted Information,” CA Secretary of State.