Trump Slams California Redistricting Vote as ‘Unconstitutional Scam,’ Mail Ballots Under Legal Scrutiny
President Donald Trump called California’s Proposition 50 vote a “Giant Scam” on Tuesday and warned that the state’s widespread use of mail-in ballots is currently under “very serious legal and criminal review.” The former president accused Democrats of engineering an unconstitutional redistricting effort to boost their numbers in Congress, while shutting Republicans out of the process entirely.
“The Unconstitutional Redistricting Vote in California is a GIANT SCAM,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “The entire process, in particular the Voting itself, is RIGGED. All ‘Mail-In’ Ballots, where the Republicans in that State are ‘Shut Out,’ is under very serious legal and criminal review. STAY TUNED!”
The special election, called by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, asks voters to approve or reject newly redrawn congressional maps created by the state’s Democrat-controlled legislature. If passed, Proposition 50 is expected to counter recent Republican gains from Texas’s redistricting, potentially handing several new seats to California Democrats in the U.S. House.
Trump’s claims come as the Department of Justice announced it would deploy election monitors to polling places in California and New Jersey to oversee ballot security and ensure compliance with federal law. It remains unclear whether the “criminal review” mentioned by Trump is related to a federal probe, or a separate legal challenge brought by GOP officials.
In a state with over 23 million registered voters, California mailed ballots to every voter last month. As of Monday, the Los Angeles Times reported a 28% turnout. But controversy exploded after voters in Sacramento County pointed out that a “no” vote on Proposition 50 could allegedly be seen through a hole in the return envelope — potentially exposing voter intent before official counting.
While the state’s Democrat Secretary of State Shirley Weber brushed off the concerns, saying the holes serve an accessibility function for the blind, even local election officials admitted that in two out of eight possible folding configurations, vote bubbles could line up with the envelope holes. Sacramento County election officials insisted, however, that “there is no way to determine how a voter voted through this small hole.”
Conservatives sounded the alarm on social media, with Sen. Ted Cruz and the Libs of TikTok account highlighting the issue. But some California Republicans pushed back against overblown panic.
“C’mon people! If you’re worried about your vote showing through the hole, fold it the other way,” said Los Angeles County GOP Chair Roxanne Hoge. “Vote NO on 50.”
“Please don’t panic people about something that is easily addressed by turning their ballot around,” Hoge added. “We need every no vote and we need them now.”
The San Diego County GOP echoed the call for turnout over outrage: “It’s simple. Republicans need to stop complaining and vote… Turnout needs to be materially better than average. It’s very doable but won’t just happen. Work it.”
The Trump campaign has also raised concerns about California’s large illegal immigrant population, alleging that the state’s lax oversight of mail-in ballots creates opportunities for fraud. State officials insist there are safeguards in place to prevent noncitizens from voting.
According to recent polling, Proposition 50 is likely to pass — potentially giving California Democrats additional leverage in Washington heading into 2026.
Trump has previously warned that a successful vote could have severe consequences for the balance of power in Congress, accusing Democrats of trying to steal representation through unconstitutional means. “He needs the money from me, as President,” Trump said in September of California’s next mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani, “but he won’t be getting any of it.”