California Secretary of State Shirley Weber says President Donald Trump’s recent change in rhetoric on mail-in voting ahead of the November 2026 midterm elections signals desperation.
During an Oct. 10 virtual media briefing attended by about 50 reporters, Weber provided information about the November general election and responded to Trump’s recent call for voters to “vote early, vote by mail, or vote in person.”
“Sounds kind of desperate,” she said. “They don’t really know what they want. The first part was ‘don’t vote by mail,’ and then they realized that the other party was going to vote by mail.”
Weber added, “It’s kind of confusing to them, but we say the same thing over and over – ‘Vote by mail, vote in person, and vote at the ballot box.’ The bottom line, we say to you: vote.”
Trump, since the 2020 general election, has been calling voting by mail “mail-in cheating”; now he is publicly singing to a different tune. His sudden reversal is a contradiction to his long-held claims that mail-in voting is fraudulent.
Trump has spent most of the year pursuing restrictions on mail ballots, including an executive order attempting to force states to comply with tight U.S. Postal Service tracking rules demanded by the federal government.
Due to these failed efforts that have mainly been defeated in courts, he says he is now aware of the political realities of the upcoming 2026 midterm elections. Conservatives fear that denying mail-in voting puts them at a competitive disadvantage.
“No, vote by mail or vote in person. I’d rather have a vote in person. But they can vote by mail if they want, because we seem to have no choice,” Trump said.
Weber is actively providing voter information ahead of the General Election to expand voter outreach, combat election-related misinformation, and strongly encourage eligible citizens to protect election integrity by voting early.
During the briefing, Weber discussed how voters can register to vote or update their voter registration, voting logistics, how to vote, and the safety of poll workers.
Weber said her office declined to share unredacted statewide voter roll data with federal authorities to protect the sensitive personal privacy of the state’s approximately 23 million registered voters.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin warned California and three other states to cooperate with the voter roll review, flagging over 250,000 potential non-citizens.
“Research centers like the Brennan Center for Justice have been looking at this for 10 or 15 years, understanding that there is no major (voting) fraud or deception in California,” Weber said. “There is no evidence, and there is no data. People provide us with all types of information; we research it and look to see (if there is fraud). The bottom line is that there is none.”
Official ballot drop boxes are located at designated, public locations across California. Voters can find the verified, official drop boxes in their specific area by using the official California Early Voting and Drop-Off Locator.
“If you have any concerns about voting, go to our ballot boxes. Those things are huge, secure, and available in the evenings,” Weber said. “Once the (ballots) are in there, it’s secured and locked down. You can’t get it back out. It’s a way that you can vote with comfort in your own community and not be concerned that someone is going to come in and scoop up a lot of people.”
Voter intimidation is a severe crime under both federal and state laws. People are allowed to observe polling places, but their actions are strictly regulated by state laws, Weber assured.
Weber also encouraged voters to report intimidation to poll workers immediately, contact nonpartisan voter protection hotlines, and document the incident.
If a registered voter experiences any form of intimidation or obstacles while trying to vote, immediately contact local election workers or report the issue to the nonpartisan Election Protection Coalition by calling or texting 866-OUR-VOTE.
“We will not allow our poll workers to be abused and misused by anyone. We will use the full force of the Attorney General’s office and others to make sure that anyone who attempts to attack or assault a poll worker will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. This is a criminal act,” Weber said.
The final day to register to vote online or by mail postmark for the November election is Oct. 19, 2026, Weber said. Potential voters can complete their application through the official California Online Voter Registration portal.
Earlier last week, Attorney General Rob Bonta reassured voters that they can safely vote by mail in the November general election, while urging them to return their ballots early to avoid potential delays under new U.S. Postal Service collection procedures.
With county elections officials beginning to mail ballots to registered voters, Bonta said recent federal actions have not changed how Californians can vote, adding that his office has “their back” if they experience any problems voting.
Bonta’s comments followed a U.S. Supreme Court decision that blocked the Trump administration from imposing new mail-voting requirements ahead of the November election.
“We are just four weeks from Election Day, and I know some Californians may be wondering whether everything coming out of Washington has changed how they can vote. The answer is no,” Bonta said.
