California lawmaker flags alleged double ballots as Gavin Newsom tightens election rules

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY: Claims involving alleged duplicate ballots mailed to a California voter fuelled questions this week after Assembly member Carl DeMaio shared images appearing to show two separate ballots sent to the same woman in Riverside County ahead of the June 2 primary election.

The images, which quickly circulated across social media, appeared to show two ballots mailed to the same voter but carrying different voter identification numbers.

Carl DeMaio shares images appearing to show duplicate ballots

DeMaio, a Republican member of the California State Assembly representing District 75, posted the ballot images online while raising concerns about election procedures in the state.

According to the post, the Riverside County voter allegedly received two separate ballots ahead of the election.

The images appeared to show different voter identification numbers attached to each ballot packet.

Critics argued that the incident reflected weaknesses in California’s mail-in voting process, particularly involving voter roll maintenance and ballot handling systems.

However, there has been no verified evidence presented showing that duplicate votes were cast or counted in connection with the ballots shared online.

The situation instead raised questions about how duplicate ballot mailings can happen and whether election safeguards are capable of preventing multiple ballots from being processed for the same voter.

The issue comes at a sensitive political moment as California continues preparing for the June 2 primary election while facing increased national scrutiny over its election procedures.

Gavin Newsom signs election law after Riverside County dispute

The discussion surrounding ballots intensified further after Newsom signed Senate Bill 73 into law on Wednesday.

The legislation restricts law enforcement officers from taking custody of ballots or election equipment from county election officials, even when a search warrant is involved.

The bill was accelerated following a confrontation earlier this year in Riverside County, where Sheriff Chad Bianco seized more than 600,000 ballots from the county registrar’s office while investigating possible voter fraud concerns.

Bianco said the action was intended to determine whether improper voting activity had taken place.

State officials, however, maintained there was no evidence the ballots had been illegally cast or altered.

“We have to step up, and we have to draw the line. We have to clarify the rules of engagement,” Newsom said before signing the legislation.

“It’s a warning to the folks out there that think they can do the bidding of the Trump administration,” he added.

Under the new law, county registrars are prohibited from handing over ballots or election equipment to law enforcement agencies.

Officials also noted that Riverside County Registrar Art Tinoco would not have been allowed to comply with Bianco’s earlier request under the updated statute.

Election concerns grow as scrutiny over ballot handling continues

The alleged duplicate ballot incident also comes as California faces continuing questions surrounding election administration practices, including ballot collection procedures, voter registration records, and lengthy vote-counting timelines.

In Humboldt County, election officials recently discovered 596 sealed ballots at the bottom of a locked drop box after the most recent election, prompting renewed concerns over ballot chain-of-custody procedures.

Separately, prosecutors in Los Angeles County said a longtime signature gatherer agreed to plead guilty after allegedly paying individuals, including homeless residents on Skid Row, to register to vote.

The developments have fueled criticism from Republicans, including President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly attacked California’s mail voting system.

“You have a really rigged vote in California,” Trump said earlier this month.

“You have all the mail-in ballots, everything else. Very hard to win because the elections are very dishonest,” he continued.

At the same time, election officials and state leaders continue insisting that safeguards exist within the system to prevent duplicate voting and detect irregularities before ballots are officially counted.