In what Attorney General Todd Blanche called potential “state-facilitated fraud,” the Justice Department sued California for sending mail ballots to “likely” noncitizens. 

The Justice Department, in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security, determined that more than 20,000 people are likely aliens and are registered to vote in the nation’s most populous state. Under state law, all registered voters are mailed ballots.

“State-facilitated voter fraud is unacceptable in the United States of America,” Blanche said. “If found responsible in a court of law, the state of California will have seriously undermined confidence in our electoral system and violated laws that protect our nation’s representative system of government.”

The litigation comes after the Justice Department sent a letter Tuesday giving California Secretary of State Shirley Weber 48 hours to take action regarding noncitizens on the voter rolls. 

In a statement Wednesday regarding the demand letter from the Justice Department, California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber was defiant. 

“The USDOJ’s relentless efforts to unlawfully gain access to states’ protected voter data and purge voter rolls serve only to cause chaos and fuel public distrust in our elections,” Weber said.

“California has robust state law requirements that only U.S. citizens can register to vote and that any non-eligible registrants are removed from the State’s voter rolls. My office and California election officials remain committed – as always – to ensuring a fair and smooth 2026 General Election,”  Weber said.

Homeland Security Investigations analyzed publicly available voter-registration records to identify potential indicators that noncitizens that may have registered to vote, cast ballots, or received election-related mail. 

“This preliminary analysis has identified a significant number of individuals in California who are likely noncitizens and appear to be registered to vote; the analysis and review remain ongoing,” said Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “This is completely unacceptable — as even one noncitizen vote cancels out the ballot of an American citizen and undermines our elections.”

The DOJ asked state officials to verify the individuals’ citizenship, temporarily segregate—not cancel—ballots for those whose citizenship could not be confirmed, withhold ballots not yet sent, and refrain from verifying signatures or counting returned ballots until the voter’s citizenship status was determined. It also asked Weber’s office to contact the Department of Homeland Security. 

The Department of Justice says it will continue working to uncover cases of voter fraud, hold fraudsters accountable, and restore trust in American elections.

Hey, friend, you might be ready to relax, but before you do, you should ask yourself one question first: Is it your wife's birthday today?

‘The Greatest Show on Earth’ Kicks Off In 2027

In a win for election integrity, a federal appellate court upheld on Wednesday a Kansas law prohibiting third-party groups from sending voters pre-filled absentee ballot applications. “Kansas acted after error-filled, prefilled mail-ballot applications flooded voters and overwhelmed county election officials in 2020. Protecting voters from confusion and keeping elections orderly is commonsense, not suspect,” said […]

Democrat U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico appeared at CNN’s town hall Wednesday night, speaking to prospective voters. However, multiple claims made by him appear to be misleading or untrue.

On the issue of border security, Talarico said during the town hall that he is a “border security Democrat” and did not support abolishing ICE.

“I think we’ve got to a get to a place where we reject extremism on this issue in both parties and finally pass comprehensive immigration reform,” Talarico said. “I think we should know who’s coming into our country.”

“I also think that a comprehensive immigration package should include more legal pathways for hardworking immigrants who want to come here and contribute to our economy and make us richer and stronger as a nation.”

However, while Talarico claims to be a “border security Democrat,” his legislative record shows otherwise.

During the 86th Legislative Session, Talarico voted against House Bill 888, which allows people who misrepresent a child as a family member to be arrested and charged with a Class B misdemeanor in any county throughout Texas.

In 2021, during the 87th Legislative Session, Talarico again voted against a border security bill, House Bill 9, that appropriated $1.8 billion for border security efforts. The bill devoted $750 million to constructing an additional border barrier and $450 million to increasing the number of Texas National Guard and other law enforcement personnel at the border.

Talarico did author one piece of legislation while in the Texas Legislature that increased security at ports of entry by installing X-ray inspection technology systems at Texas-Mexico border crossings.

He touted that legislation during the town hall, saying he “rolled out a commonsense border security plan that was endorsed by both Democratic and Republican law enforcement officials along our southern border.”

CNN questioned Talarico about his stance on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, noting that he previously said that “it is time to tear down the secret police force and replace it.” 

Talarico pushed back on that, saying that he is not in support of abolishing ICE and adding, “I never have,” while also saying that ICE is terrorizing communities. 

“We need Immigration and Customs Enforcement in this country. But that’s not what we’re seeing. What we’ve seen over the last year is a secret police force,” Talarico said. “We don’t want masked men in unmarked vehicles coming through and terrorizing our communities.” 

“We don’t want federal agents murdering our neighbors before our very eyes,” he added. 

Talarico was also questioned by a voter about the oil and gas industry. Talarico said he would protect the industry while also advocating for renewable energy. 

However, in 2021, while a member of the Texas House of Representatives, Talarico filed the ‘Texas Climate Action Act’ which sought to make deep cuts in emissions by 2030 and 2050. The bill would have had a negative effect on gas oil and gas jobs, with some saying it would have killed 620,000 jobs in Texas. The bill never received a hearing and died in the House. 

Talarico also touched on billionaires and super PACs donating to politicians. He said he’s never taken corporate PAC money and wants to ban super PACs “so billionaires aren’t spending unlimited secret money on our political campaigns.” 

However, last week, it was revealed that Talarico’s campaign received $10 million from billionaire Reid Hoffman, a former associate of Jeffrey Epstein. Hoffman gave the money to a super PAC, Lone Star Rising PAC, which is backing Talarico in the closely contested Senate race. 

More recently, Talarico has been in the news for his views on Christianity and God, with Talarico famously saying that “God is non-binary.” 

One voter challenged him on the topic of Christianity, pushing back on his past comments that have made many Christians question his faith. 

Talarico addressed his statement that “God is nonbinary,” saying he was “being provocative.” 

“I’ve kind of admitted how I’ve said things in the past, have maybe not come across the right way, or have upset people, and that’s not my intention,” Talarico said. “Preachers often will say something shocking in a sermon to get your attention, and that’s something I’m still learning how to do in a responsible way.” 

Another voter also questioned Talarico on his Christian faith in regard to abortion. 

Talarico responded to the voter’s question, saying, “the Bible is silent on the issue of abortion,” before going on to say that they have a similar goal in wanting to reduce abortions and see “fewer unplanned or unwanted pregnancies.” 

The voter responded to Talarico, saying, “The Bible is not silent on abortion. There is the Ten Commandments, ‘Thou shall not kill.’” 

Talarico then pushed back on the voter, saying that “if I believed that abortion was murder, that it violated the Ten Commandments, then I wouldn’t support it.” 

Despite Talarico’s claim that he believes the Bible is silent on abortion, he previously said in an interview with Joe Rogan that “there are certain passages of the Torah, where some folks will even say there is some subtle instructions for how to perform an abortion in the ancient world.” 

Talarico was also questioned on his stance on the SAVE America Act, which Talarico said he would “have to read the details of the legislation.” 

He then went on to say that he is in favor of “fair voter ID,” saying that he believes a lot of the voter ID policies are discriminatory. 

“As long as voter ID is fair, then I’m all for it,” Talarico said. 

However, in a July 2021 interview with Pete Hegseth, Talarico said he “opposed having to have a driver’s license to vote,” and also said, “I oppose voter ID.” 

According to an Oct. 14 poll released by Marist Poll, Talarico has a 2-percentage-point lead over Republican Ken Paxton. 

Another poll conducted by UMass Lowell and YouGov shows that Talarico and Paxton are tied at 45% among likely voters. 

Early voting begins Oct. 19 and ends Oct. 30. 

Election Day is Nov. 3.

A new survey in Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District shows former Rep. Elaine Luria with a narrow 3-point edge over Republican incumbent Rep. Jen Kiggans.

That is within the poll’s 4% margin of error, meaning the race is effectively a dead heat going into the final weeks of the campaign.

The poll of 702 likely voters was conducted by Christopher Newport University between Oct. 1-10, which is a longer measurement period than similar polls. The Washington Post/Schar poll of Virginia’s 1st and 5th districts, for example, lasted for seven days, while some national polls are wrapped up in three days.

“While 10 days is longer in the field than I would like, it does seem that it takes longer for congressional district polls than it does statewide,” Rebecca Bromley-Trujillo, the interim director of Christopher Newport’s Wason Center for Civic Leadership, told The Daily Signal. She added that the center will not conduct another poll before the election.

The poll’s topline result shows Luria, who represented this district from 2019 to 2023, leading Kiggans 46% to 43%. But both campaigns took issue with the numbers.

“CNU’s polls underestimated Jen Kiggans’ margin of victory in both 2022 and 2024,” Kiggans campaign spokesman Calvin Moore told the Daily Signal. “We’re confident voters will reject Elaine Luria’s alarming record of self-dealing in office and her plan to raise middle-class taxes $3,600 a year.”

The Luria campaign also weighed in.

“The only poll that matters for this campaign is the one on Election Day,” Luria campaign spokesperson Zach Emanuel told The Daily Signal. “Until then, Elaine will continue working hard across the district to earn every vote and share her plan to lower prices for working families, end the culture of corruption in Washington, and replace the craziness in Congress with common sense.”

The Christopher Newport poll also asked voters in the 2nd District about the statewide race for the Senate between Democrat Mark Warner, who is seeking a fourth term, and Republican Bert Mizusawa, a retired Army major general. The survey showed Warner up by 14 points in this district, 51% to 37%. That race might poll differently in the state’s other 10 districts.

The pollsters also asked about which issues are top of mind for voters.

Of the complete sample, 24% said cost of living, 20% said threats to democracy, and 11% cited immigration. Republicans were most concerned about immigration, with 24% naming it as their top issue, while Democrats were most focused on the cost of living, with almost one-third citing that concern.

President Donald Trump’s unpopularity in the district may prove to be a problem for the incumbent Kiggans. One-third of voters told pollsters that they approve of his job performance, while 62% said they disapprove.

Voters often break for the party that is out of power in a midterm election, especially if the president’s approval rating is low. In this survey, “a plurality of respondents (43%) think about their congressional vote choice as a vote against President Trump while 37% say he is not much of a factor in their vote choice and 14% say they think about their congressional vote as a vote for Trump,” the pollsters wrote.

Gov. Abigail Spanberger has also lost ground, according to the poll. She won this district with 53.6% of the vote last year. In this poll, 49% said they disapprove of her job performance, while 42% approved.

The poll showed that one-fifth of the voters surveyed said they have already voted. That included 29% of Democrats, 16% of independents, and 13% of Republicans. Early voting ends on Halloween, with Election Day on Nov. 3.

Luria plans to attend a campaign event alongside other Democrats such as Pete Buttigieg, Tom Perriello, and Shannon Taylor on Monday. Kiggans’ team told the Daily Signal that it is still working out her schedule.

Husbands, Election Day is nearly here, so remember to help your wife out by filling out her ballot and mailing it in.

Now that U.S. Senate hopeful James Talarico has returned to Texas’ campaign trail, he should explain his more troubling actions as a Lone Star State lawmaker.

Talarico said nothing about anything when he vanished for 9 days, between virtual remarks to the U.S. Hispanic Business Council on Sept. 30 and an Oct. 9 stroll through the Austin City Limits Music Festival. Talarico claims that he had the flu. However, that hardly explains his total disappearance. Talarico is locked in a high-stakes, surprisingly tight race for a six-year Senate term. Was he too sick to campaign via Zoom or at least phone a drive-time radio show? Not even once? Really?

The hunt for the Red in October included ads—courtesy of Talarico’s Republican rival, state Attorney General Ken Paxton—that lampooned him as a missing person pictured on dairy containers. Townhall columnist Kurt Schlichter dubbed Talarico “the Milk Carton Marxist.”

With Talarico back on the hustings, voters should challenge him on his disturbing record as a Texas state representative.

• SB 1518 created the confidential Terrorist Offender Registration Program, which convicted terrorists must enter after they are released from prison. This law also criminalizes committing terrorism, aiding terrorism, and obstructing the prosecution of terrorism. On May 22, 2023, the state House passed SB 1518, 105-40. Talarico voted No.

• HB 888 prohibits an individual from misrepresenting a child as a family member at a border crossing/port of entry “with intent to commit” human trafficking. This law does not focus on, say, a well-meaning individual who claims that an abandoned little girl is his granddaughter to rescue her from danger. Far more gravely, this statute makes it illegal to falsify a child as a relative “with intent to commit” trafficking, in order, for instance, to sell her into sweatshop servitude or sex slavery. The state Senate passed HB 888, 30-1. The House concurred on May 23, 2019, 100-43. Talarico voted No.

• HB 2366 increases criminal penalties for using fireworks or laser pointers to impede police officers or do anything with those items that “endangers law enforcement.” This law makes it a first-degree felony to employ laser pointers to cause cops serious bodily injury, e.g., eye damage. On April 30, 2021, the House passed HB 2366, 119-12. Talarico was among 12 who voted No.

• SB 1120 enhances the legal rights of victims of protective-order violations, family violence, stalking, and sexual assault. The Senate passed this bill 30-1. The House adopted it on May 23, 2025, 128-7. Talarico was one of just seven who voted No.

• HB 3276 would have required election officials to keep voted ballots under video surveillance until tabulation and provide internet video streams of ballot handling and counting. The bill would have provided implementation grants, and excused from the streaming mandate, those Texas counties with fewer than 100,000 people. The House endorsed HB 3276 on May 11, 2021, 105-38. Talarico voted No. (The bill stalled in the Senate.)

• HB 3 requires armed security at public schools and pays $15,000 per campus plus $10 per student to subsidize this protection. The House approved HB 3 on May 28, 2023, 93-49. Talarico coauthored and successfully amended HB 3, but he voted No on the final conference report.

• HB 3508 would have devolved Texas from a state that “shall issue” handgun permits to qualified applicants to a “may issue” state that could deny permits, even to fully valid applicants. Talarico authored HB 3508 on March 6, 2019, but it languished in committee.

• HB 3506 would have stopped Texas from recognizing out-of-state handgun licenses once licensees became domiciled in Texas. Talarico introduced HB 3506 on March 6, 2019. It floundered in committee.

Texas voters should grill James Talarico on these underreported legislative actions. They should ask him why he worked so hard to make life easy for terrorists and human traffickers and tough for gun owners. Of course, if low-T Talarico gets too many such questions, he might crawl back into hiding. 

We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of the Daily Signal.

‘Danny smiled and all his mouth was entirely green’

AUSTIN, TX — Speaking at a town hall last night, Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico insisted that the Bible was totally silent on abortion so long as you don't count all of the stuff between Genesis and Revelation.

‘intent to engage in violence’