The Brief

Less than a year from the midterm elections, state and local voting officials from both major political parties are actively preparing for the possibility of interference by a federal government helmed by President Donald Trump.

The problem is, no one knows what might be coming.

Steve Simon, the Democratic secretary of state of Minnesota, likened it to planning for natural disasters.

"You have to use your imagination to consider and plan for the most extreme scenario," Simon said.

Carly Koppes, the Republican clerk of Weld County in Colorado, said officials in her state are shoring up their relationships with local law enforcement and county and state attorney's offices, to make sure any effort to interfere with voting is "met with a pretty good force of resistance."

"We have to plan for the worst and hope we get the best," Koppes said. "I think we're all kind of conditioned at this point to expect anything and everything, and our bingo cards keep getting bigger and bigger with things that we would have never have had on them."

Trump, who continues to spread false claims about voting in America, issued an executive order in the spring that sought to mandate major changes to the elections system. That order has so far mostly been blocked by the courts, but he's teased other executive action as well. And his administration is still investigating his loss five years ago, while pardoning people associated with his efforts to try to overturn that defeat.

All of that has made it clear to those in the elections community that Trump plans to have a heavy hand in their processes next year. Here are a few things voting officials are watching for.

More executive action to take control of voting

The Constitution is clear: States control their own election processes, with Congress able to set guidelines for federal races. The president has virtually no authority when it comes to voting.

But Trump is testing that, and those in his circle have pushed fringe theories for how he can change how ballots are cast and counted.

Earlier this month, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the White House is working on a new executive order that will seemingly target mail voting. Trump also said earlier this year that he wanted to ban some voting machines, though it's unclear exactly what he was referring to.

Election officials agree he does not have the legal authority to do either of those things. But recently, Trump ally and attorney Cleta Mitchell, who advised Trump in 2020, broached a bolder strategy to enact election changes: declaring a national emergency.

"The president's authority is limited in his role with regard to elections except where there is a threat to the national sovereignty of the United States — as I think that we can establish with the porous system that we have," Mitchell said on a podcast appearance in September.

It would be keeping with one of Trump's broader policy strategies: This year he's invoked presidential emergency powers more frequently than any other modern president.

Election experts say there's no legal basis for Mitchell's theory, but numerous voting officials told NPR it's something that's come up in conversations about next year.

U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., who previously oversaw voting in California as secretary of state, also brought up the scenario recently on the Senate floor.

"If the Trump White House tried to declare some fake national emergency to create a pretense for federal intervention, I will force a vote here in the Senate to stop it," Padilla said.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi listens as President Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House on Oct. 15.

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Troops on the ground

Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, a Democrat, says six months ago he wouldn't have taken the premise of federal troops at polling places seriously.

But seeing how the National Guard was deployed — and justified — this summer changed his thinking.

"You have National Guard deploying to cities to supposedly quell these 'demonstrations' — basically people in frog suits and riding their bikes naked is the biggest threat," Hobbs said. "And yeah, I start thinking that maybe it could be possible."

Ahead of the 2020 election, Trump spoke of a desire to have federal law enforcement patrol voting locations, and this year, his former adviser Steve Bannon said on his War Room podcast that he hopes Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are patrolling polling places in the midterms.

Legal experts say such intervention is clearly illegal, but until the federal government disavows such actions clearly, Simon said voting officials have to game out how to respond.

"One thing that would help is if someone at the federal government would come out and categorically say, 'No, no, no, stop the presses, stop everything. You'll never have to worry about that. That's not something we would ever consider doing,'" Simon said. "That would go a long way."

In response to questions about forces outside polling places, and other scenarios mentioned in this story, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson characterized them as "baseless conspiracy theories and Democrat talking points" but did not directly answer whether the White House would commit not to send agents to voting locations. She reiterated that the president is permitted to send federal personnel to localities to help quell violent crime.

Who is a trusted source?

For the last decade, as voting officials have fought to dam up a tsunami of false information about their work, they've begged people in their communities to go to "trusted sources" for election information.

In 2026, figuring out who is a trusted source may be more difficult than ever.

Along with Trump himself, his administration has elevated to prominent government roles numerous people who have a history of spreading false information about elections, and local officials worry their message may be drowned out by those with much bigger megaphones.

One of the hires alarming voting officials interviewed by NPR works at the Department of Homeland Security. Heather Honey, who's now deputy assistant secretary for elections integrity, worked alongside Mitchell for the past few years to help spread election conspiracy theories, including one about votes in Pennsylvania that Trump mentioned in his speech on Jan. 6, 2021, shortly before a mob stormed the Capitol.

"I equate this to having a moon landing conspiracy theorist and flat earther being offered a job at NASA," Hobbs said.

DHS did not respond to NPR's request for comment.

Numerous officials at the Department of Justice also have a history of election denial.

A poll worker holds "I Voted" stickers as people cast ballots on Nov. 4 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.

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Unprecedented demands

The insistence to relitigate 2020 also has voting officials worried about what sort of actions administration officials plan to take. Already this year, DOJ has made unprecedented requests to investigate voting machines, access old ballots, and accumulate mass amounts of voter data.

This summer, a consultant in Colorado contacted Koppes and other clerks in that state, in some cases saying he was associated with the White House and asking about accessing their voting machines.

The White House denied to CNN and other outlets authorizing the requests, but separately, in Missouri, a Department of Justice official reached out to clerks there asking basically the same thing.

In each instance, they were told no.

"Since 2020, people in the elections world have become even more knowledgeable of the responsibilities of the different levels of government [when it comes to voting equipment]," Koppes said.

A similar push and pull is playing out with elections data. The Trump administration has quickly built what is essentially a searchable national citizenship database, and is trying to entice states to run their voting records through it to root out noncitizens on voter rolls. While many Republican election officials have eagerly embraced the system, other GOP officials and their Democratic counterparts have been hesitant to engage with the tool, as there are questions about how well it works, what happens to the voting data once it's been run through the system and, in many states, whether even using the tool is legal under state law.

Still, the administration is intent to investigate voter rolls as it continues to push false narratives about widespread noncitizen voting. The DOJ recently sued eight states (all states Trump lost in 2020) in an effort to compel them to turn over their rolls.

"It's really not a red state or blue state thing," said Al Schmidt, the Republican secretary of state of Pennsylvania, in an interview with PBS News Hour about the data demands. "It is a — in my view, a concerning attempt, a concerning effort to consolidate and overreach at the federal level. In the United States of America, it's the states who run elections, not the federal government."

Vulnerable targets

Since Trump took office, the federal government has pulled back on virtually all of its work related to cybersecurity and elections. The Department of Homeland Security laid off employees focused on election security, and stopped funding a partnership that helped local elections offices share threat information.

Wesley Wilcox, a Republican election supervisor in Marion County, Fla., said smaller counties especially will be more vulnerable to cyberattacks due to the cuts, and Russia, China or any other U.S. adversary may see an opportunity.

"That's what I would do," Wilcox said. "I mean, if I were on that side of the fence, I'm like, 'OK, they're cutting this stuff out. Let's go get them.' You know, 'cause the defenses are down."

Secretary Hobbs, of Washington, told NPR that two years ago he was notified by DHS about a hack in one of his counties. The state responded immediately to make sure the breach wouldn't impact the voter registration database.

Now, Hobbs said, "I don't even know if I would have gotten that phone call, to tell you the truth."

In Arizona, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, a Democrat, said he didn't even contact DHS' cyber agency after an online candidate portal was hacked this summer because he didn't have confidence in the agency's "capacity to collaborate in good faith or to prioritize national security over political theater."
Copyright 2025 NPR

The U.S. government on Thursday released a new crash test dummy design that advocates believe will help make cars safer for women.

The Department of Transportation will consider using the dummy in the government's vehicle crash test five star-ratings once a final rule is adopted, the agency said in a news release.

Women are 73% more likely to be injured in a head-on crash, and they are 17% more likely to be killed in a car crash, than men.

The standard crash test dummy used in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration five-star vehicle testing was developed in 1978 and was modeled after a 5-foot-9 (175-centimeter), 171-pound (78-kilogram) man. The female dummy is smaller and has a rubber jacket to represent breasts. It's routinely tested in the passenger or back seat but seldom in the driver's seat, even though the majority of licensed drivers are women.

The new female dummy endorsed by the department more accurately reflects differences between men and women, including the shape of the neck, collarbone, pelvis, and legs. It's outfitted with more than 150 sensors, the department said.

Some American automakers have been skeptical, arguing the new model may exaggerate injury risks and undercut the value of some safety features such as seat belts and airbags.

Lawmakers and transportation secretaries from the past two presidential administrations have expressed support for new crash test rules and safety requirements but developments have been slow.

U.S. Sens. Deb Fischer, a Republican from Nebraska, and Tammy Duckworth, a Democrat from Illinois, both released statements welcoming the female crash test dummy announcement.

"Any progress here is good because there's simply no good reason why women are more likely to be injured or die in car crashes," Duckworth said.

Fischer introduced legislation, the She Drives Act, that would require the most advanced testing devices available, including a female crash test dummy. Duckworth is a co-sponsor.

"It's far past time to make these testing standards permanent, which will help save thousands of lives and make America's roads safer for all drivers," Fischer said.

The department said the new specifications will be available for manufacturers to build models and for the automotive industry to begin testing them in vehicles.

Copyright 2025 NPR

L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn said she plans to unveil a new ordinance Friday that would ban all law enforcement from concealing their identities with masks.

The move, which was initiated in June, comes after government leaders and community activists reported a rise in federal immigration enforcement activity Thursday in Long Beach and San Pedro.

In a statement, Hahn said, "ICE is continuing to terrorize our communities," adding the actions "hit Long Beach hard."

"They are not communicating with local law enforcement, and we know they are not targeting violent criminals," Hahn said. "They are targeting people based on the color of their skin, or their accent, or the place that they work. They are violating our residents’ rights every day they remain on our streets. They are creating chaos and spreading fear in our immigrant community, and they need to leave."

Hahn said the ordinance will:

1. Prohibit all law enforcement, including local, state and federal officials, from wearing masks or personal disguises while interacting with the public in the course of their duties in unincorporated L.A. County; and
2. Require all law enforcement wear visible identification and agency affiliation while interacting with the public in the course of their duties in unincorporated L.A. County

There are some exceptions, like breathing apparatuses or motorcycle helmets.

Hahn said at least nine people were detained by masked agents on Thursday. According to Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson, one of those detained was a gardener for Polly's Pies restaurant on Atlantic Avenue. He said federal agents chased down and attacked the man as diners watched.

The Trump administration increased immigration enforcement in Los Angeles County in early June. President Donald Trump has repeatedly said the crackdown is necessary to keep the nation safe from dangerous criminals. However, many activists and leaders have denounced the arrests, saying federal agents are detaining hard-working members of the community and picking up people with no criminal record.

California has already passed state laws that restrict the use of facial coverings by law enforcement. But the Trump administration filed a lawsuit this week to stop them.

The L.A. County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote on Hahn's ordinance at its Dec. 2 meeting, when members of the public can share their comments. A required second vote on adopting the ordinance could be held one week later on Dec. 9. If adopted, it would go into effect 30 days later.

How to attend the board meetings:

• Dates: Tuesday, Dec. 2 and Dec. 9
• Location: 500 West Temple St., Los Angeles, in Room 381B, at the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration
• Time: 9:30 a.m.
• How to watch remotely

Federal immigration agents chased a gardener into a Long Beach restaurant Thursday and took him into custody in front of two police officers who were briefly startled by the chaotic scene, witnesses told the Long Beach Post.

The agents suddenly pulled up to Polly’s Pies restaurant on Atlantic Avenue in Bixby Knolls in the morning and started running after a group of gardeners, according to Jacklyn Mitosinka, director of brand for the chain of restaurants, which her grandfather founded.

Agents chased one of the men inside and tackled him in the waiting area in front of the hostess stand, Mitosinka said.

LBPD officers were eating inside at the time, she said, and one “popped up quickly” and drew his gun in surprise, but he put it away once he saw the agents’ badges.

In a statement, police said the officers “quickly realized it was an immigration enforcement activity and did not intervene or engage in the activity.”

The agents took the gardener, and Polly’s Pies employees who know the man contacted his family and told them of the arrest, Mitosinka said.

The situation was “sickening and disheartening,” said Blair Cohn, executive director of the local business improvement district. He said a board member of the organization, who happened to be driving by, was able to get the keys to the gardener’s work truck and pass them along to his family.

The arrest appeared to be part of a string of immigration operations in Long Beach on Thursday.

Around 10:30 a.m., federal agents arrested three people outside Cherry Donuts on Cherry Avenue near 15th Street, said Franklin Kong, who was working at the front of the shop, which his parents own. The entire encounter lasted roughly 10 minutes, Kong said.

Several people were said to be picked up by immigration agents at Cherry Donuts in Long Beach on Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025.

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Long Beach Post

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Federal immigration agents were also spotted at four other locations this morning, according to local immigrant rights group Órale.

The organization confirmed sightings at:

• The Light of the World Church, 785 Junipero Ave. at 10:12 a.m.
• Pacific Coast Highway and Walnut Avenue, 11 a.m.
• Pacific Coast Highway and Gaviota Avenue, 11 a.m.
• Outside Farmers & Merchants Bank at 2302 North Bellflower Boulevard, 11:30 a.m.

State and local laws prevent Long Beach police from assisting in civil immigration enforcement. City officials have also said they will not obstruct federal law enforcement “in any way,” something that would also be illegal.

In a video posted to social media, Mayor Rex Richardson called the arrests “dehumanizing” and “absolutely unacceptable.” He said the gardener at Polly’s Pies was “chased down and brutalized.”

In a statement, District 5 Councilmember Megan Kerr called it a “chaotic and cruel attack against a hardworking member of our community.”

In a statement, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn called for ICE agents to leave the region.

Federal immigration agents are “targeting people based on the color of their skin, or their accent, or the place they work,” Hahn said. “They are violating our residents’ rights every day they remain on our streets.”

Long Beach is part of a lawsuit seeking to block immigration agents from carrying out roving patrols targeting people based solely on factors such as their race, language or location they’re working, but in September, the Supreme Court lifted a temporary block on the tactic.

In its statement, the LBPD reiterated it “does not enforce civil immigration laws, participate in civil immigration enforcement, or obstruct lawful federal enforcement activities.”

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with information from the Long Beach Police Department

East Bay Rep. Eric Swalwell on Thursday became the latest Democrat to throw his hat in the ring for the 2026 governor’s race — announcing his campaign shortly before a scheduled appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

“Our state, this great state, needs a fighter and a protector,” Swalwell told Kimmel. “Someone who will bring prices down, lift wages up.”

Swalwell has been a high-profile critic of President Donald Trump, taking a leading role in Trump’s second impeachment trial in 2021 and maintaining a regular presence on cable TV. The former Alameda County prosecutor has raised money and campaigned for Democrats across the country, and he could tap those relationships as he enters what promises to be an expensive campaign for the state’s top job.

“I’ve been in these fights as a city councilmember up in Dublin, my hometown, as a prosecutor in Oakland, and taking on the most corrupt president ever in the U.S. Congress,” Swalwell said. “But I’m ready to bring this fight home.”

Swalwell lashed out at Trump for his administration’s cuts to cancer research grants, accusing him of targeting Democratic-led states such as California.

“It’s a little personal to me…I lost my best friend two months ago, my mom passed and she passed from cancer,” he said. “People in California expect that you’re going to invest in cancer research, not cut it.”

The race to succeed termed-out Gov. Gavin Newsom remains wide open less than seven months before the June primary. Former Vice President Kamala Harris and U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla both passed on running, and the special election over Proposition 50 diverted attention and fundraising away from the campaign for governor.

A poll from the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies this month found 44% of voters remain undecided.

Swalwell’s views on state policy are largely undefined, and he enters the race with far less experience in the state Capitol than fellow Democratic hopefuls Xavier Becerra, the former attorney general, and Antonio Villaraigosa, who served as Assembly speaker before he was mayor of Los Angeles.

But Swalwell’s clashes with Trump and Republicans in Washington could resonate with Democratic voters looking for California leaders to spearhead a resistance to the White House.

When the House voted to impeach Trump in 2021 for inciting an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, Swalwell was tapped by then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to help present the case to the Senate as an impeachment manager.

After Trump was acquitted, Swalwell sued him in civil court, arguing that the president fomented an attack that violated his civil rights and caused emotional distress. That lawsuit is ongoing in the U.S. District Court in Washington.

Last week, a top housing official in the Trump administration called for a criminal probe into Swalwell, alleging the congressman may have made false or misleading statements on mortgage documents to secure better loan terms. The accusations are similar to criminal referrals made against other Trump critics, including New York Attorney General Letitia James and Sen. Adam Schiff of California.

Swalwell has denied wrongdoing and framed the move as political retaliation, telling Kimmel the charge was “nonsense.”

“If he thinks for one second that me, Schiff… Tish James are going to hide under the bed or shrink or just go quiet, we’re not,” Swalwell said.

Born in Iowa and raised in a Republican household, Swalwell has long joked that he appears on Fox News so his parents can see him. He was the first member of his family to attend college and spent years as a prosecutor in the Alameda County district attorney’s office. Two of Swalwell’s brothers served as deputies in the county sheriff’s office.

Swalwell burst onto the political scene in 2012, when he defeated longtime incumbent Rep. Pete Stark. In Congress, Swalwell parlayed a savvy use of social media and regular appearances on cable news into a national following and a significant financial war chest. In 2018, he campaigned across the country for Democratic congressional candidates as the party won back control of the House.

A year later, Swalwell launched a long-shot presidential campaign centered on reducing gun violence, but he failed to gain traction and ended his bid after just three months.

Swalwell’s path to the governor’s office could rely on support from Bay Area voters. He and state Superintendent Tony Thurmond, a former Assembly member from Richmond, are the only candidates who have won office in the region.

Historically, Northern California has been the bedrock of high-propensity Democratic voters, although the region has supported the state’s two Los Angeles-based U.S. senators, Padilla and Schiff, in recent elections.