Dear Friend,
Recently, President Donald Trump took to the stage in Nebraska and, talking about his war with Iran, said, “They could take out a city… Let them take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego.”
At least 19 service members have made the ultimate sacrifice in Trump’s unauthorized war with Iran. Now, Trump is inviting an attack on U.S. soil, putting millions of Americans and hundreds of thousands of our service members and their families at risk while trying to get Americans to cheer for an attack on our own country.
What kind of commander in chief does that? But it’s not the first time he’s failed hardworking Americans – and it won’t be the last.
Election Day is Nov. 3, which means you have until then to vote. But the 2026 midterms are already in full swing.
Ballots have been mailed to every registered California voter—so if you haven’t already, now is the time to make your plan to vote.
Check your voter registration and your state’s deadlines. Decide whether you will vote by mail or in person. If you are voting by mail, learn how to request a ballot and when to return it. If you are voting in person, choose a time to go to the polls, confirm your polling location and make sure you know what identification or other materials you need to bring.
But no matter how you choose to vote, don’t wait until the last minute. Do it as early as possible.
Donald Trump and his administration are sowing confusion and uncertainty in the voting process at every opportunity.
The Supreme Court rightly put a stop to Trump’s executive order attacking mail-in voting. But that isn’t stopping him from continuing to find other ways to interfere. For more than 18 months, this president has tried to influence how elections are run – from threatening to “take over” federal elections with efforts like the SAVE America Act, to his administration refusing to rule out deploying federal agents to polling sites.
And Trump’s Department of Homeland Security continues pressuring states to turn over sensitive and confidential voter information while pushing to use its modified SAVE Program to confirm voters’ eligibility – even though it has mistakenly mislabeled the citizenship status of thousands of Americans.
And he’ll keep trying all the way up to Election Day and beyond.
There are also practical changes that could undermine voters’ abilities to cast their ballots this year.
Because of changes to its transportation operations, a piece of mail might not reach a USPS processing facility the same day that it’s received. For voters, that means that even if you mail your ballot on time, the postmark election officials rely on could still be dated after the deadline if you cut it too close.
Late postmarks are the reason that over 93,000 mail-in ballots were rejected in California’s June primary, and that more than 20,000 ballots were rejected in Washington’s August primary.
I want to be absolutely clear: Americans should feel confident in our elections and our election systems – including vote-by-mail.
As California’s former secretary of state, I oversaw several elections in the most populous state in the nation. I know firsthand that our elections work. They are safe and secure thanks to the thousands of dedicated state and local election officials who work around the clock to successfully administer elections at every level.
But confidence in our elections should not mean complacency about our participation in them.
With so much confusion and uncertainty surrounding this election, every voter would be smart to stay ahead of the curve.
Don’t wait until the last minute. Make your plan. And then follow through on it as early as you possibly can.
Check your registration. Know your deadlines. Decide how and when you’re going to vote – giving yourself plenty of time, especially if you’re voting by mail. Then make sure your family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers do the same.
Because our democracy depends on more than simply having the right to vote. It depends on all of us exercising that right.
Thank you,
Alex Padilla
United States Senator for California
Bill’s response:
The statement you and your propaganda Media made about LA or San Diego bombed by Iran is pure bullshit. Trump clearly stated that IF he didn’t strike Iran’s nuclear facilities and ballistic missiles – Iran would have the capability to take out LA or another US city. The Dem party has made and unholy alliance with Marxists who call themselves “Social Democrat” and Islamists who are infiltrating this country through the likes of Minnesota Somalians and Michigan – and even if a place like Texas where there are more Mosques being built than churches. I suspect that is true in CA if anyone actually took the time to investigate. In France dozens of churches were burned but not one Mosque. Funny, how these Social Democrats have no problem with Churches burning – even landmarks – but are too chicken shit to take on the Muslims who are destroying their country – yes, burning it down – literally!
So, Trump and people with common sense want voter integrity – where only actual citizens vote. How is that possible in this present system. No IDs, unsolicited Mail in ballots, drop boxes, endless days to mail before and after, millions paid to “harvest” votes – is a corrupt fraudulent system. CA is led by autocrats while calling Trump a king. Funny, how everything the left accuses Trump or supporters of doing is almost exactly what the Dems have actually done! For over 16 years of one party rule CA has continued to decline failing with highest poverty rate in the country, most homeless, highest prices, highest taxes and public schools dropping near the bottom compared to other states – Yes – well below the relatively poor state of Mississippi! Trump will be gone in 2 years, but the fraud and the one party Dems will continue to ruin the once Golden state.
Every registered voter is mailed a ballot? How do we know that if you don’t allow an audit? Yes, Trump and common sense Americans – which now are clearly only Republicans and Independents – want sane policies – not Trans males competing with females in sports – not open borders where drug dealers and cartels are free to pump Chinese Fentanyl into the country – where about 100,000 Americans die every year.
And now with the influx of radical Muslims – anti-Semitism grows on college campuses – all because of the response to Oct 7 brutal carnage caused by Hamas. No longer will my fellow Jewish people allow the scapegoating of Jews by any party to stand. Jewish democrats are starting to wise up. I suspect that may show up in this election as your party is not really a big tent – but it is a party of Marxists and radical Muslims.
Yes, your fellow Hispanic community – despite your endless propaganda realize that most immigrants come here to work in safe places with good schools. Yes, your teacher’s unions have destroyed the schools too where instead of teaching reading and math – they regularly let out students to protest against Trump or the Federal Agents who enforce our immigration laws. Yes, Alex, these are laws – and when states violate Federal laws – it is a criminal act. Yes, sanctuary cities where many deaths have been recorded – like the 5 time illegal who murdered Kate Steinle in SF – just one of thousands of criminal acts created by Biden’s open borders and California’s complicity in these violent and criminal acts.
You will no doubt win most of your elections in the short term and continue to degrade this one great state – but at some point the pendulum will swing back toward common sense and good social and economic policies and I can only hope it will be when you are next up for re-election.