Experts flag 'extremely worrisome' trend as Trump's election interference tactics spread

Republican officials across multiple states are conducting aggressive investigations into prior elections, employing tactics that mirror President Donald Trump's 2020 fraud claims — including ballot seizures and sweeping non-citizen voter allegations that state election authorities and experts say lack legal foundation.

In Arizona's Maricopa County, officials referred more than 200 people for prosecution based on the SAVE database, which election experts warn produces false positives, reported CNN. Michigan's Macomb County Clerk promoted noncitizen voter findings based on jury records, prompting Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson to determine that some individuals flagged were actually citizens. California Sheriff Chad Bianco, a gubernatorial candidate, seized 650,000 ballots from the state's 2025 special election to investigate discrepancies alleged by conservative activists.

State election authorities are pushing back forcefully. California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed suit, arguing that Bianco's investigation "threatens to sow distrust and jeopardize public confidence in the upcoming primary and general elections." Bonta warned the effort "sets a dangerous precedent that could invite future attempts to improperly contest election results through a misuse of law enforcement authority."

Election law expert Richard Hasen described the pattern as "extremely worrisome," noting that seizing ballots from settled elections differs fundamentally from interference in active elections. "That is truly taking things to a new level," he said.

The investigations, often driven by conservative activist groups, rely on flawed methodologies. In Riverside County, activists alleged a 40,000-ballot discrepancy; the county registrar identified the actual discrepancy as 103. Election officials note counties rarely achieve perfect matches in such comparisons.

Trump administration officials have amplified these efforts. DOJ Civil Rights Division chief Harmeet Dhillon praised local law enforcement involvement, while House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer requested federal investigation into Michigan's findings. The administration has separately seized 2020 election materials from Maricopa and Fulton County, Georgia through criminal investigations.

State officials worry these local efforts will feed the Trump administration's broader hunt for election fraud evidence. Arizona's Secretary of State Adrian Fontes warned local officials against complying with federal demands for election materials, citing "the federal government's unprecedented abuse of authority."

Former Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, a Republican, cautioned against viewing flagged individuals as "hardened criminals," noting that even Heap's worst-case scenario identified only 200 noncitizens among nearly 2 million ballots cast in the county.