California Election Investigation Action Plan

The following represent the specific vectors where fraud, if present, would most likely occur and be detectable:

Vector 1: Harvester Identity and Volume Anomalies

Because harvesters are not tracked, and their signatures are not required for ballot validity, the most direct fraud vector is organized mass harvesting — collecting ballots from non-voters, deceased voters, or voters who did not knowingly authorize the transfer.

Specific red flags:

• Unusually large numbers of ballots returned from a single drop by an unlisted third party
• Ballots returned without harvester signatures yet accepted
• Ballots returned from addresses that match non-residential locations (PO boxes, commercial addresses, vacant lots)

Vector 2: Voter Roll Integrity / Ineligible Voter Registrations

As of June 2026, the DOJ’s Central District is collaborating with Assistant AG Harmeet Dhillon to audit California’s voter rolls, with litigation pending before the Ninth Circuit. California has been accused of stonewalling federal requests to verify citizenship on its voter rolls.

Specific red flags:

• Registered voters at addresses with no residential history
• Duplicate registrations (same person registered multiple times)
• Ballots cast by voters registered with NVRA motor voter forms who have not affirmatively attested citizenship

Vector 3: Signature Verification Integrity

Under California Elections Code § 3019, officials must compare the signature on the return envelope to the voter’s registration signature. However, an exact match is not required — officials are instructed to consider “explanations for discrepancies” including variation over time. The curing window extends 22 days post-election for signature issues.

Red flags:

• Ballots with no signature accepted through the curing process with minimal documentation
• Batches of ballots with signatures verified unusually quickly relative to volume
• Abnormal cure rates in specific precincts or zip codes

Vector 4: Post-Election Day Ballot Provenance

Ballots arriving days after Election Day cannot be independently verified as having been physically in the voter’s possession on Election Day. The 7-day window combined with no harvester chain of custody creates a window for backdating or manufacturing ballots.

Red flags:

• Ballots with postmarks that are smudged, faint, or unreadable
• USPS data showing no scan of a ballot envelope prior to its claimed postmark date
• Statistical anomalies in the ratio of late ballots to registered voters in specific geographic clusters

Vector 5: Unofficial Drop Box Activity

In 2020, the California Republican Party was issued cease-and-desist orders for placing unofficial drop boxes; the state backed down from prosecution after the party modified its practices. The potential for unofficial boxes — which have no chain of custody at all — to be used by any actor remains a structural vulnerability.

Red flags:

• Photographic or witness evidence of unlabeled or privately operated collection boxes
• Large ballot batches returned from non-official locations