Local election officials across state prepare for once- unthinkable threats. - By Kevin RECTOR, HAILEY BRANSON-POTTS AND ANA CEBALLOSIn recent weeks, Marin County Registrar Natalie Adona has been largely focused on the many mundane tasks of local elections administrators in the months before a midterm: finalizing voting locations, ordering supplies, facilitating candidate filings. "Doing those sort of exercises and that level of planning in a way is kind of grounding, and makes things feel less chaotic." Across California, local elections administrators say they have been running similar exercises to prepare for once unthinkable threats—not from local rabble-rousers, remote cyberattackers or foreign adversaries, but their own federal government. California's local and state officials — many of whom are Democrats — are walking a fine line, telling their constituents that elections remain fair and safe, but also that Trump's talk of federal intervention must be taken seriously.

Source: Los Angeles Times February 08, 2026 17:41 UTC