Reform California with Carl DeMaio · Carl DeMaio

Voting After Election Day? SCOTUS Stops CA's Scam!

March 26, 2026·14 min·1 clip

Democrats want to count ballots without postmarks, which Carl DeMaio calls insane.

This episode focuses on a pending U.S. Supreme Court case that could end California's practice of counting mail-in ballots received after Election Day. Host Carl DeMaio, Chairman of Reform California and a state legislator, argues for stricter election laws and promotes a 2026 voter ID ballot initiative. He frames the episode around the legal challenge to extended ballot receipt deadlines and his parallel political effort. DeMaio details California's current election laws, which automatically mail ballots to all voters 30 days before an election and accept ballots received after Election Day if they are postmarked by that date. He criticizes Democratic proposals to count ballots lacking postmarks under a presumption of postal error. The specific Supreme Court case discussed is *Watson v. Republican National Committee*, which concerns a Mississippi law allowing ballots postmarked by Election Day and received within five days. DeMaio cites a SCOTUSblog headline suggesting justices are poised to overturn such state laws. He references the federal statute (2 U.S. Code 7) that establishes a single national Election Day in November. A notable moment is DeMaio's sharp criticism of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, quoting her from oral arguments about interpreting congressional intent for "Election Day." He also critiques a *Los Angeles Times* column by Mark Barabak featuring Kim Alexander of the California Voter Foundation, whom he labels a "far left" activist opposing voter ID and citizenship verification. DeMaio reveals that 300,000 ballots were recently discarded due to signature mismatches, with 200,000 later "cured" through voter notification. He advises listeners to vote immediately upon receiving a mail-in ballot to enable tracking and signature verification, calling this strategy "vote but verify." DeMaio expresses deep distrust of California's Secretary of State and argues for shared county-state responsibility over voter rolls. He contends that while a Supreme Court ruling against late-arriving ballots would be welcome, it remains a "marginal impact" compared to the need for voter ID. The host repeatedly directs listeners to voteridinitiative.com to volunteer, donate, or sign up for the campaign, which he says collected over 1.36 million signatures. The tone is highly partisan, confrontational, and persuasive, blending legal commentary with political advocacy and direct insults toward perceived opponents. The style is a monologue-driven editorial aimed at mobilizing supporters. Listeners interested in conservative election integrity activism, California politics, and Supreme Court impacts on state law would find this episode compelling. Those seeking a neutral, analytical discussion of election law or who are offended by inflammatory rhetoric would likely want to skip it.

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