California Gov. Gavin Newsom sent letters Saturday to the chief judges of the state's four federal district courts warning of potential attempts by the Trump administration to obtain search warrants for ballots and election materials ahead of the midterm elections.

In the letters, Newsom expressed concern that federal agents could seek to seize ballots, election records, or voting technology while voting is underway and before results are certified on Dec. 11. He pointed to ongoing disputes involving allegations of noncitizen voting in California and suggested the Department of Justice might shift from civil to criminal proceedings after recent court losses.

"I have grave concerns federal agents will seek search warrants to seize ballots and ballot materials before the election results are certified," Newsom wrote. He added that the only reason for such action would be to interfere with the state's counting and certification process.

The warnings come amid a legal battle in which the Trump administration has claimed more than 20,000 likely noncitizens are registered to vote in California. State officials have rejected those figures, and federal courts have so far turned back administration efforts to block or segregate those ballots. An appeals court rejected one such request on Friday, with the majority citing risks of disenfranchising eligible voters and disrupting the election.

Newsom included with his letters a September 2026 guide from UC Berkeley's Edley Center on Law & Democracy on questions judges should consider when evaluating search warrant applications for election materials. He urged the judges to share the resource with magistrate judges who might handle such requests before certification.

The governor noted he was not aware of any pending warrant applications. The midterms are scheduled for Tuesday, with California results due for certification by mid-December.