What's at stake?
With just over a day left to vote in Tuesday’s midterm, Fresno County has also confronted many of the same challenges the federal government has tried to impose across the US.
Don’t forget to check out Fresnoland’s full guide to the local 2026 midterm ballot, from city council and school board races, to the fight over the future of Fresno County transportation projects.
The seemingly endless midterm election cycle finally ends tomorrow, but how long the vote-counting, anticipated legal challenges — both good faith and bad — could take days, weeks or longer.
And while exact ballot return numbers remain in flux, overall early turnout in Fresno County has been climbing as election day approaches.
“Participation numbers are building,” Fresno County Clerk James Kus told Fresnoland in an email. “They began low but are now on track to be right in the middle of recent Gubernatorial General elections turnouts.”
As of Friday, early turnout remained ahead of the pace set in the November 2022, the state’s last gubernatorial election, Kus said, but still behind last year’s special gerrymandering election and the 2024 general election.
Turnout comes amid a grueling, tense and politically fraught election that has seen ugly fights up and down the ballot, from key senate and house races to local-level races for the Fresno City Council and Board of Supervisors.
‘No contact’
With only a handful of hours left to vote in Tuesday’s midterm, Fresno County has also confronted many of the same challenges the federal government has tried to impose locally.
Late last month, the Trump Justice Department sent letters to all California county clerks, including Kus, demanding local elections offices re-examine voter rolls for potential fraud.
The letter, signed by Eric Grant, US Attorney for the Eastern District of California, and delivered to James Kus, Fresno County’s Registrar of Voters and County Clerk on Oct. 23, provided the names of 670 registered voters who federal officials claim — without evidence — may not be U.S. citizens.
The letter demands county officials commit to providing personal information about each individual on the list to verify their status, from Social Security numbers to driver’s licenses to their voter registration applications.
They also ask that the county “segregate” ballots from these individuals from the rest of the ballots coming in until their citizenship status can be confirmed.
The letter suggests that election officials who don’t cooperate with the demand will be subject to criminal prosecution for “aiding and abetting” a federal crime.
But in an email responding to Fresnoland questions, Kus said the federal government has been silent since the demand letter landed on Oct. 23.
“The letter has not impacted any ongoing registration or voting processes,” Kus said.
He also said he’s had no word – either way – about whether the federal government plans to send election monitors to Fresno County on Tuesday, but his office is prepared.
“The Department has had no contact from the federal DoJ or any federal agency regarding election monitors.” Kus said. “The DoJ has regularly sent observers to California and Fresno County in the past, so we would not be surprised by their presence, with or without prior notification.”
Kus has said such checks are already in place and processes for identifying and removing fraudulent voters have been effectively in place for many years.
“Maintaining accurate voter registration records is a fundamental responsibility of our office. Federal and state laws are clear on how voter eligibility is established – and any action to remove a voter from eligibility must be based on verifiable information, not assertions of unconfirmed data matching,” Kus told Fresnoland in an email on Oct. 23.
Fresno County has 54 vote centers, and 69 ballot drop boxes, which are now available to assist Fresno County voters with all their return and voting needs.
“Participation rates are rising as we approach Election Day,” Kus said, “and we strongly encourage all voters to return their ballot or vote in-person early to avoid what could be a very busy Election Day.”
Don’t forget to check out Fresnoland’s full guide to the local 2026 midterm ballot, from city council and school board races, to the fight over the future of Fresno County transportation projects.
Fresnoland 2026 midterm Voter Guide
