California Attorney General ’s office said he co‑led a multistate coalition opposing a U.S. Department of Defense change to the Federal Post Card Application that removed a checkbox allowing U.S. citizens born abroad who never lived in the United States to indicate their eligibility to vote.
The release said the checkbox was removed in August 2026 and that the department used an emergency justification to bypass the usual public‑comment process; the office said DOD has since opened the revised form to public comment in an effort to make the removal permanent.
The attorney general’s office argued the change is unlawful, would deter and disenfranchise overseas U.S. citizens, harms states that rely on the form to process absentee voting requests, and violates the Administrative Procedure Act by failing to explain the emergency change; the release pointed out that never‑resided citizens have used the form for years without issue.
The release noted that thirty-seven states and the District of Columbia allow U.S. citizens who never lived in the country to vote, and that California allows citizens born abroad who never lived in the United States to vote by absentee ballot if their parent or legal guardian was last a California resident.
Bonta, Nevada Attorney General Aaron D. Ford and Washington Attorney General Nicholas W. Brown co‑led the coalition; the release said the group included the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and the District of Columbia.
"The Trump Administration has repeatedly attempted to interfere in our elections and undermine the fundamental right to vote. My fellow attorneys general and I have proudly challenged these efforts at every turn," Attorney General Bonta said. "This is yet another unlawful barrier the Administration is putting in the way of Americans seeking to cast their ballots."
The attorney general's office said the change could make it harder for some Americans living abroad to register and request absentee ballots, and it asked the Defense Department to restore the checkbox and follow the Administrative Procedure Act.
State
Rob Bonta
Attorney General · Democrat
Named 3 times in this story.
Portrait: Official portrait
Sources & methodology
This report was written from the primary materials below. Links open at the original publisher.
California Attorney GeneralSee something we should correct? Read our corrections policy.