ADVOCATES FOR FAITH & FREEDOM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2026
CONTACT: NICOLE VELASCO AT
MEDIA@FAITH-FREEDOM.COM
Murrieta, CA — After Election Integrity Project California’s thorough audit of November 2022 election data revealed an unexplained 43,625-vote discrepancy between California’s certified election results and data provided by the Secretary of State’s office, along with instances in which multiple votes appeared to be counted for individual voter registration numbers, Advocates for Faith & Freedom has filed a verified petition for writ of mandate on behalf of Ruth Weiss, a California voter and board member and volunteer with EIPCa. The lawsuit seeks to compel California Secretary of State Shirley Weber to answer basic questions regarding
election procedures and voter data and to perform the legally mandated duties necessary to help ensure that every vote is lawfully cast and accurately counted. The petition does not ask the court to overturn any election result. It does not allege election malfeasance. Instead, it asks for something far simpler and more fundamental: transparency.
Under California’s Voter Bill of Rights, voters have the right to ask questions of election officials regarding election procedures and to receive an answer or be directed to the appropriate official who can provide one. After EIPCa reviewed election-related data obtained from the Secretary of State and compared it with the publicly available Statement of Vote, the organization identified significant discrepancies and sought clarification from the Secretary of State’s office.
Rather than assuming wrongdoing, Ms. Weiss and EIPCa asked questions. They sought to understand whether the differences could be explained by lawful, routine, or harmless election procedures. To date, those questions have not been answered.
“Election integrity begins with transparency,” said Advocates attorney Robert Tyler, counsel for the petitioner. “California voters should not be forced to sue their own Secretary of State just to receive answers to lawful questions about election procedures. When voters ask legitimate questions, government officials have a duty to respond.”
According to the petition, EIPCa compared the Secretary of State’s published Statement of Vote with accounting data received from the Secretary of State’s office. The petition states that EIPCa found, among other discrepancies, more total votes reflected in the accounting data than in the Statement of Vote and voter registration numbers with more than one vote attributed to them. Ms. Weiss then asked the Secretary of State to explain the procedures used to compile the data, reconcile the differences, and ensure that only one ballot per voter registration ID was cast and counted.
“These are not radical questions,” Tyler continued. “They are the kinds of questions every voter should want answered. Free and fair elections depend on public confidence, and public confidence depends on honest answers.”
The lawsuit seeks a peremptory writ of mandate requiring the Secretary of State to comply with California Elections Code section 2300 and respond to each question raised in Ms. Weiss’s March 5, 2026 letter.
For many Californians, election integrity is not a partisan slogan. It is the foundation of self-government. Citizens cannot hold their government accountable if public officials refuse to answer lawful questions about how elections are administered.
“Voters deserve confidence that election officials are following the law, maintaining accurate records, and responding to reasonable inquiries,” said Tyler. “This case is about ensuring that the government remains accountable to the people it serves.”
Advocates for Faith & Freedom is proud to stand with citizens who seek transparency, accountability, and integrity in the election process.
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