Gov. Gavin Newsom should write this letter, but won’t.
António Guterres
Secretary-General, United Nations
New York, NY
Your Excellency:
I hereby that the United Nations send elections monitors to California for next year’s statewide elections — in June and November — and for the 2028 presidential primary and general elections.
My request may surprise you — California’s election management is inclusive and excellent. The trouble is that our elections face dangerous, bad-faith attacks from a rights-violating nation: the United States.
In our this month’s special election, President Trump’s regime engaged in the kind of abuses that forced the U.N. to deploy elections monitors in other countries.
The U.N. provides member states eight types of electoral assistance. California needs one of them, “support to creating a conducive environment” for elections. Trump seeks a threatening environment that discourages voters and frightens election workers.
The day after California’s special election was called in August, Trump’s defense secretary extended the deployment of National Guard troops in L.A. through election day, Nov. 4.
During voting, U.S. federal immigration agents continued their abductions of immigrants and U.S. citizens, which may have discouraged some from casting ballots. The U.S. Department of Justice, which Trump uses for personal vengeance, sent monitors to California counties with large Latino populations.
U.N. observers, by witnessing the election and producing reports, could protect against Trump’s interference and constant lies. This fall, he declared falsely that our special election was “a GIANT SCAM” and “RIGGED.”
Why is this a problem for the U.N.? Because you’ve already made it one. In 2023, the U.N.’s International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights documented attacks on voting rights in the U.S. including harassment, burdensome voter identification, and restrictions on mail voting.
The U.S. has ignored that report’s recommendations, and Trump is threatening to end California’s mail voting by executive order next year. Trump advisors also have suggested using military force in elections.
Given this context, I ask that you forward this request immediately to the General Assembly, which might approve it and demonstrate global concern with America’s democratic decline.
I recognize that Trump will likely block my request in the Security Council, using America’s veto. Such a rejection would be useful, too — demonstrating the American president’s hypocrisy when he claims to be fighting for election security.
You’d be justified in defying Trump’s rejection and sending election observers anyway. Why? Because California is a nation-state, distinct from the U.S. and worthy of U.N. membership.
This reflects more than just our large population and economic power. It acknowledges that the U.S. has effectively kicked California out of the country — by systematically violating Californians’ rights, denying our federal funds, threatening to imprison our elected officials (including me), and sending the U.S. military to occupy us. Recently, Trump declared that “between California and Colombia, there’s not that much difference,” lumping us in with a country where he ordered extrajudicial killings—a practice to which the U.N. has objected.
I ask U.N., to recognize California for what it now is — a colony of a repressive dictatorship. Your presence here would continue the U.N. tradition of supporting elections in places attempting decolonization or transition from authoritarianism, include Timor-Leste, South Africa, Mozambique, El Salvador, and Cambodia.
Before long, California could be asking for admission as an independent nation. The U.S. may object, saying that there can be only one America in your body.
If so, that America should be California.
According to Article 4 of your charter, the U.N. “is open to all other peace-loving States which accept the obligations” of that. California believes in “settling international disputes peacefully” (unlike the U.S. regime in the Caribbean), “refraining from the threat or use of force against another state’s territorial integrity or political independence” (unlike Trump’s threats to Canada and Greenland), and “giving the U.N. assistance in its actions” (Trump wants to defund you).
When we’re ready for membership, I’ll be in touch. We might need your peacekeepers.
Gavin
Joe Mathews is California columnist for Zócalo Public Square.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Mathews | Why California should call in the United Nations
Reporting by Joe Mathews / Ventura County Star
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