DOJ Gives California 48 Hours to Review Suspected Noncitizen Voters

California Given 48 Hours to Review Mail-In Ballots Over Noncitizen Voting Allegations

The United States Department of Justice issued an ultimatum on Tuesday, giving California state officials 48 hours to review suspected noncitizen voters or face emergency legal action before the midterm elections, as reported by Reuters. Acting Deputy Attorney General R. Trent McCotter mailed the communication to California Secretary of State Shirley Weber along with Dean Logan, who serves as the registrar-recorder and county clerk for Los Angeles County. Federal authorities provided Los Angeles County officials with a password-protected thumb drive containing names of individuals federal officials believe are noncitizens who were mailed ballots. The Justice Department demanded immediate action to ensure that noncitizens who received ballots do not participate in the upcoming federal election.

Federal Demands and Directives Sent to Los Angeles County

Federal officials instructed county election workers to examine the provided list within 48 hours and hold questioned ballots while citizenship checks are conducted. McCotter directed that for individuals whose citizenship status cannot be independently confirmed, officials must immediately segregate—rather than cancel—those vote-by-mail ballots until their status is determined. For ballots already submitted, officials were instructed to keep returned ballots separate and refrain from counting them. Justice Department spokeswoman Kiersten Pels confirmed the letters in a statement to Reuters, noting the department will take all necessary legal action to protect election integrity and enforce federal law.

Federal Government Warns California of Emergency Court Intervention

The letter to Secretary of State Weber warned that the federal government could seek emergency court intervention if state officials failed to comply with the review process. McCotter wrote that if the state cannot implement the process given the ongoing federal election, the United States will have no choice but to seek emergency relief. Representatives for the California secretary of state and the governor’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the federal directive.

Broader Context of Voter Rolls and Registrations

The Trump administration has repeatedly asserted that voter fraud and noncitizen voting are widespread, although independent studies indicate such cases are rare. A reporting inquiry conducted by Reuters indicated that clerical mistakes and software glitches could have inadvertently placed upward of 30,000 noncitizens onto voter lists across the country since 2000. However, it remains unclear how many of those individuals actually cast ballots. Meanwhile, federal prosecutors announced 16 new criminal cases involving alleged noncitizen voting or fraudulent voter registrations.

The action follows a series of steps by the Justice Department targeting state voter registration systems. In July, the department sent letters to election officials across all 50 states warning of potential criminal prosecution if they knowingly allowed noncitizens to remain on voter rolls or cast ballots.

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