DOJ Demands California Review Voter List Within 48 Hours
DOJ pressures California to check voter rolls for noncitizens ahead of November midterms.
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The U.S. Department of Justice has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to California, demanding that state and local officials review a federal list of suspected noncitizen voters ahead of the November midterms. Acting Deputy Attorney General R. Trent McCotter sent letters to California Secretary of State Shirley Weber and Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder Dean Logan, instructing them to examine the list of individuals the federal government believes may be noncitizens who received mail-in ballots for the upcoming election.
Legal Demands and Ballot Restrictions
The DOJ provided Los Angeles County with a password-protected thumb drive containing the names of individuals suspected of being noncitizens. Officials were instructed to determine whether any U.S. citizens had been mistakenly included in the list. For those whose citizenship could not be confirmed, the DOJ demanded that their ballots be set aside until their status was resolved. The letter also called for a halt in sending ballots to listed individuals who had not yet received one and for a pause in verifying signatures or tabulating already returned ballots until citizenship could be determined.
Deadline and Legal Justification
McCotter set a strict deadline of noon on Thursday, October 15, warning that if the process was not implemented by then, the DOJ would seek emergency relief. He emphasized that allowing noncitizens to vote would undermine the votes of U.S. citizens. The DOJ defended its actions by citing federal laws prohibiting noncitizen voting in federal elections, stating that only American citizens may vote in such elections.
Broader Administration Efforts
The demands are part of a larger Trump administration initiative to identify and remove noncitizens from voter registration lists. Federal officials have alleged that hundreds of thousands of noncitizens are registered to vote, though these claims have faced scrutiny over data accuracy and the actual voting behavior of those flagged. The administration has also sought unredacted voter registration data from states nationwide, filing lawsuits against 30 states and Washington, D.C., but these efforts have been blocked by federal judges, including in California.
Legal and Political Challenges
The administration has encountered other legal hurdles in its election security efforts. The Supreme Court has kept on hold new Postal Service requirements for mail ballots, while courts have also halted parts of Trump’s 2025 executive order imposing new requirements related to proof of citizenship in voter registration. Despite these challenges, the DOJ continues to push for measures it claims are necessary to protect election integrity and ensure compliance with federal law.
Source: Daily Wire
