California officials ordered by DoJ to set aside ‘likely’ noncitizen ballots
Letters from federal prosecutors represent latest escalation as Trump continues to make claims of voter fraud
TL;DR
- Federal prosecutors have demanded California county registrars set aside and verify ballots suspected of belonging to noncitizens.
- At least 18 counties have received these letters, with a 48-hour deadline to provide voter information and sequester unverified ballots.
- This is an escalation in the legal battle between California and the Trump administration over noncitizen voting, particularly ahead of the midterm elections.
- California officials argue the federal demands risk delaying vote certification, undermining election legitimacy, and disenfranchising citizens, citing unreliable data.
- The Justice Department has previously sued California aiming to block the counting of votes from 'likely' noncitizen voters.
- Earlier in the week, 28 people were charged with illegally registering or voting as part of a statewide sweep targeting suspected noncitizen voters.