Justice Department Sues California, Claiming It's Mailing Ballots to More Than 20,000 Noncitizens

Updated on: October 15, 2026 / 7:51 PM EDT / CBS News

Justice Department Sues California, Claiming It's Mailing Ballots to More Than 20,000 Noncitizens

TL;DR

  • The Justice Department is suing California, alleging over 20,000 noncitizens are improperly registered to vote and received mail-in ballots.
  • The lawsuit was filed after the DOJ ordered counties to review lists of suspected noncitizens who received ballots.
  • California officials, including the Secretary of State, have called the claims unsubstantiated and refused to review the provided list due to privacy and security concerns.
  • The DOJ alleges California failed to cooperate in identifying noncitizens on voter rolls.
  • The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division has a history of lawsuits over voter rolls, with limited success.
  • The division aims to ensure clean voter lists and screen for noncitizens.