Top U.S. DOJ official orders California to review list of possible noncitizens who received mail ballots

Updated on: October 14, 2026 / 10:34 PM EDT / CBS News

Top U.S. DOJ official orders California to review list of possible noncitizens who received mail ballots

TL;DR

  • The Justice Department ordered California to review a list of people suspected of receiving mail-in ballots despite not being U.S. citizens.
  • California officials confirmed receiving the order but stated the federal government did not provide the list of alleged noncitizens.
  • California's Secretary of State criticized the Justice Department's actions as efforts to cause chaos and distrust in elections.
  • Los Angeles County election officials cited data privacy and security protocols as reasons for not accessing the provided USB drive with the list.
  • The Justice Department's directive follows previous efforts by the Trump administration to press states on voter rolls and ensure "clean voter lists."
  • Federal and state laws require verifiable information for removing a voter's eligibility, not unconfirmed data matches.
  • Experts have found that voter fraud incidents are minimal and insufficient to impact election outcomes.