DOJ says California must respond to voter fraud claims within 48 hours

Key Points:

• The Department of Justice under President Trump sent letters to California election officials demanding they review a list of alleged noncitizen voters and take action to prevent them from voting in the November midterm elections, threatening legal consequences if they fail to comply.
• Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter provided a password-protected USB drive with names of alleged noncitizen voters, but California officials have raised concerns about data security and the reliability of the DOJ's claims, noting the state’s voter rolls are protected by law.
• Legal experts and California officials argue the DOJ’s demands violate the U.S. Constitution and federal laws like the National Voter Registration Act, which restrict changes to voter rolls close to elections, and they are preparing to seek a court injunction against federal interference.
• California leaders, including Secretary of State Shirley Weber and Attorney General Rob Bonta, have criticized the DOJ’s actions as intimidation tactics based on unsubstantiated data, emphasizing that only U.S. citizens can legally vote in federal elections and that the state’s voter registration processes are robust.
• This escalation follows earlier federal warnings about noncitizen voter registrations in several states, which have been widely disputed, and reflects ongoing tensions between the Trump administration and California over election integrity and voter fraud allegations.