Feds demand California counties set aside 'likely' noncitizen ballots

Key Points:

• The U.S. Justice Department escalated its intervention in California’s election by sending letters to 57 of 58 counties demanding they segregate ballots from voters flagged as likely noncitizens, threatening criminal penalties if they fail to comply within 48 hours.
• The letters follow a lawsuit against California Secretary of State Shirley Weber and L.A. County Registrar Dean Logan, who have rejected the Justice Department’s demands as illegal, with local officials describing the federal actions as intimidation and politically motivated interference.
• The DOJ alleges that processing ballots from noncitizens is a federal crime and insists counties provide detailed voter information to verify citizenship, while California officials maintain they follow all election laws and that the demands threaten voter privacy and election integrity.
• California Senator Alex Padilla condemned the DOJ’s actions as an attempt to interfere in state elections and pledged support for election officials facing federal pressure, emphasizing that the administration lacks authority to disrupt California’s electoral process.
• Election officials across California are consulting legal counsel and coordinating responses, with some noting that many flagged voters are U.S.-born or not registered, and criticizing the DOJ’s short deadlines and demands for sensitive voter data as unenforceable and harmful to democratic processes.