Trump administration asks Washington state to set aside ballots from 400 voters it says may be noncitizens

Key Points:

• The Trump administration requested Washington state to set aside ballots from over 400 individuals suspected of registering to vote without U.S. citizenship, citing 1,500 votes cast by these individuals in prior elections.
• The Justice Department asked the state to hold any ballots from these individuals in the upcoming midterm election until their eligibility can be confirmed, while Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs emphasized protecting voter information and due process.
• This move follows a similar Justice Department request to California, which has challenged the demand on constitutional and procedural grounds, highlighting concerns over federal overreach in election administration.
• Investigations in other states have found far fewer instances of noncitizen voting than alleged, with some cases revealing no evidence of ineligible voters despite initial claims by the Trump administration.
• The Justice Department plans to send Washington an additional list of suspected noncitizen voters before Election Day, noting some may have since become naturalized citizens.