California Officials Resist DOJ Request on Noncitizen Voter Data
State and local leaders cite privacy and security concerns while a county Republican chair criticizes their stance.
California officials have refused to open a flash drive containing alleged noncitizen voter records provided by the U.S. Department of Justice, citing concerns over data privacy and security protocols. The state Attorney General, Rob Bonta, called the request "desperate" and "embarrassing" for the administration to pursue during an election period. Dean Logan, the LA registrar-recorder, stated that accessing the drive would conflict with established protocols and that any action to remove a voter must be based on verifiable information, not unconfirmed data matches.
Critics argue that California's policies, such as automatically registering voters through the DMV and designating public assistance programs as voter registration agencies, contribute to potential vulnerabilities in voter rolls. Roxanne Hoge, chair of the Republican Party of Los Angeles County, expressed frustration with the state's reluctance, comparing it to inefficient election practices in other countries and highlighting instances of excess ballots being sent out under California's universal vote-by-mail system. Hoge asserted that the DOJ's request is a reasonable step toward ensuring election integrity and urged local officials to comply.
The Department of Justice had given California a 48-hour deadline to review the provided data. The assertion from California officials is that the provided device is not a secure medium and that the data within it has not been verified. Hoge countered these arguments by pointing to California's history of data breaches and fraud, questioning the seriousness of privacy claims. She also referenced her own efforts, including an open letter to Attorney General Bonta and a letter to the DOJ requesting election monitors, to address perceived irregularities in recent elections.
Hoge believes that actively investigating and confirming voter eligibility, even if it reveals no issues, is crucial for building public confidence in the electoral system. The refusal to examine the DOJ's data, according to Hoge, undermines this goal and suggests a reluctance to address potential problems with the state's voter registration processes.