DOJ Demands California Address Ballot Concerns Within 48 Hours

The U.S. Department of Justice has given California and Los Angeles County 48 hours to review and quarantine mail-in ballots that may have been sent to noncitizen voters. Failure to comply could result in emergency litigation, according to a letter sent by the DOJ.

"For individuals whom you cannot independently confirm citizenship status, we request that you immediately instruct the appropriate elections official to segregate — not cancel — those individuals’ vote-by-mail ballots until their citizenship status can be determined," the letter advised.

State officials, including Attorney General Rob Bonta, have criticized the DOJ's request, with Bonta decrying "conspiracy theories." Los Angeles County Registrar Dean Logan dismissed the concerns as "unconfirmed data matching."

The DOJ's demand stems from concerns about the integrity of California's voting system, which critics argue is too lax. The state's election practices, such as mailing ballots widely, extensive post-election counting periods, and a lack of Voter ID requirements, have drawn scrutiny. These practices, the New York Post argues, "almost seems engineered to seed public doubt — or worse."

Federal prosecutors have been investigating alleged voting fraud in California. The DOJ's ultimatum pressures state and local officials to address suspicions that the state's "sanctuary policies" may have influenced voter rolls. The Justice Department asserts that noncitizen voting in federal elections is illegal and dilutes the votes of eligible citizens. In close contests, even a small number of noncitizen votes could potentially sway election outcomes.

The article highlights Proposition 39, a ballot measure that would require citizenship verification for voting, as a potential solution. Proponents argue that requiring Voter ID, similar to requirements for purchasing alcohol or boarding a plane, would enhance election integrity and restore public confidence. The proposition suggests that in-person voters would show an ID, while mail-in voters would provide the last four digits of their ID number on the return envelope.

California election officials have been urged to cooperate with federal efforts to ensure election integrity rather than resisting them. The piece concludes by emphasizing that election integrity and Voter ID should be nonpartisan issues aimed at restoring faith in election results and improving the state's balloting system. If the DOJ's concerns are unfounded, officials are encouraged to demonstrate that the voting rolls are clean. If the concerns are valid, the rolls should be rectified. Approving Proposition 39, the article suggests, would also contribute to public peace of mind regarding election fairness.