DOJ Threatens Legal Action Over Suspected Noncitizen Voters in California

The Justice Department (DOJ) is threatening emergency legal action against California election officials, demanding that they take immediate steps to purge suspected noncitizens from voter rolls ahead of the upcoming midterm elections. Acting Deputy Attorney General R. Trent McCotter sent letters to California Secretary of State Shirley Weber and Los Angeles County Registrar Dean Logan on Tuesday, setting a deadline of noon Eastern on Thursday, October 15, for them to review the identified individuals.

The DOJ stated that thousands of individuals ineligible to vote due to non-citizenship have been identified on California's voter rolls. The department warned that it would seek emergency legal relief if its demands were not met. A DOJ spokesperson emphasized that federal law clearly prohibits noncitizens from voting in U.S. elections and that the department is requesting California's cooperation in ensuring this is not occurring.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta, however, pushed back against the DOJ's claims, accusing the Trump administration of attempting to intimidate voters and promoting what he called "false allegations" of widespread voter fraud. Bonta stated that there is "no widespread voter preference, voter fraud problem" and that such claims are "a lie" and "a conspiracy theory."

Logan, the Los Angeles County Registrar, indicated that his office received a password-protected USB drive with voter records but has not accessed it due to cybersecurity concerns. He stated that the drive is not considered a secure medium and that the DOJ's letter did not specify the number of individuals involved or the information contained within the records.

The dispute arises as Californians have already begun casting ballots for the November election. While federal law prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal elections, the DOJ has not yet established that the identified individuals have cast illegal ballots.