The US Justice Department has warned election officials in California that they could face federal scrutiny if they fail to check the citizenship status of people suspected of being noncitizens on voter rolls. The demand comes just days before the November 3 midterm elections.
In letters sent on Friday, federal officials gave counties 48 hours to help verify the citizenship status of people named on government lists. The department also asked election offices to separate mail ballots from voters whose citizenship could not be confirmed.
The letters were signed by Bilal Essayli, first assistant US attorney for the Central District of California. The Justice Department shared six letters with Reuters on Saturday.
Essayli warned that processing ballots without verifying citizenship could expose county officials to legal action. He also said officials who knowingly counted ballots from people identified by federal agencies as noncitizens could risk being viewed as helping a federal crime.
The request has triggered a dispute between the Trump administration and California leaders over election rules, voter records and the handling of mail ballots.
DOJ Lists Thousands of Suspected Noncitizens
The Justice Department said it had previously provided California with a list of about 20,000 people it alleges are noncitizens registered to vote. The latest letters included figures for several counties.
According to the department, Orange County had 1,754 names on the list. Riverside County had 1,355, while San Bernardino County had 1,133.
The figures also included 334 people in Ventura County, 180 in Santa Barbara County and 63 in San Luis Obispo County. A separate letter sent to Contra Costa County listed 407 people described as likely noncitizens.
The department asked counties to hold mail ballots from people whose citizenship status remained uncertain. It stressed that the ballots should be kept separate rather than cancelled while officials investigated.
The letters said officials needed to determine whether the individuals were eligible to vote before deciding how to handle their ballots.
However, California officials have questioned the evidence behind the federal lists. They say the Justice Department has not provided enough information to show how the people were identified or why their citizenship is in doubt.
California Officials Reject the Approach
California Attorney General Rob Bonta accused the Justice Department of using the law for political purposes. Speaking to MS Now on Saturday, he said the department was acting at President Donald Trump’s direction.
Bonta said the federal government was targeting political opponents and described the action as improper.
Local election officials have also raised concerns about the timing of the request. Dawn Kruger, a spokesperson for Contra Costa County’s Elections Department, said the letter arrived 11 days before Election Day and imposed a 48-hour deadline the office considered unenforceable.
Kruger said the county would continue to conduct the election under federal and state law.
California Secretary of State Shirley Weber has separately criticized federal efforts to access voter information. She has accused the administration of seeking protected data and trying to remove voters from registration lists unlawfully.
Weber said such efforts could damage public confidence in the election process.
Earlier Lawsuit Adds to Conflict
The latest demand follows an earlier warning issued on October 16. The Justice Department then told Los Angeles County and California election officials they could face legal consequences if they counted mail ballots returned by more than 20,000 people the administration suspects are noncitizens.
One day earlier, the Trump administration had filed a lawsuit asking a federal judge to stop California from counting ballots from those individuals. On Thursday, the department asked the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to intervene.
The Justice Department has also increased prosecutions of people accused of voting illegally while not being US citizens.
Meanwhile, the White House has urged federal agencies to speed up reviews of at least 47 state voter rolls obtained by the Department of Homeland Security, according to an internal email reviewed by Reuters.
The actions form part of a broader federal effort to examine voter registration records. State officials have challenged the process and questioned whether the administration has offered enough evidence to support its demands.
Midterm Preparations Continue
Versions of the latest letters were reportedly sent to all 58 counties in California. The short deadline adds pressure to local election offices as they prepare for the final days of voting.
The dispute centers on how officials should handle ballots when a person’s citizenship status has not been confirmed. The Justice Department argues that verification is needed to protect election integrity. California leaders say officials must follow the law and require adequate evidence before taking action that could affect ballots.
The case also highlights tensions over the division of authority between federal agencies and state election officials.
With the midterms approaching, counties must respond to the federal requests while continuing their election work. The outcome of the wider court case could influence how officials handle the ballots under review and shape the next stage of the dispute.
