LOS ANGELES — California election authorities and top state officials are resisting a Department of Justice directive instructing local registrars to review and potentially sequester about 20,000 ballots within 48 hours, according to reports from The Associated Press and The Guardian.
The federal demand, delivered Friday in letters sent to registrars in at least 18 counties, escalated a fierce confrontation between the Trump administration and California election administrators less than two weeks before the midterm vote.
State leaders warn of voter disenfranchisement
California officials quickly rejected the federal push, asserting that the requests risk disenfranchising eligible voters and could disrupt the vote certification process. In Los Angeles County, local authorities reported that a “high percentage” of individuals named on the federal list were actually born in the United States, The Guardian reported.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom forcefully dismissed the inquiry on social media, writing that federal prosecutors had distributed inaccurate rolls containing names of residents who had never cast a ballot or lived in different jurisdictions, calling the maneuver an “Absolute clown show!”
State Attorney General Rob Bonta also challenged the validity of the claims, pointing out that federal officials failed to substantiate their assertions. “All they provided was a list of people and nothing about why they’re purportedly ineligible,” Bonta said at a news conference, according to The Guardian. “If they have such information, we would be happy to review it, but they’ve provided none.”
U.S. Rep. Pete Aguilar, who represents portions of southwestern San Bernardino County, stated on social media that “voter intimidation has no place in our democracy.”
Federal prosecutors demand swift compliance
The Justice Department requested that counties furnish sensitive voter records, such as Social Security numbers, identification records and copies of registration forms, so the Department of Homeland Security can verify legal status. The agency said the cooperation is intended to “ensure the most secure election in California history.”
Federal officials issued stern warnings to county administrators who might resist the order. “Any election official who knowingly processes the ballot of a noncitizen is opening themselves to legal jeopardy,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said, according to the AP.
The letters followed federal charges filed earlier in the week against 28 foreign nationals accused of illegally registering to vote, with some also accused of voting or making false statements on naturalization forms. In a statement reported by The Guardian, Essayli argued that those indictments show California is mailing ballots to noncitizens in violation of federal statute.
Legal showdown moves to federal court
In San Bernardino County alone, the Justice Department identified 1,133 registered individuals as suspected noncitizens, the AP reported.
Voting is already well underway throughout California, where county offices mailed ballots to more than 23 million registered voters earlier in the month. According to state court filings cited by the AP, more than 330,000 mail-in ballots have already been tabulated.
Attorneys representing California have countered that existing research demonstrates unlawful voting by noncitizens remains extremely rare and has never altered an election outcome. The Trump administration asked the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to step in after initiating litigation against Los Angeles County and the California secretary of state’s office. A federal appellate hearing on the dispute is scheduled for Tuesday.
