US Justice Department Sends Letters to California Counties Over Noncitizen Voters
The US Justice Department has sent letters to several counties in California, instructing them to set aside ballots that may have been cast by individuals who are not eligible to vote.
A new development has emerged in the ongoing dispute between California and the US Justice Department over alleged noncitizen voters in the state. The Justice Department has taken its latest step by sending letters to several counties, instructing them to set aside ballots that may have been cast by individuals who are not eligible to vote.
The move comes as part of a lawsuit filed against Los Angeles County and the California Secretary of State's office, which seeks to block the counting of votes from over 20,000 people deemed "likely" noncitizens. The Justice Department has now requested that the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals make a ruling on the matter, effectively bypassing the original district judge assigned to the case.
At least 18 counties across California have received letters from the federal government requesting identifying information about ballots sent to individuals who are suspected to be noncitizens and illegally registered to vote. The counties have been given a tight deadline of 48 hours to provide this information.
The data provided by the counties will help the government and state quickly assess each individual suspected of voting in violation of election laws, according to the letter sent to San Bernardino County officials. However, California's secretary of state and Los Angeles County registrar have come out against the federal government's demands, arguing that it could delay the certification of votes and undermine the legitimacy of the November midterms, as stated in their legal filings.
California's voters are casting their ballots in the state's elections, with over 23 million registered voters receiving mail-in ballots earlier this month. This comes as federal authorities have been cracking down on alleged voter registration irregularities.
The Justice Department has filed 31 lawsuits to compel states to provide unredacted copies of their voter rolls, but so far, it has lost 26 of those cases without securing a single legal victory.
California Democratic Senator Alex Padilla condemned efforts by the Justice Department and supporters of former President Donald Trump to interfere in state elections. He stated that this is a serious matter, emphasizing that it's not a drill.
The Justice Department has been trying to obtain unredacted voter rolls from California counties, but their claims of widespread voter fraud have been met with skepticism. The data they've presented has been deemed inaccurate and unreliable by the DOJ itself, further eroding the credibility of their argument.
Facts based on reporting originally published by CBS News Politics.
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