DOJ orders some California counties to verify ballots in 48 hours

Federal prosecutors have instructed county registrars throughout California to halt and verify ballots that may have been sent to noncitizens, according to the Los Angeles County registrar and a letter from the Department of Justice. This move is part of an ongoing legal dispute between California and the Trump administration, which has emphasized the state in its endeavors to uncover noncitizen voting before the midterm elections.

While experts agree that cases of illegal voting by noncitizens are scarce and challenging to confirm, they have not demonstrated any impact on election results. Earlier this month, the federal government brought a lawsuit against Los Angeles County and the California Secretary of State's office, attempting to prevent the counting of approximately 20,000 ballots suspected to be from noncitizen voters.

A hearing for this case is set for Tuesday. The administration has requested a ruling from the 9th Circuit court of appeals, with a decision deadline scheduled for Saturday. Now, at least 18 counties throughout the state have received identical letters demanding the submission of identifying details related to ballots the federal government suspects were sent to noncitizens without proper registration.

County officials are also requested to temporarily suspend any ballots whose citizenship cannot be confirmed. "Any election official who knowingly processes the ballot of a noncitizen is putting themselves at risk of legal consequences," stated First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli. The Justice Department is asking counties to supply information on the voters they suspect to be noncitizens, including social security numbers, ID details, registration copies, and more.

This data will assist the government and state in conducting a thorough review of each person accused of illegally registering to vote, according to the letter sent to San Bernardino County voting officials. The letter informs that the government's list of suspected noncitizen voters comprises 1,133 individuals from San Bernardino County.

California's secretary of state and the Los Angeles County registrar have objected to the federal government's demands, arguing that it could jeopardize the certification of the vote and the integrity of the November midterms. They have further contended that the federal government's data is unreliable and that the request could result in the disenfranchisement of eligible voters.

Voting is currently taking place in California, with the state's over 23 million registered voters receiving ballots by mail earlier this month. The state disclosed in legal filings that over 330,000 mail-in ballots have already been counted. The letters from Friday follow a nationwide operation by federal authorities earlier in the week, where 28 individuals from the list of 20,000 were charged with illegally registering to vote and some also with illegally casting ballots and falsifying naturalization paperwork. These charges could result in several years of imprisonment.