The Justice Department sued California to stop counting ballots from roughly 20,000 “likely noncitizens” until citizenship is verified, putting Los Angeles County and state officials on notice of possible criminal exposure if they knowingly tabulate unlawful votes.
Story Highlights
- The Justice Department filed a federal complaint alleging about 20,000 likely noncitizens are registered in California.
- Federal letters told Los Angeles County and the state to segregate—not cancel—ballots from flagged voters for review.
- California officials said the federal list lacks proof and refused to act on unverified data matches.
- Past errors have put noncitizens on rolls, showing why a careful audit matters before counting votes.
Federal Lawsuit Seeks To Pause Counting Of Questioned Ballots
The Department of Justice filed suit against California on October 15, 2026. The complaint says a federal review found with high confidence that more than 20,000 “likely noncitizens” are registered to vote in the state. The filing asks a court to stop counting any ballots from those listed voters until citizenship can be confirmed. The government frames the action as a narrow, targeted step to protect lawful votes while officials verify eligibility.
Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter sent letters two days earlier. The letters told the California Secretary of State and the Los Angeles County registrar to segregate, not cancel, ballots linked to the flagged names. The Justice Department said it delivered a password-protected device with the names for immediate review. The department gave a 48-hour window to separate any ballots tied to those voters while verification proceeded.
State And County Push Back On Evidence And Process
California Secretary of State Shirley Weber rejected the demand. Weber said she would not disenfranchise voters based on what she called unsupported and likely inaccurate allegations. She argued the federal list lacked the detail and function needed for an investigation. Weber also pointed to state law, which allows only United States citizens to register and requires removal of ineligible registrants under established procedures.
Los Angeles County Registrar Dean Logan said his office cannot withhold or refuse to count ballots based solely on unverified allegations. Logan said the Justice Department had not provided the underlying evidence, source, or methodology to support its assertions. He added that the list contained names from across California, not only Los Angeles County, which complicates local action based on the file alone.
What The Evidence Shows And Where The Gaps Remain
The federal filing alleges likely noncitizen registrations and seeks to prevent tabulation until checks finish. The department did not publicly disclose its matching method, error rate, or record-level documentation. That means the public record supports a targeted segregation order but does not yet prove that any specific noncitizen voted or that any official knowingly counted an ineligible ballot. The court process could compel more data and a clearer picture of scope and accuracy.
Independent reporting shows that states have added noncitizens to rolls by mistake in the past. Reuters documented more than 30,000 such registrations since 2000 due to software glitches and clerical errors nationwide, including about 1,500 tied to a California motor-vehicle processing error. That history supports audits to protect election integrity, but it also warns about false positives when databases mismatch, so careful verification is vital before any ballot is counted.
Why Segregating Ballots Protects Both Rights And Confidence
Segregating questioned ballots is a common-sense step that protects legal voters while preventing unlawful votes from slipping through. The Justice Department asked officials to hold these ballots aside, not discard them, while checking status. That approach balances two core duties: count every valid vote and stop illegal ones. A clear chain of custody and prompt verification can keep results trustworthy without erasing anyone’s lawful voice.
🚨🇺🇸 DOJ THREATENS CA ELECTION OFFICIALS
Justice Dept warns officials who "knowingly tabulate" suspected-noncitizen ballots risk becoming "aiders and abettors to a federal crime."
**Counting ballots is now a criminal threat.**
Source: APhttps://t.co/op2u09mJKR— Tosh Petrovich (@inspiring_tosh) October 17, 2026
Next steps should include a court-ordered, record-by-record audit with defined standards. Auditors can match each flagged name against naturalization, passport, and state records. Officials can report how many listed voters were mailed ballots, returned ballots, and had ballots counted. That level of detail would settle key questions, guide any criminal charging decisions for knowing violations, and give voters confidence that the system is both secure and fair.
Sources:
upi.com, yahoo.com, politico.com, reuters.com, cnbc.com, apnews.com, latimes.com, abc7.com
