DOJ threatens legal action against California over noncitizen voting concerns

<p>The Justice Department is threatening legal action against California election officials unless they take measures to prevent suspected noncitizens from voting in the upcoming midterm elections, with a deadline set for Thursday. This follows letters sent on Tuesday from Acting Deputy Attorney General R. Trent McCotter, which demanded that California Secretary of State Shirley Weber and Los Angeles County Registrar Dean Logan review a list of potentially ineligible voters within 48 hours. The DOJ instructed officials to separate ballots from individuals whose citizenship cannot be verified and warned that it would seek emergency legal relief if its demands were not met by noon Eastern on October 15.</p><p>A DOJ spokesperson stated that thousands of potential foreign nationals ineligible to vote have been identified on California's voter rolls statewide, not limited to Los Angeles County.</p><p>The spokesperson emphasized, "This should not be controversial, as the criminal statute is clear: only American citizens may vote in federal elections. It is a federal crime for noncitizens to vote in U.S. elections, and the DOJ is asking California to ensure that is not occurring."</p><p>California Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Democrat, responded during a Wednesday news conference, accusing the Trump administration of attempting to intimidate voters and promoting false allegations of widespread voter fraud. Bonta stated, "There is no widespread voter fraud problem. It doesn't exist. It is a lie. It is a conspiracy theory."</p><p>Bonta indicated that his office is collaborating with the secretary of state and Los Angeles County officials to review their options.</p><p>Additionally, Logan mentioned that his office received a password-protected USB drive purportedly containing voter records but has not accessed it due to cybersecurity concerns. He stated, "We have not accessed the drive because doing so would conflict with established data privacy and information security protocols. We do not consider the device a secure medium. Additionally, the letter does not specify the number of individuals involved or describe the information contained in the records."</p><p>This dispute arises as Californians are already casting ballots ahead of the November 3 election. Federal law prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal elections, although the DOJ has not confirmed that the individuals identified have cast illegal ballots.</p>