Justice Department pushes California counties to sideline ballots in sweeping anti-voter crackdown
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The U.S. Justice Department sent letters to 57 California counties demanding they isolate and withhold roughly 20,000 ballots from voters it claims may not be citizens, escalating pressure on election officials with threats of criminal prosecution.
The Justice Department mailed letters to election offices in 57 of California's 58 counties, giving officials 48 hours to set aside ballots from voters the department believes are likely noncitizens. The letters ask counties to work with federal officials to verify citizenship for the identified voters before counting their mail-in ballots, in a move critics see as a heavy-handed attempt to suppress lawful voting.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said any election official who knowingly processes a noncitizen ballot "is opening themselves to legal jeopardy" and warned that such actions constitute a federal crime. Essayli added that the department had provided counties with a list of registered voters it believes are noncitizens and that authorities will hold officials accountable, language that further intensifies the threat hanging over local election workers.
County clerks in Santa Cruz and Contra Costa confirmed receipt of the letters and said they are reviewing the demands with legal counsel. Santa Cruz County Clerk Tricia Webber described the request as "not normal protocol" and noted that two Justice Department representatives delivered the notice. Contra Costa County registrar Kristin Connelly called the threat "intimidating" and said her office follows all state and federal election laws.
U.S. Attorney Craig Missakian, the top federal prosecutor for the Northern District of California, sent a separate letter to Contra Costa officials demanding detailed personal information for 407 individuals on the list, including Social Security numbers and copies of identification documents, to determine citizenship status.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta declined to comment, and the state's secretary of state and Los Angeles County registrar have previously been sued by the Justice Department over similar requests. A federal judge previously rejected a Justice Department lawsuit seeking voter records, describing the demands as a threat to democracy.
Senator Alex Padilla said the actions represent an attempt by the Trump administration to interfere in California elections and affirmed the Senate's support for state election officials.