Trump administration sues California over noncitizens on voter rolls

The Justice Department is asking a federal court to prevent California from counting mail-in ballots from voters named on a list it says contains about 20,000 noncitizens. Noncitizens generally cannot vote in federal elections. The request matters because it could affect ballots shortly before the midterm elections and would place federal officials at the center of a state election process.

The DOJ says it tried to work with California to identify noncitizens on the rolls. After California did not meet a 48-hour review deadline, the department filed suit. It says California made no serious effort to examine the names. California says the list was not sent to the secretary of state and that the information and methods were not adequately explained.

The dispute remains in court. California officials warn that reviewing or blocking ballots on unverifiable information could threaten eligible voters. The lawsuit follows repeated, debunked claims that large numbers of noncitizens vote illegally, even though California officials say such voting is negligible.

A voter roll is an official list of registered voters maintained for elections. Election officials use it to determine who is registered, where each person votes, and whether a ballot can be issued or counted. Keeping the list accurate helps eligible voters participate while preventing people who do not meet legal requirements from voting.

Noncitizens are generally not allowed to vote in US federal elections because federal election rules limit participation to eligible citizens. The article says noncitizens are legally ineligible to vote in federal elections. It also notes that states have criminalised such voting. The Florida ruling described in the article said states, rather than the federal government, set voter qualifications.

The California dispute concerns whether names were correctly identified as noncitizens. State officials say the alleged problem is negligible and that removals must rely on verifiable information. That safeguard matters because an incorrect record can affect an eligible citizen’s registration or ballot.

The Justice Department identified approximately 20,000 people on a list it said contained registered noncitizens. Elsewhere, the department described the suspected number as “tens of thousands.” That difference matters because the figure is being used to justify urgent action against voter registrations and mail-in ballots before an election.

California Secretary of State Shirley Weber said local officials received names of roughly 20,000 individuals, but her office never received the list. She said the DOJ demanded that officials review and confirm each person’s citizenship within 48 hours. Los Angeles County also questioned the delivery method, receiving a thumb drive and handwritten password it considered insecure.

California officials have not accepted the number as reliable evidence. Weber called the information and methodology unverifiable or unexplained. State officials also said noncitizen voting is negligible. The lawsuit asks the court to intervene, but the article does not report a final ruling on the list’s accuracy.

California says it cannot responsibly verify or remove roughly 20,000 names in 48 hours because the DOJ did not clearly explain the list’s sources or methodology. The timing also matters: the demand came just weeks, and in Los Angeles County’s account 21 days, before the midterm elections. Officials say the rush could affect thousands of voting rights.

Secretary of State Shirley Weber said the DOJ expected officials to request the list, review it, and confirm every person’s citizenship within 48 hours. Los Angeles County said it received a thumb drive with a handwritten password but would not open it because it did not consider the device secure. State law requires removals to rely on verifiable information.

California calls the deadline an emergency created by the DOJ. Officials say voter-list accuracy is a fundamental responsibility, but they also must avoid mistakenly removing eligible citizens. The dispute could be decided through the federal lawsuit and may shape how election officials handle last-minute challenges.

If officials remove eligible citizens from voter rolls, those people may face delays, extra checks, or difficulty voting. If officials reject valid mail-in ballots, eligible voters could lose their chance to have their votes counted. The risk is especially serious when decisions are made quickly, near an election, and from information that officials cannot independently verify.

The article gives a concrete warning from California Secretary of State Shirley Weber. She said the DOJ’s demand could threaten thousands of Californians’ right to vote. The DOJ wanted officials to review roughly 20,000 names in only 48 hours. Los Angeles County also refused to access a thumb drive because it considered the device an insecure medium.

California says accurate voter lists are essential, but removals must rest on verifiable information. The article reports that state officials consider noncitizen voting negligible. If the lawsuit succeeds, officials could face pressure to block ballots; if California prevails, the dispute may reinforce limits on last-minute federal intervention.

Election officials can use several checks before changing a voter record. They may compare registration information with state motor-vehicle or citizenship records, review official identity documents, contact the voter, and provide notice and a chance to correct mistakes. They can also use secure state systems and documented procedures rather than acting on an unexplained list. These methods aim to verify each person individually.

The article specifically says California requires removals to be based on verifiable information. It does not mention the federal SAVE database or describe particular alternatives. In general, SAVE has been criticized because government databases may contain incomplete, outdated, or mismatched records. A database match can suggest a question, but it does not necessarily prove that a registered voter is a noncitizen.

California’s objection reflects that concern. Officials say the DOJ did not explain its methodology and sent information through a device Los Angeles County considered insecure. Any process should allow careful review before names are removed or ballots rejected, especially close to an election.

The US system divides election authority between federal and state governments. States set voter qualifications and run many practical parts of elections, including maintaining voter rolls. The federal government can enforce federal election laws, but California argues it cannot take over the state’s election administration or demand last-minute changes without proper evidence.

The article cites a Florida federal judge who ruled that only individual states have constitutional authority to set voter qualifications. The judge said each state had already criminalised noncitizen voting, so states were responsible for prosecuting it. California Governor Gavin Newsom said courts have made clear that the federal government has no role in running state elections.

This division is now being tested in California. The DOJ wants the court to stop certain mail-in ballots from being counted and says California failed to cooperate. California says the demand threatens voters and relies on unverifiable material. The lawsuit and related court rulings could clarify federal limits on election intervention.