California Election Officials Push Back Against DOJ Demand to Sequester Ballots

POLICY WIRE — Los Angeles, USA — Local election officials across California are voicing confusion and frustration following a directive from President Donald Trump’s Justice Department. The federal agency has demanded that county registrars sequester ballots they claim were cast by noncitizens ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.

The federal letters, issued on Friday, request sensitive personal data, including Social Security numbers, for approximately 20,000 individuals. While the administration maintains that noncitizen voting is a widespread issue, official investigations have consistently shown such occurrences to be extremely rare.

John Tuteur, the registrar of voters for Napa County, characterized the move as an attempt to cast doubt on the integrity of the electoral process. Tuteur and other officials confirmed they are continuing to process the state’s 23 million registered ballots as scheduled, despite the federal government’s 48-hour deadline and threats of legal action against those who count votes from individuals identified as noncitizens.

The California attorney general’s office has noted significant inaccuracies in the federal lists, including instances where individuals were incorrectly attributed to counties where they do not reside. This conflict marks a sharp escalation in the ongoing legal battle between the state and the Department of Justice, with a 9th Circuit appeals court panel scheduled to hear arguments on Sunday regarding the federal government’s attempt to block the counting of specific mail-in ballots.

Federal prosecutor Bill Essayli warned that election clerks who knowingly process ballots from noncitizens could face legal jeopardy. However, local officials remain skeptical of the data provided, citing a previous incident in Nevada where similar claims of 1,500 noncitizen voters were proven to be entirely baseless.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)