Fastrack · DOJ Orders California Counties to Set Aside Suspected Noncitizen Ballots

Federal prosecutors told California counties Friday to set aside ballots from voters they suspect are noncitizens. They gave officials 48 hours to provide identifying records.

57 of 58 counties got letters, a U.S. Attorney's spokesman said.
18 counties at least received letters, the L.A. County registrar's office said.
1,133 flagged names went to San Bernardino County; Contra Costa got 407.
28 people from the federal list were charged earlier this week.

Why it matters: Counties must choose between federal demands and normal ballot processing while voting is underway. More than 330,000 mail ballots had been counted, state filings say.

Requested data includes Social Security numbers, ID records and registration applications.
Inyo County said neither of its two flagged people was issued a ballot.
Mendocino County said the names it received belonged to another county.

The story so far

30 steps · since Oct 9

Oct 9
Oct 11Justice Department Threatens California Over Alleged Noncitizen Voters46 sources
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Oct 146:27 PMJustice Department Sues California Over Alleged Noncitizen Mail Ballots59 sources
Oct 15–19
Oct 199:45 AMDOJ Charges 28 Over Alleged Noncitizen Voting in California56 sources
Oct 20–22
Oct 234:53 AMTrump Admin Moves to Block Alaska Senate Result If Sullivan Loses74 sources
Oct 23
Oct 2310:49 PMDOJ Orders California Counties to Set Aside Suspected Noncitizen BallotsYou are hereLatest

How 15 sources split on this story

Source landscape

Factuality

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Strong LeftLeftLean LeftCenterLean RightRightStrong Right

Political Bias

Coverage by lean% of 15 sources

15 sources · 17 articles · 46% Left coverage

Where they split: The dispute is whether the federal list reliably identifies noncitizen voters, or whether acting on it threatens eligible citizens' ballots.

Center coverage, 4 sources: The center reports the 48-hour order as the latest step in an ongoing legal fight between California and the Justice Department.

Yahoo News15hDOJ orders some California counties to verify ballots in 48 hours PBS NewsHour2hDOJ orders some California counties to set aside ballots from suspected noncitizens Associated Press15hDOJ orders some California counties to verify ballots in 48 hours The Hill3hDOJ demands California counties identify noncitizen voters: Reports

Left coverage, 7 sources: The left frames the letters as federal pressure on local officials, built on data that state officials and Sen. Alex Padilla call unreliable.

Los Angeles Times14hFeds demand California counties set aside 'likely' noncitizen ballots CBS News13hDOJ demands that some California counties set aside and verify alleged noncitizen ballots within 48 hours MSNBC38mDOJ demands California counties separate alleged noncitizen ballots within 48 hours CNN9hJustice Department orders California counties to set aside ballots from suspected noncitizens NBC News11hDOJ demands that California counties help identify noncitizen voters The New York Times14hJustice Dept. Demands That California Counties Help Identify Noncitizen Voters Truthout3hCourts Reject Trump’s Attempt at Deploying ICE to Intimidate Voters

Right coverage, 4 sources: The right presents the move as an escalation of a crackdown on suspected noncitizen voting, citing prosecutors who say they only want legitimate votes counted.

Daily Mail12hTrump administration demands California expose suspected 'noncitizen' voters in major escalation of crackdown on eve of midterms PJ Media5hAssistant U.S. Attorney Reminds California Processing Noncitizen Ballots Is a Crime The Blaze6hCalifornia says ‘trust us’ on voter eligibility. Why?Twitchy5hDOJ Reminds Us the Thing Dems Say Never Happens Happened Again (in Pennsylvania This Time)

What’s next: A hearing on the federal lawsuit over roughly 20,000 ballots is scheduled for Tuesday. The administration asked the 9th Circuit to rule first, by Saturday.

Contra Costa County said it would keep processing ballots normally.
How many flagged voters are actually noncitizens, given the county-level errors reported?
Will prosecutors charge election officials who count flagged ballots?
Could the dispute delay certification of California's midterm results?