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Trump Sues California Over Mail Ballots
· Confirmed
In Short: The Trump administration sued California election officials, demanding they prevent ballots from people identified as likely noncitizens from being counted.
The Trump administration sued California election officials Thursday, asking a judge to bar the state from counting mail-in ballots for next month's midterm elections from people the federal government has identified as 'likely' noncitizens until their status can be confirmed.
Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter warned in a letter to Los Angeles County that election officials who 'knowingly tabulate' ballots from people identified by federal agencies as noncitizens could face criminal charges.
The lawsuit follows the Justice Department's demand that California election officials review a password-protected thumb drive containing a list of 20,000 names within 48 hours.
California, a universal vote-by-mail state, began sending ballots to its more than 20 million voters on Oct. 5.
The Justice Department's new demand that California election officials prevent an unverified federal list of alleged noncitizens from voting or face legal action 'appears to be a plausible threat that DOJ will attempt to engage in warrant-based ballot seizure,' Democrats said in a new court filing.
The Trump administration's focus on noncitizen voting has led to 160 arrests.
Attorney General Todd Blanche said, 'State-facilitated voter fraud is unacceptable in the United States of America.'
In a statement Thursday, Logan said his office can’t withhold ballots or refuse to count them 'based solely on unverified allegations.' Over 23 million people are registered statewide, and there are a handful of competitive congressional races in other California districts that could determine which party has control of the U.S.
'The Department strongly urges the County and the SOS to reconsider their positions before taking actions that risk significant federal scrutiny and legal exposure,' McCotter wrote.
The legal consequences for either facilitating or ignoring a federal crime are significant, according to McCotter.
'What happened to those 170,000. They just got those wrong,' Bonta said.
The government has also asked California officials to verify whether citizens were mistakenly included before acting against their ballots.
What this adds
The lawsuit comes after the Justice Department says California officials failed to meet a 48-hour deadline to review a password-protected thumb drive that contains a list of 20,000 names the federal government believes are likely noncitizens who were sent ballots to participate in the Nov.
The DNC sued the administration in August for violating the Freedom of Information Act after its requests for records on plans to seize ballots, voting machines or other election materials went unanswered for five months.
Background
The Department of Justice is threatening legal action against California unless state and local election officials review a federal list of suspected noncitizen voters within 48 hours, as the Trump administration presses states to address voter eligibility ahead of the November midterms.
What's confirmed
- The Trump administration sued California election officials Thursday, asking a judge to bar the state from counting mail-in ballots for next month's midterm elections from people the federal government has identified as “likely” noncitizens until their status can be confirmed.
- The lawsuit comes after the Justice Department says California officials failed to meet a 48-hour deadline to review a password-protected thumb drive that contains a list of 20,000 names the federal government believes are likely noncitizens who were sent ballots to participate in the Nov.
- The Department of Justice is threatening legal action against California unless state and local election officials review a federal list of suspected noncitizen voters within 48 hours, as the Trump administration presses states to address voter eligibility ahead of the November midterms.
- "demanding unprecedented measures that threaten thousands of Californians' right to vote, based on unverifiable information or methodology that you still fail to explain or provide."
- “If you cannot implement this process by then, given the ongoing federal election, the United States will have no choice but to seek emergency relief,” the letter states.
- “Federal and state laws are clear on how voter eligibility is established,” Logan wrote.
What's still developing
- Pierre, a safety guide with Bear Grylls Survival Academy, shares what hikers should do when flash flooding threatens and explains why avoiding moving water is critical.
- “Conditions deteriorating over portions of Baja California as life-threatening winds and flash floods expected to occur soon,” the US National Hurricane Centre said in a post on X.
- “The United States thus seeks commonplace election relief when a ballot is called into question,” the lawsuit says.
- Bonta's office told FOX Business it could not comment on Paramount's plans but acknowledged that the company has repeatedly threatened to leave California.
- "What Paramount decides to do is Paramount's choice alone."
- The DNC sued the administration in August for violating the Freedom of Information Act after its requests for records on plans to seize ballots, voting machines or other election materials went unanswered for five months.
- Ellison had previously threatened to move studio operations out of California.
- That distinction could matter under the criminal statute DOJ is invoking.
- “I have serious doubts about the reliability of your data and accuracy of your claims, since my office has not shared our statewide voter registration list with DHS or any other federal agency or official,” Weber said in response.