Election officials in state receive threat from U.S. over voter citizenship proof

By the Editorial Team · Sunday, October 25, 2026

The U.S. Justice Department sent letters to nearly all California county election offices demanding they separate ballots cast by voters flagged as noncitizens, threatening criminal charges if they do not comply within 48 hours. This escalation follows a lawsuit against state officials and reflects ongoing federal-state conflicts over election oversight and voter eligibility verification ahead of final vote counts.

The U.S. Justice Department intensified its legal campaign concerning California’s election procedures by sending letters to nearly all county election offices across the state on Friday. The correspondence demands that officials separate ballots cast by voters identified by the Trump administration as noncitizens, giving them 48 hours to comply under threat of criminal prosecution.

This latest directive expands on earlier letters sent this month to California Secretary of State Shirley Weber and Dean Logan, the Los Angeles County registrar, which called for approximately 20,000 ballots statewide to be withheld from counting until the citizenship of those voters can be verified at the state and local levels. When both Weber and Logan refused to comply, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit against them and the state. That case is currently before a federal district court in Los Angeles, with a hearing scheduled for Tuesday.

In addition to the lawsuit, the Justice Department has appealed to the U.S. 9th Circuit Court, citing delays by the district judge in ruling on its emergency motion. California officials have denounced these actions, labeling the federal demands as “as unprecedented as it is meritless” and have requested the appellate court dismiss the appeal.

The letters reportedly warn county election administrators that knowingly processing ballots from noncitizens could result in criminal liability for “aiding and abetting a federal crime,” echoing earlier public warnings from Justice Department officials and President Donald Trump. According to a spokesperson for the U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles, 57 of California’s 58 counties have been served with such letters, with Los Angeles County having received notice previously.

California officials have consistently maintained that the Justice Department’s attempts to intervene in the state’s election processes are illegal and undermine voter rights. The dispute centers on the federal administration’s efforts to identify and segregate ballots from voters alleged to be noncitizens, a claim state officials have challenged as unfounded and potentially suppressive.

With the ongoing litigation and the looming court hearings, the situation underscores continuing tensions between federal and state authorities over election oversight and voter eligibility verification ahead of the upcoming vote count.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.