Review of 200 Flagged Records Shows High Share US-Born, No Voting History
Los Angeles County's review of flagged records and DOJ charges against 28 listed individuals raise questions about list accuracy.
Event / Politics
US Election Integrity Disputes
Disputes over voter registration accuracy, noncitizen voting, and election administration between federal and state authorities.
4 reported locations
Daily activity
9 articles0 articles
2026-10-15 to 2026-10-28 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 15 Oct, 00:37 UTC
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What happened
Los Angeles County moves to dismiss Justice Department lawsuit for lack of standing
On Oct. 21, Los Angeles County filed a motion asking the district court to dismiss the Justice Department's lawsuit, arguing that the department lacks legal standing to bring the case.
Justice Department appeals to the Ninth Circuit seeking expedited decision
On Oct. 22, the Justice Department filed a notice of appeal with the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, seeking court intervention and an expedited decision in its dispute with California over mail-in ballots.
Judge Bennett states California has authority under the Elections Clause to sort noncitizen votes
Circuit Judge Mark Bennett stated that under the Elections Clause of the U.S. Constitution, California has authority to determine how its elections are conducted, including how it separates votes from noncitizens. He stated that Congress has not changed the California legislation adopted under that clause.
California filed a declaration that segregating mail-in ballots could be catastrophic for tabulation
California provided a declaration stating that if a court order required segregation of mail-in ballots during the election, the impact on tabulating the upcoming election could be catastrophic. California election officials had processed more than 330,000 mail-in ballots as of that filing.
Ninth Circuit panel holds emergency teleconference hearing on Justice Department appeal
On Sunday, Oct. 25, the Ninth Circuit held an emergency teleconference oral argument of roughly two hours on the Justice Department's appeal. A three-judge panel including two appointees of President Donald Trump and one appointee of former President Joe Biden heard the arguments.
Los Angeles County review of 200 flagged records finds high share of US-born individuals and no voting history
A preliminary Los Angeles County analysis of 200 names from the federal list found that nearly 40% of the records indicated birth in the United States and 71.2% had no voting history. The county filed these findings in court papers.
Justice Department letters ask every California county to identify citizens on the list within 48 hours
The Justice Department sent letters to every county in California asking local elections officials to commit within 48 hours to working with the department and the Department of Homeland Security to identify which people on the accompanying list are citizens and which are not.
Justice Department seeks emergency injunction; district judge does not rule by requested deadline
On Oct. 21, the Justice Department filed an emergency request for a temporary restraining order seeking to require California to set aside mail-in ballots pending citizenship verification. U.S. District Judge David Carter did not rule on the request by the deadline the department had requested.
Justice Department sues California over about 20,000 voters flagged as likely noncitizens
On Oct. 15, the U.S. Department of Justice sued California, seeking to prevent the counting of mail-in ballots from more than 20,000 people the federal government identified as likely noncitizens on the state's voter rolls. The lawsuit alleges that California failed to review the list within a 48-hour period. The federal government asked the court to require the state to withhold counting those ballots until voters' citizenship could be verified.
Judge Bennett questions appellate jurisdiction while district hearing is scheduled
Circuit Judge Mark Bennett questioned whether the appeals court had jurisdiction to act at this stage of the litigation, noting that a hearing before the district court was already scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 27.
Ninth Circuit panel issues no ruling at hearing and says it will decide quickly
The Ninth Circuit panel did not issue a ruling at the Oct. 25 hearing. Circuit Judge Mark Bennett said the panel would try to decide the case as quickly as possible.
Justice Department announces charges against about 28 individuals from the flagged list
The Justice Department announced charges against roughly 28 individuals from the list of about 20,000 flagged names, accusing them of voting and immigration-related crimes.
Judge Sanchez raises Tenth Amendment questions about federal demand on California
Circuit Judge Gabriel Sanchez, a Biden appointee, questioned whether the federal government's demand effectively commandeers the state to enforce a federal law that makes it a misdemeanor for a noncitizen to vote, which would raise Tenth Amendment concerns.
Trump has repeatedly claimed widespread voter fraud occurred in past elections
Trump has repeatedly made claims that widespread voter fraud occurred in past U.S. elections.
SAVE America Act would require voter ID and proof of citizenship to register
Trump has pushed the SAVE America Act, which requires voter identification at the ballot box and proof of citizenship to register to vote. He says the legislation will reduce voter fraud.
House of Representatives passes the SAVE America Act
The House of Representatives passed the SAVE America Act earlier in 2026.
Trump announces $1 million reward for tips on voter fraud leading to convictions
On Monday, October 26, 2026, President Donald Trump announced a $1,000,000 reward for anyone who reports voter fraud that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible. He announced it in a Truth Social post and in remarks to reporters.
White House provides no further details on voter fraud reward or its funding source
The White House did not provide additional details about the $1 million voter fraud reward. The source of the funds for the reward has not been identified.
SAVE America Act has failed in the Senate multiple times
The SAVE America Act has failed to pass the Senate on multiple occasions.
Trump administration announces fraud whistleblower program with 1% recovery commission
The program pays tipsters who successfully report and prove fraud cases a commission of 1% of the money the government recovers, and the president determines whether a tipster receives a reward. The Whistleblower Incentive Program has $25 million in funds, and tips must be part of a successful conviction for fraud or a significant federal enforcement action.
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2 alternative perspectives
Court Fight Over California's Noncitizen Voter Flags Moves to Ninth Circuit
The Ninth Circuit has not yet ruled on the Justice Department's expedited appeal in its California noncitizen voter lawsuit.
House Passes SAVE America Act; Senate Efforts Have Failed Repeatedly
The House passed the SAVE America Act, but it has failed in the Senate multiple times.
Trump Announces $1 Million Reward for Voter Fraud Tips
Trump announced a $1 million reward for tips leading to voter fraud convictions, covering past and 2026 midterm elections.
California officials cite security, data concerns in DOJ list standoff
California election officials refuse DOJ list access, citing security and legal concerns.
DOJ Files California Lawsuit Amid 26-Case Losing Streak
DOJ sues California on noncitizens despite 26-case losing streak; Nevada found all flagged individuals were citizens.
California Attorney General Disputes DOJ Noncitizen Voter Claims
California's top law enforcement official disputes DOJ's noncitizen voter allegations and federal oversight demands.
Federal noncitizen verification effort expands across multiple states
Federal noncitizen voter verification expands nationwide with DHS claiming 250,000 registrations in four states.
DOJ demands California act on noncitizen voter list within 48 hours
DOJ threatens California with legal action over noncitizen voters, sets 48-hour deadline.