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Event / Politics
US Election Integrity Disputes
Disputes over voter registration accuracy, noncitizen voting, and election administration between federal and state authorities.
5 reported locations
Daily activity
13 articles4 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 Clerk refuses to access DOJ list citing security concerns
Dean Logan, registrar for Los Angeles County, declined to access a password-protected thumb drive containing the DOJ's list of suspected noncitizens. Logan stated that accessing the device would conflict with established data privacy and information security protocols, noting the device was not considered a secure medium. Additionally, the letter did not specify the number of individuals involved or describe the information contained in the records.
Justice Department sends letter to California demanding review of suspected noncitizen voters
On October 13, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice sent letters to California election officials demanding a review within 48 hours of registered voters suspected to be noncitizens. The DOJ requested that mail ballots from individuals whose citizenship status could not be independently verified be segregated, not cancelled, pending citizenship determination. The DOJ stated that Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin had identified likely numerous noncitizens registered to vote in California's federal election.
Justice Department has lost 26 consecutive voter roll cases against states
The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division has filed 31 lawsuits attempting to force states to hand over unredacted voter rolls for review. As of October 2026, the DOJ has lost 26 of these cases without achieving a single legal victory. The division stated its intent to share voter roll data with the Department of Homeland Security to screen for noncitizens. The DOJ has resorted to using publicly available voter lists and other investigative means after court losses.
Governor Newsom criticizes DOJ letter as violation of federal law
California Governor Gavin Newsom's press office stated that the DOJ letter was demanding that California election officials voluntarily violate federal law enshrined by Congress. The statement described the federal action as completely unacceptable and inappropriate, referencing what it characterized as the Trump administration's poor track record in election-related matters.
California Secretary of State contests DOJ claims as unsubstantiated
California Secretary of State Shirley Weber stated that the DOJ's claims of 190,000 noncitizens on voter rolls were unsubstantiated. Weber noted that in July 2026, when President Trump and DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin made these claims, she immediately requested written information about their methodology and data sources. Weber stated they refused to provide this information and accused the DOJ of attempting to gain unlawful access to protected voter data.
Nevada review found all 185 individuals on DHS noncitizen list were lawful citizens
In a previous exchange with Nevada officials, the state conducted a review of 185 individuals that the Department of Homeland Security claimed were potential noncitizens on voter rolls. The review determined that every individual on the list was a lawful U.S. citizen, raising questions about the accuracy of DHS screening methodology.
Justice Department files lawsuit against California over noncitizen voter list
On October 16, 2026, the Justice Department filed suit in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California alleging that the federal government identified more than 20,000 noncitizens unlawfully registered to vote. The lawsuit sought to compel California to review the list of suspected noncitizens and segregate vote-by-mail ballots from those individuals. The lawsuit was filed after California officials refused to comply with the 48-hour deadline in the initial DOJ letter.
Nevada noncitizen voter count found to be zero after federal review
The Trump administration claimed in July 2026 that Nevada had 1,500 noncitizen voters on its voter rolls. However, after the federal government identified them to the state, Nevada's actual count of registered noncitizens turned out to be zero, undermining the reliability of the federal identification process.
DHS alleges 250,000 noncitizens registered in four states
In July 2026, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin sent letters to California, Nevada, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania alleging that as many as 250,000 noncitizens were registered in those states. Election officials in those states were skeptical of the claims. California Secretary of State Shirley Weber responded stating she had serious doubts about the reliability of the federal data and accuracy of the claims, noting her office had not shared its statewide voter registration list with any federal agency.
Los Angeles County receives noncitizen voter list from federal government
Los Angeles County Registrar Dean Logan confirmed receiving a letter and password-protected thumb drive from the Justice Department containing a list of alleged noncitizens on voter rolls. Logan stated he did not consider the thumb drive a secure device and had not yet accessed the files. The letter did not specify the number of individuals flagged by the federal government. Logan emphasized that voter removal must be based on verifiable information, not unconfirmed data matching.
DOJ threatens California with legal action over noncitizen voters
The U.S. Department of Justice sent a letter to California Secretary of State Shirley Weber threatening possible legal action over alleged noncitizens who received mail ballots for the November 3 midterm elections. Acting Deputy U.S. Attorney General Trent McCotter provided Los Angeles County with a password-protected thumb drive containing a list of names the federal government believes are likely noncitizens. The letter gave the state 48 hours to determine citizenship status and segregate ballots of individuals whose citizenship cannot be verified, warning that legal action would follow if the deadline is not met.
California election official calls 48-hour DOJ deadline unreasonable
Santa Cruz County Clerk Tricia Webber, president of the California Association of Clerks and Election Officials, criticized the 48-hour deadline imposed by the Justice Department as 'completely unreasonable.' She stated that investigating voter eligibility requires examining registration history, prior voting records, and contacting the voter—a process requiring substantially more than 48 hours. Webber also questioned how the federal government compiled its noncitizen list without access to California's detailed voter registration data. She noted that in her decades-long career, she had never seen evidence suggesting California's voter records were filled with fraudulent voters.
DOJ seeks detailed voter information from states including SSN and license numbers
As part of its noncitizen voter detection project, the Justice Department has been seeking detailed voter information from states, including dates of birth, addresses, driver's license numbers, and partial Social Security numbers. This information has been run through a U.S. Department of Homeland Security database that has been criticized for inaccurately flagging U.S. citizens. California is among the states that successfully sued to block such data sharing, arguing it violates state privacy laws.
California Attorney General criticizes DOJ noncitizen voter claim
California Attorney General Rob Bonta criticized the Justice Department's letter at a press conference, calling it another example of President Donald Trump spreading 'absolutely false conspiracy theories' about widespread voter fraud. Bonta stated the state would not engage in conspiracy theories and did not immediately specify how the secretary of state's office would respond to the Justice Department's demands.
Trump administration prioritizes search for noncitizen voters nationwide
The Trump administration has made hunting for noncitizen voters a priority in 2026, despite the problem being exceptionally rare. The Justice Department has charged approximately 90 people for various types of election misconduct this year, including 50 alleged noncitizen voters, compared to more than 227 million registered voters in the United States. The administration has also sued 30 states and the District of Columbia to obtain detailed voter information, but has lost those cases in court.
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2 alternative perspectives
Federal Judges Have Dismissed 27 of 30 Justice Department Voter Roll Suits
Federal judges have dismissed 27 of 30 Justice Department suits seeking state voter rolls.
Federal Appeals Court Dismisses DOJ Bid in California Ballot Dispute
A federal appeals court dismissed the Justice Department's bid for an order in its California mail-ballot case.
Justice Department Seeks Washington Ballot Set-Aside for 405 Alleged Noncitizens
Justice Department seeks to set aside ballots from 405 alleged noncitizens in Washington, which says it will respond through due process.
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.
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.