Justice Department Directs California Officials to Review Voter Rolls
The Justice Department has directed California election officials to identify suspected noncitizens on voter rolls and set aside any mail-in ballots cast by them, warning of potential criminal liability for knowingly counting such votes. This directive is part of an…
Tallahassee Thomasville, FL, October 25, 2026 —
The Justice Department has directed California election officials to identify people suspected of being noncitizens on voter rolls and set aside any mail-in ballots cast by them. The department also warned of potential criminal liability for officials who knowingly count such votes.
The directive is part of the Trump administration’s effort to scrutinize voter rolls ahead of elections. The information provided does not specify when the direction was issued or which officials or offices received it.
It also does not describe how election officials are expected to determine whether a person is a suspected noncitizen, what process would apply to a ballot set aside, or whether any ballots have been identified or withheld. No response from California officials is included in the information provided.
The department’s warning concerns knowingly counting ballots cast by suspected noncitizens. The summary does not provide details about the legal basis cited for the directive, the potential criminal penalties, or how the warning would be applied in individual cases.
The stated aim of the effort is to scrutinize voter rolls before elections. The available information does not identify a specific election or provide figures on the number of people or ballots that may be affected. It therefore describes the direction and its stated focus, but does not establish that election officials have taken action or that any votes were counted improperly.
Story summarized from the original created by Karina Tsui, Maria Aguilar Prieto, Isa Mudannayake on www.wtxl.com, see more information here.
