DOJ orders California counties to verify ballots flagged as noncitizen votes within 48 hours

The U.S. Justice Department has sent letters to county election offices across California demanding they set aside and verify ballots that may belong to noncitizens, according to CBS News Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Times. The letters require counties to act within 48 hours and warn of potential criminal penalties for officials who process ballots from alleged noncitizens without verification.

Los Angeles County has already received such a notice, and at least 18 other counties statewide have been served similar letters, the L.A. County registrar's office confirmed to CBS News Los Angeles. The Justice Department is requesting detailed voter information, including Social Security numbers and identification, to assist in verifying citizenship status.

This action is part of an ongoing legal dispute between California officials and the Justice Department under the Trump administration, which has accused the state of allowing noncitizen voting. California officials, including the Secretary of State and the L.A. County registrar, have challenged these efforts as illegal and have been sued by the federal government to block counting ballots flagged as likely cast by noncitizens.

The Justice Department's lawsuit accuses the Trump administration of using "shoddily compiled lists of supposed noncitizens" and "coercive threats" against California officials to assert federal control over the midterms. A hearing on the case is scheduled for Tuesday, and the federal government has asked the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to intervene before the district judge can rule.

According to the U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles, 57 of California's 58 counties have been served letters, with the exception of Los Angeles County, which had already received a notice previously. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli emphasized the legal risks for election officials processing ballots from noncitizens.

The situation remains fluid as the legal battle continues, with the midterm elections approaching. California election officials and the Justice Department are at an impasse over how to handle ballots flagged as potentially cast by noncitizens, with court rulings expected to clarify the process.