DOJ Demands 48-Hour Ballot Audit

Federal prosecutors are clashing with California election officials over a 48-hour deadline to verify roughly 20,000 ballots cast by suspected noncitizens. The demand arrived less than two weeks before the midterm elections, creating immediate tension between state and federal authorities.

Attorney General Rob Bonta accused the Justice Department of acting at the direction of President Donald Trump. He described the move as an improper attack on political enemies. "It is once again the United States Department of Justice politicizing and weaponizing the law to attack its enemies, and it is completely improper," Bonta told MS Now.

State election personnel argue the directive risks removing eligible citizens from the rolls. Officials in Los Angeles stated that a high percentage of the individuals on the federal list were born in the United States. Governor Gavin Newsom criticized the process on social media, claiming the department included people who never voted and voters from the wrong county. He called the situation an Absolute clown show!

The Justice Department framed the request as a security measure. The agency stated it is asking county election officials to provide information so the Department of Homeland Security can quickly verify citizenship status. "With their help, we can ensure the most secure election in California history," the department said. This action aligns with a wider Republican effort to scrutinize voting practices involving undocumented immigrants.

Bonta noted that the state received only names without explanations for why those people were supposedly ineligible. "If they have such information, we would be happy to review it, but they've provided none," he said. The conflict has escalated into a legal fight. Some state officials ignored letters sent on Friday, citing the approaching election date. An appeals court is scheduled to hear the matter on Tuesday.

The federal push follows recent charges against 28 foreign nationals accused of fraudulently registering to vote. Bill Essayli, the first assistant US attorney, said the arrests prove that California mails ballots to noncitizens. The defendants are lawful permanent residents who hold legal status in the US but are not citizens. Congressman Pete Aguilar, representing southwest San Bernardino county, wrote that voter intimidation has no place in the democracy.