Justice Department Directs California Counties to Review Voter Rolls
The Justice Department has ordered California election officials to identify suspected noncitizens on voter rolls and set aside their mail-in ballots. The directive was sent to various California counties, with warnings of potential criminal liability for officials who knowingly count…
Tulsa, OK, October 25, 2026 —
The Justice Department has directed election officials in various California counties to identify people suspected of being noncitizens on voter rolls and set aside their mail-in ballots, according to the information provided about the directive.
The department also warned officials of potential criminal liability if they knowingly count votes cast by noncitizens. The directive comes in the lead-up to the midterm elections. The information provided does not specify when the instructions were sent or which counties received them.
Details about how officials are expected to identify suspected noncitizens, how ballots would be set aside, or what process would apply to voters affected by the directive were not provided. The summary also does not identify the legal basis cited by the department or describe any response from California election officials.
The distinction in the directive is between people described as suspected noncitizens and votes described as having been cast by noncitizens. The information provided does not say that any ballots have been set aside, that any votes have been counted, or that officials have been accused of knowingly counting ineligible votes.
Further details, including the counties involved, the number of voters or ballots potentially affected, and any next steps announced by the department or county officials, were not included in the information available for this report.
Story summarized from the original created by Karina Tsui, Maria Aguilar Prieto, Isa Mudannayake on www.kjrh.com, see more information here.
