DOJ Threatens California Poll Workers With Prosecution Over Voters

Federal prosecutors warned California election workers they face criminal investigation if they process ballots from individuals the Justice Department flagged as noncitizens, a threat issued just days after authorities arrested more than two dozen people in the state for allegedly voting illegally.

The warning letter, signed by acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter and sent Friday, targets local officials responsible for tabulating votes ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections. It was addressed to the Los Angeles County Counsel’s office and copied to California Secretary of State Shirley Weber and Los Angeles County Registrar Dean Logan.

“If persons knowingly tabulate ballots cast by individuals identified by federal agencies as noncitizens, they risk becoming aiders and abettors to a federal crime,” McCotter wrote.

Logan pushed back. With Election Day less than three weeks away, he said his office intends to run the election without altering procedures based on unverified federal claims. “The U.S. Department of Justice has chosen to litigate their unverified assertions of voting eligibility. At this point, it is best for this to be addressed in court,” Logan said.

The threat to poll workers followed Monday arrests under an initiative the administration calls Operation Protect the Vote. Federal authorities detained lawful permanent residents — green card holders who are not permitted to vote in U.S. elections — charging them with submitting fraudulent voter registrations and making false statements on naturalization applications.

California became the focal point last week when the Justice Department sued the state to block the counting of mail-in ballots from roughly 20,000 registered voters the federal government labeled “likely” noncitizens. Officials delivered a password-protected thumb drive containing the names and gave the state 48 hours to review it. California did not meet the deadline. The secretary of state’s office said the administration provided no evidence that those 20,000 individuals were ineligible to vote.

The state automatically mails ballots to all registered voters. More than 23 million people are currently registered statewide.

Prior to Monday’s sweep, the Justice Department had charged about 90 people nationwide for various types of election misconduct this year, including 50 accused of casting ballots as noncitizens. During the 2024 presidential election, there were more than 227 million registered voters in the United States.

While California is not considered a presidential battleground, several competitive congressional districts could determine which party controls the U.S. House during the final two years of President Donald Trump’s term.

The Justice Department has demanded detailed voter information from states this year, including dates of birth, addresses, driver’s license numbers and partial Social Security numbers, to cross-reference against immigration databases.