DOJ Directs California to Review Mail Ballots Potentially Sent to Noncitizens

The United States Department of Justice has instructed California election administrators to inspect a list of individuals who may have improperly received mail-in ballots ahead of the upcoming election, according to a report by CBS News.

Federal officials indicated that the individuals in question are believed to have received voting materials despite not being U.S. citizens. The directive places renewed federal attention on state voter rolls and ballot distribution practices as voting gets underway.

The Federal Request to California

Under the directive reported by CBS News, the federal government provided a roster of names to California authorities for formal review. Federal officials believe these individuals may have been issued mail-in ballots even though citizenship is a legal requirement for participating in federal elections.

The initial report did not disclose how many names were included on the federal list, how the list was compiled, or what specific federal records were used to identify the individuals. State election officials in California have not yet publicly outlined how they plan to process the inquiry or whether any of the flagged individuals attempted to register or cast a ballot.

The Rules Governing Voting and Registration

Under long-standing federal law, individuals must be United States citizens to vote in federal elections, including races for the presidency and Congress. California operates a universal vote-by-mail system, meaning county election offices automatically send mail ballots to all registered, active voters prior to Election Day.

Voter registration forms in the state require applicants to declare under penalty of perjury that they are U.S. citizens. While routine maintenance procedures exist to update rolls when voters move, pass away, or are disqualified, disputes occasionally arise regarding how cross-agency databases match citizenship records with active voter registrations.

Information Still Pending

Several critical details surrounding the Justice Department’s directive remain unconfirmed in public reporting:

• The total number of individuals flagged for review.
• Whether any of the ballots sent to the listed individuals were actually completed or returned.
• The timeline California has been given to complete its assessment.
• The specific criteria federal investigators used to determine potential noncitizen status.

As election administrators work through the request, further updates are expected to clarify the scale of the list and whether any administrative errors occurred during the state’s ballot distribution process.

Source: Home – CBSNews.com

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