U.S. sues California in fight over checking citizenship of mail voters
The U.S. Department of Justice has sued California to prevent the state from tabulating mail-in ballots from individuals suspected of being non-citizens. The legal battle highlights the ongoing tension between federal election oversight and state-level administration.
Why it matters
The lawsuit underscores the intense political polarization surrounding election integrity and the legal authority of federal versus state governments in managing voting processes.
The federal government sued the state of California on Thursday in an escalating battle over how to prevent non-U.S. citizens from voting by mail in federal elections.
The lawsuit is the latest action by the Department of Justice targeting state administration of elections, which President Donald Trump has often criticized as susceptible to fraud and voting by noncitizens.
The civil complaint, which the DOJ had threatened to file, asks a judge to prevent California officials from tabulating mail-in ballots "from likely non-citizens in the upcoming federal election until the voter's citizenship status can be determined."
The Department of Justice asks that a judge order the state to set aside mail ballots from voters "identified by the Federal Government likely to be noncitizens," and to verify their citizenship status before their ballot is counted.
Non-citizens are barred from voting in federal elections.
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