Justice Department suing California for failure to provide voter info ahead of midterms

As of October 18, 2026, the US Justice Department has sued California and threatened local election officials with imprisonment for counting mail ballots from over 20,000 people suspected of being noncitizens. On October 13, Acting Deputy Attorney General R. Trent McCotter sent letters to California Secretary of State Shirley Weber and Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder Dean Logan demanding they review a list of potential noncitizen voters provided on a password-protected thumb drive by the federal government. The department warned that officials could face prosecution if they do not verify the citizenship status of these individuals before counting their ballots for the November 3 midterm elections. California and Los Angeles County have resisted opening the drive, prompting heightened tensions between state and federal authorities ahead of the election.