On October 15, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles against California, aiming to halt the tabulation of mail-in ballots from voters identified as likely non-citizens. The DOJ's request follows a letter from acting U.S.
Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter, which demanded that California officials verify the citizenship status of these voters before counting their ballots. The lawsuit comes amid claims from the Trump administration that California's voter rolls contain 190,000 non-citizens, a statement that California Secretary of State Shirley Weber has challenged due to a lack of substantiating evidence.
Weber's office emphasized that California has stringent laws ensuring only U.S. citizens can register to vote and that any ineligible registrants are removed. The DOJ's actions have raised concerns about potential chaos and public distrust in the electoral process, as Weber stated that the state is committed to a fair election process for the upcoming 2026 General Election