The U.S. Department of Justice has escalated its intervention in California’s upcoming midterm elections by issuing urgent demands to local election officials. In letters sent Friday, federal prosecutors instructed several counties to sequester ballots and provide identifying data for individuals the administration believes may have registered to vote illegally.

What are the federal demands?

Federal officials have issued a 48-hour deadline for multiple counties to respond to requests for voter information. The Justice Department is asking for sensitive data to verify citizenship, including:

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  • Social Security numbers
  • Identification details
  • Copies of voter registrations

In San Bernardino County, prosecutors provided a list of 1,133 names categorized as "likely aliens" and demanded the county work with federal agencies to verify their status. The department has also requested that any ballots where citizenship cannot be immediately confirmed be segregated rather than canceled. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli warned that any official who knowingly processes a noncitizen's ballot is "opening themselves to legal jeopardy."

Local resistance and legal friction

Many California officials have characterized the federal intervention as an attempt at intimidation. Local leaders argue they are already following state and federal laws to ensure a fair election. In Contra Costa County, the registrar stated that voters must not be intimidated, while the head of the Contra Costa registrar’s office called the federal threats "not helpful."

This dispute comes amid a broader legal battle. The Trump administration is currently suing to block the counting of approximately 20,000 ballots it alleges belong to noncitizens. While the DOJ has threatened criminal penalties for officials who process illegal votes, election experts note that noncitizen voting is statistically rare and difficult to prove.

What happens next?

Legal proceedings are moving rapidly as the midterm elections approach. A hearing regarding the federal lawsuit to block certain ballot counts is scheduled for Tuesday. Additionally, the administration has asked the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to intervene and rule on the case, setting a deadline for Saturday.