Justice Department Demands California Halt Counting Some Ballots
The Trump administration's Department of Justice has demanded that California election officials halt the counting of ballots from voters suspected of being noncitizens and withhold mail ballots from this group. The demand, which includes a list of individuals provided on…
Sioux Falls, SD, October 14, 2026 —
The Trump administration’s Department of Justice has demanded that California election officials stop counting ballots cast by voters suspected of being noncitizens and withhold mail ballots from those individuals. The demand also threatens legal action, creating the prospect of a court dispute as voting begins for the midterm elections.
The department provided Los Angeles County with a list of individuals on a thumb drive, according to the information available. The demand sets a deadline, but the specific date and time were not provided. The number of people on the list and the process used to identify them were also not specified.
The request concerns people suspected of being noncitizens; the information does not establish that the individuals on the list are ineligible voters. It also does not say whether officials have halted or changed any ballot-counting or mail-ballot procedures in response.
Details about the legal basis cited by the Justice Department were not provided, nor was the name of the official or office that delivered the demand. The summary also does not identify which California election officials received it beyond the reference to Los Angeles County.
Whether the dispute will proceed to court remains unclear. No response from California or county officials, court filing, or subsequent action was included in the information provided. The timing of the deadline relative to the start of voting was not specified beyond its connection to the midterm elections.
Story summarized from the original created by Jonathan Shorman on southdakotasearchlight.com, see more information here.
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