DOJ Orders California to Review Mail Ballots for Possible Noncitizen Voters

The Department of Justice has directed California election officials to review a list of individuals who may have received mail-in ballots despite not being U.S. citizens, ahead of the November election. Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter issued the order on October 13, demanding a 48-hour review of names provided on a password-protected thumb drive. The DOJ requests that ballots for individuals whose citizenship cannot be independently verified be segregated, and that no ballots be sent to those flagged until their status is confirmed. The move follows a July notification from Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to California’s Secretary of State that the government believed “likely numerous noncitizens” were registered to vote in the state.

Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean Logan confirmed receipt of the letter and the USB drive, but stated his office has not accessed the drive due to data security concerns and a lack of information regarding the number of individuals involved or the data contained. Logan emphasized that any removal of a voter from eligibility must be based on verifiable information, not unconfirmed data matching. A DOJ spokesperson stated that “thousands” of possible noncitizens were identified as having been sent vote-by-mail ballots across the state.

The DOJ’s actions are the latest in a series of efforts to press blue states on voter roll accuracy, including 31 lawsuits filed by the Civil Rights Division seeking unredacted voter lists to screen for noncitizens. The department has acknowledged it intends to share this data with the Department of Homeland Security. California Secretary of State Shirley Weber did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Where they differ

• The Washington Examiner emphasized that the letter stemmed from Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s July notification, framing it as a response to concerns about noncitizen voting.
• CBS News highlighted Dean Logan’s concerns about data security and the lack of information provided, while the Washington Examiner focused on the DOJ’s demand for immediate action.
• The Washington Examiner explicitly stated the DOJ believes the individuals are ‘likely noncitizens’, a phrasing not present in the CBS News report.

What is not yet known

• The exact number of individuals on the list provided by the DOJ remains unspecified.
• The specific data contained on the USB drive has not been revealed.

Background

• The Department of Justice is pursuing a series of lawsuits against states seeking unredacted voter lists to screen for noncitizens [Fact Refinery, 2026-10-14].
• In July, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin notified California officials that the government believed “likely numerous” noncitizens were registered to vote in the state [Fact Refinery, 2026-10-14].
• Federal law establishes that it is a federal crime for noncitizens to vote in U.S. elections [Fact Refinery, 2026-10-14].
• The Department of Justice previously initiated a criminal investigation into Representative Ilhan Omar’s immigration paperwork [Fact Refinery, 2026-10-12].

Our reading

Our reading is that the Department of Justice is actively escalating efforts to scrutinize voter rolls in blue states, framing it as a necessary measure to ensure election integrity. The insistence on a rapid 48-hour review, coupled with the provision of a data drive and the acknowledgement of “thousands” of potential noncitizen voters, suggests a pre-determined narrative of widespread irregularity. The differing emphasis in reporting, between the source of the concerns and the data security issues, highlights the partisan framing of this issue.

What to watch

• The number of individuals identified on the data drive and the percentage of those flagged who are ultimately confirmed as noncitizens [Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk].
• Whether California election officials will comply with the DOJ’s 48-hour deadline for review, and if they will publicly share the data they find [California Secretary of State].
• Any further legal action taken by the DOJ against California if they deem the review insufficient [Department of Justice].

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