By SNN Newsroom | October 14, 2026
The U.S. Justice Department has given California election officials 48 hours to review a federal list of people it believes may be noncitizens who were sent mail ballots for the November 3 midterm election. The department warned that it could seek emergency court intervention if California does not follow the requested procedures. The allegation that any named person is ineligible has not been established publicly, and no court order requiring the requested action was identified as of Wednesday morning.
Letters dated Tuesday, October 13, were addressed to California Secretary of State Shirley Weber and Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder Dean Logan, according to Reuters, which reviewed both letters, and The Associated Press, which obtained the state letter. The department said it had supplied Los Angeles County officials with a password-protected drive listing people it believes are likely noncitizens. Neither the names nor the underlying evidence were made publicly available in the reporting reviewed by Street News Now, so SNN cannot independently assess the accuracy of individual flags.
The letters ask California to check whether citizens appear on the list; to stop issuing additional ballots to people whose citizenship has not been confirmed; and to separate returned ballots from those voters, pending verification, rather than immediately tabulating them. Reuters reported that the department confirmed the letters’ existence. These are federal demands and a threat of possible litigation—not a finding that the listed individuals voted illegally or that California has complied.
Why the distinction matters
U.S. citizenship is required to vote in federal elections. An entry on a screening list is not, by itself, proof that a person is a noncitizen, cast a ballot illegally or knowingly committed fraud. California election officials previously challenged the reliability of federal data used to identify potential noncitizens. Whether the newly supplied names accurately identify ineligible voters, and how many voters are implicated, are unanswered questions.
The demand comes as California has begun mailing ballots to registered voters. The California secretary of state’s official 2026 voting guide says active registered voters are mailed ballots for the November 3 election; the state election calendar lists October 19 as the regular registration deadline and October 20 through Election Day for conditional same-day registration.
California responds to the federal demand
Update, October 15: California Secretary of State Shirley Weber issued an official statement on October 14 disputing the Justice Department demand. Weber said the federal government had not supplied the list to her office, although Los Angeles County received a protected thumb drive; she questioned the methodology, the compressed deadline and the legal basis for the requested action. Her office affirmed that California permits only U.S. citizens to register to vote. These are California officials’ statements, not a judicial ruling resolving the dispute. Read Weber’s October 14 response and the linked DOJ letters.
What happens next
The Justice Department could file an emergency action if it believes the state or county has not followed its demands. California has publicly responded to the demand; SNN has not verified a resulting emergency court filing, a completed citizenship review, or an order requiring California to follow the requested procedures. An official answer should establish how the list was compiled, the safeguards against erroneously flagging citizens, whether affected voters receive notice and an opportunity to establish eligibility, and what legal authority governs the requested ballot procedures.
Sources: Reuters, October 14; Associated Press, October 14; California Secretary of State, official 2026 voting instructions.
