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Federal prosecutors demand California counties verify suspected noncitizen ballots within 48 hours

Letters to at least 18 counties set a 48-hour deadline, and California's lawyers say the federal data is unreliable.

Updated Oct 25, 2026 · 15:17 UTC2 reports

The short version

  • Federal prosecutors sent letters on Friday to county registrars across California demanding verification of ballots the Justice Department says may belong to noncitizens.[Associated Press]
  • At least 18 counties received letters setting a 48-hour deadline to provide identifying information tied to the flagged ballots.[Associated Press]
  • California's lawyers argue in legal filings that the federal data is unreliable and that the demands could delay vote certification and disenfranchise citizens.[Associated Press]
  • A federal prosecutor said election officials who knowingly process a noncitizen's ballot face legal jeopardy, and the dispute remains unresolved in the reporting.[Associated Press]

Key facts

  • Federal prosecutors sent letters on Friday to county registrars across California demanding verification of ballots the Justice Department said may belong to noncitizens.[CBS News · Associated Press]
  • At least 18 counties received letters giving them a 48-hour deadline to provide identifying information tied to flagged ballots.[Associated Press]
  • First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said election officials who knowingly process a noncitizen's ballot face legal jeopardy.[Associated Press]
  • California's lawyers argue in legal filings that the federal data is unreliable and that the demands risk disenfranchising citizens and delaying vote certification.[Associated Press]

What remains uncertain

  • California officials dispute the Justice Department's noncitizen identifications, saying the underlying federal data is unreliable.[CBS News · Associated Press]
  • Whether the demands will be enforced or how the legal dispute will be resolved is not established in the reporting.[Associated Press]
  • Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla says the Justice Department has provided no evidence for its voter fraud claims; this is his assertion and is not independently verified in the reporting.[CBS News]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.