DOJ Demands California Set Aside About 20,000 Ballots Tied to Suspected Noncitizens
Photo: The Guardian USThe U.S. Justice Department has demanded that California county election officials set aside about 20,000 ballots tied to suspected noncitizens, less than two weeks before the midterm elections. Federal prosecutors gave officials 48 hours to verify the list, and letters hand-delivered to county registrars threatened legal action for noncompliance. The department also filed an emergency request with the Ninth Circuit after U.S. District Judge David Carter did not rule by the date it had sought. Late Friday, the appeals court ordered California to respond by noon Saturday. The filing, submitted by Attorney General Todd Blanche and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, said every minute of processing without segregating the ballots causes disenfranchisement and dilution of eligible votes. California Attorney General Rob Bonta said Saturday that the department acted at President Trump's direction. Los Angeles officials said a high percentage of people on the list were born in the United States. Governor Gavin Newsom said the lists included people who never voted and voters from the wrong county.
Fox News, the right-leaning outlet here, leads with the Ninth Circuit order and the court sequence, quoting the DOJ's emergency filing and its argument about disenfranchisement and dilution. In the excerpt provided, it does not include California officials' objections. The Guardian and MS NOW, on the left, lead with the demand itself and with opposition. The Guardian features Bonta's accusation that the department is weaponizing the law, Newsom's mockery of the lists, and the point that noncitizen voting is extremely rare. MS NOW's headline stresses the 48-hour demand and the threat of legal consequences. Both sides report the 20,000 figure, the 48-hour deadline and the midterm timing. They differ in whose voices lead: DOJ lawyers on the right, California officials on the left. AP separately describes local officials as confused and frustrated.
How the sides differ Right sources stress the DOJ's court filings and urgency; left sources stress California officials' objections and the claim the effort is politicized, while AP notes official confusion.
Headline, comparison and summary written by AI from the articles below. AI can make mistakes, so check the original articles before relying on a detail.
The Guardian and MS NOW lead with the 48-hour demand and the threat of legal consequences. The Guardian features Bonta, Newsom and Los Angeles officials criticizing the effort and noting that noncitizen voting is rare.
Straight Arrow News reports the DOJ order to sequester ballots and the reported threat of legal action. AP focuses on California election officials being confused and frustrated by the letters.
Fox News leads with the Ninth Circuit order for California to respond to the DOJ's emergency request. It quotes the DOJ filing by Blanche and Essayli on urgency and the risk of disenfranchisement and dilution.