Story perspectives

DOJ Threatens California With Action Over Voter List Timeline

By Drooid · Oct 14, 2026, 10:54 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter warned California it must act within 48 hours or face legal action.
California must segregate and not count ballots identified on a DOJ thumb drive of likely noncitizens until citizenship is verified.
Secretary of State Shirley Weber said her office never shared voter data with DHS and doubts the DOJ list’s reliability.

History

Historical Context

In August 1965 President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act, authorizing Attorney General Robert Kennedy to send federal examiners who registered about a quarter-million Black voters that year. The act’s preclearance and examiner provisions curbed literacy tests, but Supreme Court rulings such as Shelby County v. Holder (2013) stripped those safeguards, prompting renewed federal attempts to oversee state elections.

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Story summary

Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter warned California it must act within 48 hours or face legal action.
California must segregate and not count ballots identified on a DOJ thumb drive of likely noncitizens until citizenship is verified.
Secretary of State Shirley Weber said her office never shared voter data with DHS and doubts the DOJ list’s reliability.

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