Story perspectives

DOJ Charges 28 California Residents With Illegal Voting

By Drooid · Oct 19, 2026, 11:02 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

U.S. Justice Department charged 28 California lawful permanent residents with illegal voting.
Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter announced the arrests on Oct. 19, 2026.
Eleven defendants were taken into custody while 17 face imminent arrest.
Charges include false statements on naturalization forms and fraudulent voter registration.
The DOJ sued California to block counting mail-in ballots from over 20,000 suspected noncitizens.

History

Historical Context

After the 2000 presidential election dispute, Congress passed the Help America Vote Act, signed by President George W. Bush on Oct 29 2002 and authored by Senator Christopher Dodd, creating the Election Assistance Commission and modernizing voter rolls. By 2024, 46 states offered at least one online, same-day, or automatic registration method. In 2026 the DOJ indicted 28 California permanent residents for false naturalization statements, echoing HAVA’s focus on preventing illegal ballot participation.

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Story summary

U.S. Justice Department charged 28 California lawful permanent residents with illegal voting.
Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter announced the arrests on Oct. 19, 2026.
Eleven defendants were taken into custody while 17 face imminent arrest.
Charges include false statements on naturalization forms and fraudulent voter registration.
The DOJ sued California to block counting mail-in ballots from over 20,000 suspected noncitizens.

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