Story perspectives

DOJ Sues to Block California’s Ballot Counting Over Noncitizens

By Drooid · Oct 22, 2026, 10:39 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

U.S. Department of Justice sued California to block counting ballots of about 20,000 alleged noncitizen voters.
The Justice Department said DHS flagged 20,000 names as the floor, ceiling 190,000.
California’s sample showed 38.9% of listed voters were U.S.-born.
The DOJ has charged 28 green-card holders, leading to 11 arrests.
The DOJ seeks a restraining order to halt ballot counting.

History

Historical Context

The 1965 Voting Rights Act, signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson, outlawed discriminatory voter suppression and empowered the Justice Department to enforce federal election standards. Within its first decade, the Act helped register roughly 6 million new voters, and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division filed over 1,200 enforcement actions nationwide. Today, the DOJ’s lawsuit against California over alleged 20,000 noncitizen ballots echoes the Act’s legacy, as DHS flagged the number and the department seeks a restraining order. If courts limit state counting, the precedent may reshape federal-state election oversight, prompting Congress to revisit voter-eligibility statutes and funding for election integrity.

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Story summary

U.S. Department of Justice sued California to block counting ballots of about 20,000 alleged noncitizen voters.
The Justice Department said DHS flagged 20,000 names as the floor, ceiling 190,000.
California’s sample showed 38.9% of listed voters were U.S.-born.
The DOJ has charged 28 green-card holders, leading to 11 arrests.
The DOJ seeks a restraining order to halt ballot counting.

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