Justice Department Directs California County Officials to Set Aside Suspected Noncitizen Ballots
The Justice Department has ordered California county election officials to identify and set aside ballots from suspected noncitizens, warning that knowingly counting such ballots could lead to criminal liability.
Monterey Salinas, CA, October 24, 2026 —
The Justice Department has ordered California county election officials to identify and set aside ballots from people suspected of being noncitizens. The department also warned that knowingly counting such ballots could lead to criminal liability.
The information provided does not identify which counties received the order, when it was issued, or how officials are expected to identify ballots in question. It also does not describe the process for setting ballots aside or explain what steps, if any, officials must take after doing so.
The department’s warning, as summarized, concerns ballots from suspected noncitizens and the potential consequences of knowingly counting them. It does not provide details about any specific ballots, election, investigation, or alleged violation. No cases or enforcement actions are identified.
The summary does not state whether county officials have responded to the directive, whether any ballots have been set aside, or whether the order is subject to a legal challenge. It also does not specify the criminal statutes or penalties referenced in the warning.
Those details remain unavailable in the information provided. The stated directive is limited to identifying and setting aside ballots from suspected noncitizens, alongside the department’s warning about the possibility of criminal liability for knowingly counting them.
Story summarized from the original created by CNN Newsource on kioncentralcoast.com, see more information here.
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