NewsTimes of San DiegoOctober 30, 2026San Diego County
California election officials question accuracy of federal voter lists and refuse ballot segregation demands
Photo: Times of San Diego
Local election officials across California have pushed back against federal demands to segregate ballots of voters flagged as likely noncitizens, citing inaccurate and poorly formatted lists. Officials from multiple counties stated they would not comply with the 48-hour deadlines or threats of criminal charges, while a federal judge expressed skepticism regarding the administration's legal arguments.
Read the full story at Times of San DiegoWhy It Matters
Counties face conflicting directives between federal demands and state election laws governing ballot processing and voter roll verification, risking potential legal disputes and questions over thousands of voter ballots.
Key Facts
- Federal authorities gave California counties 48 hours to commit to segregating ballots from a list of approximately 20,000 people flagged as likely noncitizens.
- Letters received by counties threatened potential criminal charges for election officials who knowingly tabulate ballots cast by individuals identified by federal agencies as noncitizens.
- Butte County Clerk-Recorder Keaton Denlay found that out of 47 names provided, 32 were not on active voter rolls, seven lacked sufficient information, and six involved eligibility challenges that did not meet state proof requirements.
- Fresno County Registrar of Voters James Kus described the federal list as illegible and stated his county would continue following existing state and federal voter registration laws.
- San Benito County received a demand with 33 names and noted that some individuals were not registered to vote.
- Orange County Registrar of Voters Bob Page received a correctly addressed letter and data storage drive from federal agents on Monday after initial misdelivery to the clerk-recorder.
- A federal judge expressed skepticism of the Trump administration's legal arguments in court on Tuesday.
- Bill Essayli, first assistant U.S. attorney in Los Angeles, insisted that the federal list of 20,000 people was accurate and reliable.
Who's Mentioned
PersonBill Essayli“first assistant U.S. attorney in Los Angeles”PersonJames Kus“Fresno County Registrar of Voters”OrganizationCenter for Election Innovation & Research“nonprofit whose mission is to restore trust in the American election system”locationOrange County“Registrar of Voters received a letter regarding 1,754 likely aliens”OrganizationDepartment of Homeland Security“claimed Nevada had noncitizens on its voter rolls”OrganizationTrump administration“threatened election officials with criminal charges and flagged voters”PersonDavid Becker“executive director of the Center for Election Innovation & Research”PersonHugh Nguyen“Orange County Clerk-Recorder”PersonBob Page“Orange County Registrar of Voters”PersonKeaton Denlay“Butte County Clerk-Recorder”locationNevada“state that received DHS noncitizen voter lists”OrganizationCalMatters“nonpartisan and nonprofit news organization that originally published the story”locationButte County“received a demand to not count ballots from 47 people”locationFresno County“received a federal letter regarding voter rolls”PersonFrancisco Diaz“San Benito County registrar of voters”locationSan Benito County“received a demand with 33 names”