Justice Department subpoenas California election officials amid scrutiny over voter rolls

The federal investigation and related court battles directly involve the handling and potential segregation of up to 20,000 ballots in California, impacting election certification deadlines and voter roll verification processes.

• •The U.S. Justice Department issued subpoenas to employees of the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder on Oct. 21 and Oct. 24.
• •The subpoenas demand documents and communications regarding letters about noncitizens on state voter rolls and efforts to prevent noncitizen votes from being counted.
• •Subpoenaed employees were ordered to appear in court on Nov. 4, the day after the election.
• •The Trump administration sued California to force the state to set aside up to 20,000 ballots suspected of going to noncitizens.
• •U.S. District Judge David O. Carter rejected the administration's request to immediately set aside the ballots and appointed special master Daniel B. Garrie to evaluate claims.
• •Judge Carter ruled that the Justice Department's demands violated the National Voter Registration Act, which prohibits changes to voter rolls within 90 days of an election.
• •The Trump administration appealed the ruling to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, asking for a fast ruling due to ongoing ballot processing.
• •Over 500,000 votes have already been processed in Los Angeles County alone.
• •Federal authorities have charged over two dozen foreign nationals in California for allegedly registering to vote or voting illegally.
• •A three-judge panel from the 9th Circuit previously ruled it premature for an appeals court to intervene before a lower-court ruling, though judges expressed skepticism about setting aside ballots close to the midterms.