DOJ orders some California counties to set aside ballots from suspected noncitizens – PBS

DOJ orders some California counties to set aside ballots from suspected noncitizens  PBS

The letters are the latest escalation in a legal battle between California and President Donald Trump's Department of Justice, which has recently focused on the state in its efforts to root out noncitizen voting ahead of the midterm elections. LOS ANGELES (AP) — Federal prosecutors sent letters to county registrars across California on Friday demanding that local officials set aside and verify ballots that the Department of Justice said may belong to noncitizens, according to the Los Angeles County registrar and a letter obtained by The Associated Press. The letters are the latest escalation in a legal battle between California and President Donald Trump's Department of Justice, which has recently focused on the state in its efforts to root out noncitizen voting ahead of the midterm elections.

Data shows illegal voting by people who aren't U.S. citizens is incredibly rare, difficult to prove and has not been shown to change the outcome of races. READ MORE: DOJ has monitored elections for decades. Here's why some state officials are concerned this year Earlier this month, the federal government targeted Los Angeles County and the California Secretary of State's office in a lawsuit that aimed to block them from counting the votes of roughly 20,000 people who are "likely" noncitizen voters. A hearing on the case is scheduled for Tuesday. The Trump