The Justice Department asked Washington state to set aside ballots from more than 400 people it suspects registered to vote without U.S. citizenship.
The Story
The Trump administration asked Washington state to set aside ballots received from more than 400 people it suspects registered to vote without U.S. citizenship, according to a letter to the Washington Secretary of State’s Office.
In the letter, the Justice Department said it identified 1,500 votes cast by more than 400 people in prior elections and asked the state to hold any ballots those people might cast in next month’s midterm until state officials can confirm they are legally eligible to vote.
Acting U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd said the administration was seeking to “set aside those ballots until we can confirm they are legal voters.” He said much of the list was built using “recent contacts” with suspected noncitizens, with federal officers routinely checking whether people they interact with are registered to vote.
Floyd said his office wants to compare its list against Washington’s voter information records to determine how many people actually cast ballots, adding that proving someone illegally voted without access to state records would be difficult and labor-intensive.
Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said his office is reviewing the request, noting it has received about 60 subpoenas from the Justice Department since last month. In an emailed statement, Hobbs said the office takes voter information protections seriously and will only respond to requests that follow due process.
He added: “We see what’s happening in California and don’t want Washingtonians to be harassed.”
The Justice Department said it anticipates sending Washington an additional list of people it suspects are not citizens prior to Election Day, and noted that some people on its list may have become naturalized since registering.
The request follows the administration’s broader efforts to identify noncitizen voters, despite federal officials’ findings in past investigations showing far fewer instances than the administration has claimed, including cases in Nevada and Maricopa County, Arizona.
← More stories