Office of the California Secretary of State
Provides Update on U.S. DOJ's Voter Ballot Actions
October 20, 2026
Sacramento, Calif. – Yesterday, the Trump Administration asked a federal court – without a shred of concrete evidence - to ignore state and federal law and require that elections officials effectively seize and sequester vote by mail ballots issued to people the Federal Government believes are likely noncitizens.
This morning, we filed our opposition to the USDOJ’s demands that breaks down exactly what this administration is attempting – in the middle of our election: “At best, this litigation is a reckless political stunt. At worst, it threatens to disenfranchise thousands of Californians this election. Plaintiff’s sole claim—that a federal criminal prohibition on individual noncitizen voting preempts large swaths of California’s election administration—borders on the absurd. The relief Plaintiff seeks is as unlawful as it is untenable.”
Additionally, Los Angeles County, which reviewed a small sample of the federal government’s data that DOJ “believes are likely noncitizens,” found significant accuracy problems with their sweeping claims that make their demands all the more dangerous.
While this office shares with the USDOJ, a commitment to ensuring only persons eligible to vote can participate in our elections, this office is equally committed to following state and federal laws and ensuring that eligible voters are not disenfranchised through this administration’s — or anyone’s— actions.
Our nation’s history is a chronicle of shameless efforts — often under color of law— to deny citizens the right to vote. USDOJ’s litigation perpetuates that unfortunate history.
California will not abandon the sacrifices of those who fought, at great expense, for our right to vote.