The Justice Department is warning election officials in every state and Washington, D.C., that they could face criminal prosecution if they knowingly keep noncitizens on voter rolls or help them cast ballots in federal elections.
The letters, signed by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, who leads the department’s Civil Rights Division, give state officials five days to explain how they will comply with federal voter eligibility laws and maintain what the department called “clean voter lists.”
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A Justice Department spokesperson said the letters seek “voluntary compliance” with states’ obligations under federal law to ensure that only citizens vote in federal elections.
Noncitizen voting in federal elections is already illegal and extremely rare. However, Trump and his administration have repeatedly claimed, without evidence, that it is widespread.
Voter data fight
The letters come amid a broader Justice Department push for state voter roll data.
The department has sued 30 states and Washington, D.C., for resisting those requests. CBS News reported that the department has also lost in district court 11 times, with one ruling affirmed by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
The department says it wants the data to check whether states are maintaining accurate voter rolls. CBS News reported that the Civil Rights Division has also acknowledged plans to share the data with the Department of Homeland Security for screening for noncitizen voters.
States push back
Some state officials criticized the letters.
Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson called them “truly bizarre behavior,” saying state election officials are being targeted for resisting demands for private voter data.
Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes said Arizona election officials ensure only eligible citizens are registered and will follow state law, “not directions that come from political rhetoric or intimidation.”
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