Inaccuracies Found in Noncitizen Voter Claims Ahead of Midterm Elections
A recent analysis submitted to federal court reveals that over 40% of individuals identified by the Trump administration as suspected noncitizen voters in California are not listed on the state’s current voter rolls. This discovery raises critical questions about the Justice Department‘s attempts to influence ballot counting just days before the midterm elections.
UCLA’s Voting Rights Project Conducts Analysis
Researchers from UCLA’s Voting Rights Project examined a federal list of 20,930 individuals flagged as potentially ineligible voters. Their findings indicated that 8,880 names, approximately 42%, could not be matched with California’s current voter file.
Furthermore, the study identified at least 22 individuals who appear to be U.S. citizens, suggesting that the actual number of citizens included in the flagged list may be significantly higher.
Legal Challenge Initiated by Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights
The findings were presented in a lawsuit initiated by the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA). This litigation challenges the administration’s deployment of federal immigration data to identify suspected noncitizen voters.
🚨 CHIRLA & the UCLA Voting Rights Project have filed a federal lawsuit to defend voting rights ahead of the 2026 midterms.
The case seeks equal treatment under the Constitution for all U.S. citizens, regardless of birthplace.
No second-class citizens. No second-class votes.— CHIRLA (@chirla-org.bsky.social) September 3, 2026 at 5:20 PM
Justice Department’s Controversial Demands
The Justice Department has demanded that California election officials isolate ballots associated with the identified individuals, preventing their counting until their citizenship can be verified. Federal prosecutors have warned election officials that failure to comply might lead to criminal consequences for knowingly processing ballots from noncitizens.
California election officials have pushed back against these demands, raising concerns about the reliability of the list and the potential disruption that isolating ballots could cause in an ongoing election.
Court Decision Favors State Officials
On Friday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied the Justice Department’s emergency request to compel California to set aside these disputed ballots, citing insufficient justification for such intervention.
Stay informed with essential news updates from Salon.
Sign up for our complimentary morning newsletter, Crash Course.
A prior ruling from a federal district judge also rejected the administration’s request, warning that it could disenfranchise eligible voters and wreak havoc on the electoral system.
The Justice Department maintains its actions are intended to prevent illegal voting, which is prohibited in federal elections. It has defended the reliability of its data, asserting that counting ballots from ineligible voters would undermine legitimate electoral outcomes.
However, the new findings cast doubt on the government’s list’s accuracy and whether it effectively identifies actual ineligible voters.
This legal dispute arises as millions of Californians have already cast their ballots before the upcoming midterm elections.
Read more
about 2026 Midterms
Discussion about this post