Bonta Challenges DOJ's 48-Hour Ballot Deadline

The Justice Department ordered California election officials to verify the citizenship of roughly 20,000 voters within 48 hours. This deadline fell less than two weeks before the midterm elections. Attorney General Rob Bonta accused the federal government of using the law as a political tool to attack its opponents.

The conflict began when federal prosecutors sent the verification demand to state election personnel. Bonta stated that the department acted at the direction of President Donald Trump. He told MS Now that the Justice Department was "politicizing and weaponizing the law." He called the action completely improper.

State election workers warned that the tight timeline could strip eligible citizens of their right to vote. Officials in Los Angeles reported that a high percentage of the people on the list were born in the United States. Governor Gavin Newsom criticized the department on social media. He said the federal government sent counties lists of people who never voted and voters from the wrong county. He described the effort as an absolute clown show.

Representative Pete Aguilar, who represents south-west San Bernardino County, also objected. He wrote that voter intimidation has no place in the democracy. The Justice Department framed the request as a way to secure the vote. It asked county officials to provide information so the Department of Homeland Security could quickly verify citizenship status. The department claimed this would ensure the most secure election in California history.

Bonta questioned the evidence behind the list. He noted that officials received only names without an explanation of why those people were ineligible. He said the state was happy to review the information if the federal government provided it. The department recently charged 28 foreign nationals with fraudulently registering to vote. Bill Essayli, the first assistant US attorney, said the arrests proved that California was mailing ballots to noncitizens. He noted that the defendants are lawful permanent residents who are not citizens.

Some state officials took no action on the letters sent on Friday. They cited the rapidly approaching election date. This inaction set off a legal fight with the Justice Department. An appeals court is scheduled to hear the matter on Tuesday.