US asks Washington state to set aside 405 ballots over citizenship checks — The Guardian

The US Department of Justice has asked Washington state authorities to set aside ballots received from 405 people whom federal authorities suspect of registering to vote without US citizenship. The ballots are proposed not to be counted until state officials confirm these people's eligibility to vote in the midterm elections.

As The Guardian reports, in a letter to Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, the department said it had identified 1,500 votes cast by more than 400 people in previous elections. More than 5 million voters are registered in the state, and mail-in ballots are sent to all registered voters.

State response

Steve Hobbs said he was reviewing the Justice Department's request. His office noted that the data provided by the federal agency contains information on each of the 405 people's most recent participation in voting. One person, according to the data, last voted in 1994.

Acting US Attorney in Seattle Charles Neil Floyd said the 405 identified voters could be only part of a broader problem. According to him, a significant portion of the list was compiled based on recent contacts by federal officials with people suspected of lacking citizenship.

Floyd also said that without access to state records, it would be difficult to prove illegal voting. The Justice Department demanded the provision of addresses, dates of birth, driver's license numbers and partial Social Security numbers.

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Hobbs said that filing such a request a week before the general election was, in his view, intended to sow unfounded doubts about the results. At the same time, the Justice Department said it could provide the state with another list of people it suspects of lacking citizenship. The department also noted that some of these people may subsequently have acquired US citizenship.

Cases in California and Alaska

This is the third direct challenge to states by the US Justice Department this month, made during the voting period. Earlier, the department filed a lawsuit against California, demanding that mail-in ballots from up to 20,000 people whom federal authorities suspect of lacking citizenship be set aside. In Alaska, another lawsuit seeks to delay certification of the results if the incumbent Republican does not win.

In California, a panel of the federal appeals court heard arguments from the parties and questioned the timing of the demand, its constitutionality and the Justice Department's authority. The court did not rule on the expedited schedule sought by the department and sent the case to a lower court.

Los Angeles County election official Monica Flores said in a court filing that a sample of 200 records from the federal list included canceled or inactive registrations, people with no voting history, and voters who were likely born in the United States.