TL/DR –
The US Justice Department has issued a warning to election officials in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, stating they could face criminal prosecution due to noncitizen voting. The letters, signed by the Assistant Attorney General, have given the states five days to explain how they will comply with federal voter eligibility laws, and how they will maintain accurate voter lists. This move is part of the Justice Department’s campaign to exert more federal control over state elections, although noncitizen voting in federal elections is reported to be extremely rare.
Justice Department Warns States about Noncitizen Voting
The Justice Department has issued a warning to election officials in all 50 states and the District of Columbia regarding potential criminal prosecution for noncitizen voting. These states have been given five days to detail their adherence to federal voter eligibility laws and their maintenance strategies for clean voter lists.
These letters, initiated by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, ask for voluntary compliance with federal laws to ensure that only US citizens participate in federal elections. Despite the fact that noncitizen voting in federal elections is extremely rare, the Trump administration continues to falsely depict it as a common issue.
Several states have confirmed receipt of these letters from the Justice Department, including Michigan, Nevada, and Utah. The letters stipulate potential criminal prosecution for state election officers who knowingly keep noncitizens on voting registration lists or enable noncitizens to receive and cast ballots.
Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson expressed her disbelief on social media, describing DOJ’s threats as “truly bizarre behavior.” She added, “I’m sure I’m not the only chief election officer of a state being targeted for following state and federal laws by resisting DOJ’s demands for private voter data, which have been ruled illegal by many courts.”
Justice Department’s Stepped-up Control Over Elections
This is the latest development in an ongoing campaign by the Justice Department to assert more federal control over state elections. Despite the administration’s demands that they release voter roll data, 30 states and Washington, D.C., are resisting, resulting in lawsuits from the Justice Department. To date, 11 different federal courts have dismissed the department’s attempts to seize voter rolls.
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