DOJ presses California to isolate 20,000 suspected noncitizen ballots
What's next: The 9th Circuit set a fast response deadline as county registrars keep counting votes and a broader court fight moves ahead.
California election officials said they will keep processing ballots after the Justice Department demanded that counties isolate votes tied to roughly 20,000 people the federal government suspects are noncitizens. The letters, delivered Friday, sought voter data including Social Security numbers and gave officials 48 hours to respond, warning of possible legal action if ineligible ballots were counted. A federal appeals court then ordered California to answer the DOJ's emergency request by noon Saturday. County registrars, including Napa County's John Tuteur, said ballot counting was already underway. California's attorney general's office argues the federal lists contain errors, including names sent to counties where some people do not live.