DOJ presses Washington to hold ballots from 400 suspected noncitizens

The Justice Department asked Washington state to set aside any mail ballots cast by more than 400 residents it suspects are not U.S. citizens, intensifying a late-stage federal push over election administration ahead of the Nov. 3 midterms. In an Oct. 26 letter, federal prosecutors in Seattle and Spokane told Secretary of State Steve Hobbs not to count those ballots until citizenship is verified. The department said the group had cast about 1,500 ballots in prior elections and that more names could follow before Election Day. Hobbs said his office would respond only to requests that follow due process. Similar federal action in California, involving about 20,000 people, has already drawn court scrutiny over timing, authority and data accuracy.