Overview
- The Justice Department, which sent near‑identical letters to more than a dozen states on Tuesday, warned election officials they could face criminal prosecution if they knowingly keep noncitizens on voter rolls or count their ballots.
- Each letter gave officials five days to explain how they will comply with federal voting laws and attached a four‑page memo that cites the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act, the National Voter Registration Act and HAVA while offering the Civil Rights Division’s assistance.
- State officials from Michigan, Arizona and Nevada publicly rejected the notices as politically motivated or intimidating and said existing checks prevent noncitizen voting.
- Election experts and research say noncitizen voting is vanishingly rare and note that the Justice Department would normally bring indictments rather than send broad warnings if it had evidence of criminal conduct.
- The memo points officials to federal cybersecurity resources even though some linked programs recently lost federal funding, and officials say repeated federal demands are diverting staff time and could further politicize election administration before the midterms.