Key facts
- The Trump administration circulated a press release about non-citizen voter rolls without providing evidence.
California Democrats are questioning the Trump administration's claims about non-citizen voter rolls, citing a lack of evidence and ongoing legal battles over access to state voter data. The Secretary of State's office stated they have not provided their full voter registration list to the federal government.
The dispute highlights ongoing tensions between federal and state authorities over voter data access and election security, raising questions about transparency and potential legal overreach ahead of critical elections.
California Democrats have voiced strong criticism regarding claims made by the Trump administration concerning non-citizens on voter rolls. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) circulated a press release on the matter ahead of a planned speech by Donald Trump, though the release did not specify evidence of non-citizen voting or how DHS arrived at its findings.
Questions have been raised about the records DHS relied upon, particularly as California has actively resisted the Trump administration's attempts to access its voter rolls. A federal judge previously dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) against Secretary of State Shirley Weber after her agency refused to provide the requested records. The DOJ has since appealed this decision, with oral arguments heard in May.
A spokesperson for the California Secretary of State's Office stated that the state has not provided its statewide voter registration list to the federal government in any format and has successfully fought the DOJ's demand for access to the unredacted database. The spokesperson expressed optimism that the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals would uphold the state's ability to protect the sensitive information of its 23 million registered voters, noting that no court has ruled in favor of the DOJ's efforts in similar cases.
Trump, in a recent address, alluded to this challenge, suggesting that states' refusal to share their voter rolls likely results in an undercount of non-citizen voters. He indicated that DHS would hold a press conference on the issue. California Democrats also raised concerns about the DHS's lack of transparency and whether state law was violated in their pursuit of California's voter registration records.