Contra Costa Elections Chief Disputes Federal Noncitizen Voter Claims

Kristin B. Connelly, the Clerk-Recorder and Registrar of Voters for Contra Costa County, stated that federal accusations regarding noncitizen voters are expected to collapse.

Connelly told The Associated Press that the current federal posture mirrors recent claims made in Nevada. In that previous instance, the administration identified alleged noncitizen voters during mid-October, but subsequent verification found that zero registered noncitizens remained in the state.

The dispute centers on letters sent by the U.S. Justice Department to California county registrars. These letters demand that local officials verify the citizenship of individuals the federal government suspects are noncitizens. The departments require counties to commit within 48 hours to separate specific ballots and halt their processing until citizenship is confirmed.

The federal requests also ask for nonpublic registration data, including Social Security numbers and copies of identification documents. In response, the California Secretary of State’s office sent a letter to county elections officials on Oct. 24. The state warned that withholding ballots based solely on unsupported suspicions violates both federal and state election laws.

State officials urged county staff to consult their legal counsel before sharing sensitive voter information. U.S. Justice Department spokeswoman Kiersten Pels said on Saturday that the department is not requesting a purge or cancellation of registrations. She stated that federal officials seek cooperation to ensure the most secure election in California history.

The Secretary of State’s office questioned the accuracy of the federal list using data from a Los Angeles County sample. In that sample, fewer than half of the individuals had active registrations. More than 40 percent had canceled registrations, and nearly three quarters had never voted. Among those with listed birthplaces, more than a third were born in the United States.

Los Angeles County received its federal demand on Oct. 13. County counsel responded on Oct. 15 on behalf of Registrar-Recorder Dean C. Logan. The response stated that the office could not legally comply with the federal request. The letter noted that the Justice Department provided a statewide list containing personal information for more than 20,000 people, rather than a list limited to Los Angeles County.

Los Angeles County attorneys argued that the requested actions conflict with voter protections. This includes a federal 90-day restriction on systematic voter removals before an election. The county letter stated that the actions would disenfranchise the individuals in question without due process.

In Napa County, Registrar of Voters John Tuteur said he received a letter on Friday demanding verification of 42 potential voters. Tuteur said he has taken no action and does not plan to respond. He described voter intimidation as a major reason for the federal outreach. Two uniformed Department of Homeland Security officers delivered the letter late Friday afternoon. Napa County has roughly 86,000 registered voters, and approximately 11,000 had already cast mail-in ballots as of Friday.

Tuteur told The Associated Press that his employees and relatives expressed concern about the situation. In Amador County, a federal letter listed four people allegedly registered illegally. Clerk-Recorder Kim Grady was awaiting state guidance as of Tuesday. The federal government filed a suit on Oct. 15 to prevent California from counting mail-in ballots for people identified as likely noncitizens. A 9th Circuit appeals panel was scheduled to hear arguments on Sunday regarding whether California must comply with the federal request for emergency relief.