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Justice Department asks Washington to set aside ballots from 400-plus suspected noncitizens

The Justice Department asked Washington election officials to review a list of more than 400 registrants it believes are noncitizens and to set aside any ballots they cast in next week’s election. Acting U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd said the department identified more than 400 noncitizens who registered and voted in multiple elections.

AI-assisted synthesis · Based on 5 outlets' reporting · Article text read from 1 of 5 outletsHow it's made

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5 outletsLatest reporting 3 min readNo new reporting in 4 days
Coverage: Mostly LeftL 2 · C 0 · R 1 · 2 unrated
Updat3 graphic: United States
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What happened

Key facts

  • Federal officials identified more than 400 people registered to vote in Washington state whom the Justice Department believes are noncitizens (per NBC News, ssbcrack.com, Fox News).
  • The Trump administration asked Washington state to sequester ballots cast by people on the list (per NBC News, The Washington Post).
  • Acting U.S. Attorney in Washington Neil Floyd said the identified noncitizens had registered and voted in multiple elections (per NBC News).
  • The Justice Department asked Washington’s secretary of state to review the list and sequester any ballots cast by the listed registrants (per NBC News).
  • The Justice Department said the previous week that it believed 20,000 noncitizens were on California’s voter rolls (per NBC News).

The brief

The Justice Department asked Washington election officials to review a list of more than 400 people it believes are noncitizens and to set aside any ballots they cast in next week’s election, NBC News reported. The request was directed to Washington’s secretary of state and was part of an effort by the Trump administration involving a state led by Democrats, according to NBC.

Acting U.S. Attorney in Washington Neil Floyd said in a news release that federal officials had identified more than 400 noncitizens who registered to vote and had voted in multiple elections. That statement describes the Justice Department’s claim; the request itself asks state officials to check the listed registrants against citizenship records.

In a letter to Washington election officials, the Justice Department gave the state 24 hours to review the list. The department asked officials to sequester ballots cast by people on it. NBC reported that the letter was shared with the outlet.

The requested review and ballot treatment are distinct steps: the letter sought a records check and asked the state to set aside ballots associated with the listed registrants. The request came as the administration was also pursuing a separate effort involving California voter rolls.

The Justice Department said the previous week that it believed 20,000 noncitizens were registered in California. On the same Monday as the Washington request, the administration encountered a legal setback in its effort to separate thousands of ballots there, NBC reported.

NBC said the California effort sought to involve the federal government in tallying and certifying the 2026 election results.

Its account places that dispute alongside the Washington request but describes different state actions: in Washington, federal officials asked the secretary of state to examine a list and sequester ballots; in California, the administration’s effort to separate ballots faced a legal setback.

The Washington request concerns an election scheduled for the following week, while the letter set a 24-hour period for officials to review citizenship records. The Justice Department’s stated basis was its belief that the listed registrants were noncitizens, and Floyd’s news release said some had voted in multiple elections.

Why it matters

  • Washington election officials were asked to check more than 400 registrants against citizenship records, a process that could affect the handling of ballots cast by people on the list.
  • The Justice Department’s request included both a 24-hour review period and a request to sequester any ballots cast by listed registrants.
  • Floyd’s statement that the identified people had voted in multiple elections is the stated basis for the federal concern; the department asked state officials to verify citizenship records.

What to watch next

  • Whether Washington election officials complete the citizenship-record review within the 24 hours specified in the Justice Department’s letter.
  • Whether Washington’s secretary of state sequesters ballots cast by registrants on the list.
  • The outcome of the California legal dispute over the administration’s effort to separate thousands of ballots.

How it's being covered

Coverage analysisShow details
5 source articles · 5 unique outlets
Outlet political mix: Mostly Left· 2 Left · 1 Right · 2 unrated
Where the outlets are based: US/Canada 60% · Global 20% · Other 20%
Outlet political mix
Mostly Left
Left
Center
Right
2 outlets
0 outlets
1 outlet
The marker shows coverage balance: each unique outlet counts once. 2 unrated outlets are not included.
Geography
Where the outlets covering this story are based.
5 unique outletsDominant coverage: US/Canada
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Timeline

Developments from this story's sources, dated background we compiled and fact-checked, and our earlier coverage. Each row says which.
  1. Article VI of the Washington Constitution, adopted in 1889, limits voting to U.S. citizens who meet the state’s other eligibility requirements.
    Background · from our historical context
  2. Congress enacted the National Voter Registration Act, setting federal standards for voter registration and limiting when states may remove voters from federal-election rolls.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  3. Congress enacted the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, making noncitizen voting in federal elections a federal offense, subject to limited exceptions.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  4. Congress enacted the Help America Vote Act, requiring states to create statewide voter-registration databases and setting election-administration standards.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  5. Washington began implementing automatic voter registration in 2018, using information from state agencies to register eligible residents unless they declined or were found ineligible.
    Background · from our historical context
  6. The Justice Department said it believed 20,000 noncitizens were on California’s voter rolls.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3

How we got here

Before the Washington review, the Justice Department said it believed California’s voter rolls included 20,000 noncitizens. The distinction is set out in federal law: the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 made it a federal offense for noncitizens to vote in elections for federal office, subject to limited exceptions.

The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 established federal standards for voter registration, while leaving states responsible for administering elections and maintaining registration records. The Help America Vote Act of 2002 later required states to create statewide voter-registration databases and set standards for election administration.

Related developments1 story

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