Federal authorities focus on foreign nationals listed on voter rosters, intensifying efforts to guarantee election integrity under Trump's policy.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) is currently engaged in a nationwide initiative to ensure election integrity, focusing on maintaining accurate voter rolls and enforcing compliance with federal election laws.
Under the leadership of Attorney General Pam Bondi, the DOJ's Civil Rights Division is investigating election practices across multiple states. The aim is to enforce the National Voter Registration Act, which requires states to maintain accurate voter rolls.
Recent actions by the DOJ include sending demand letters to state and local election officials, requesting detailed information on voter registration lists to identify ineligible voters, particularly noncitizens. Some jurisdictions have resisted these requests, leading to lawsuits initiated by the DOJ.
For instance, in California, federal courts have allowed lawsuits filed by Judicial Watch to proceed, aiming to compel the state to more rigorously clean its voter rolls of deceased or relocated individuals. In North Carolina, election officials are actively contacting voters to update records related to driver's licenses or Social Security numbers as part of compliance efforts.
While the focus of the initiative is to seek information from states about their election practices and voter registration lists, there has been resistance in some states. New Hampshire's Republican secretary of state has rejected a request to provide the DOJ with a statewide database of voters.
The flurry of activity is due to an executive order signed by President Trump in March, tasking the attorney general with coordinating with states on election integrity. However, a federal judge in Massachusetts temporarily blocked parts of the DOJ's election integrity order, citing the Constitution.
It is important to note that while states have removed noncitizens from voter rolls during routine maintenance, it is rare for them to have cast ballots. In October 2023, a Chinese national was charged with voter fraud and perjury for allegedly voting in the 2024 election in Michigan.
The DOJ believes that election integrity starts with clean voter rolls. However, Trump's claims about widespread voter fraud, including claims that illegal immigrants are voting, have been met with scant evidence. A recent analysis by the Center for Election Innovation and Research found that existing safeguards are broadly effective.
Ashley Oliver, a reporter for Digital and FOX Business, is covering the Justice Department and legal affairs. If you have any story tips, you can email Ashley at [email protected].
Senator Dick Durbin, D-Ill., has criticized the DOJ's efforts, suggesting they could disproportionately affect voters of color, low-income communities, and active-duty military personnel. The DOJ has been ordered to review how states manage their voter registration lists, enter into information-sharing agreements with the states, aid states with prosecuting election-related crimes, and punish uncooperative states where possible.
As the nation prepares for future elections, the DOJ's efforts to ensure election integrity will continue to be a topic of interest and debate.
- The Department of Justice (DOJ) is also investigating various states' election practices under the National Voter Registration Act, which aims to combat war-and-conflicts and ensure policy-and-legislation related to elections are fair and accurate.
- Politics surrounding election integrity has been a general news topic, with debates about the DOJ's efforts to clean voter rolls and concerns that these measures could disproportionately affect certain groups, such as voters of color, low-income communities, and active-duty military personnel.
- Crime-and-justice issues have arisen as the DOJ investigates potential voter fraud cases, such as the recent charging of a Chinese national for alleged voter fraud in Michigan, as the nation looks to maintain election integrity.
