The Department of Justice (DOJ) has launched legal proceedings against Orange County, California, suspecting the county of non-compliance with federal requests for evidence pertaining to efficient removal of noncitizens from their voting list. The lawsuit, filed against Robert Page, the Orange County Register of Voters, alleges his refusal to comply with the DOJ’s demand for access to records documenting the removal of non-citizens from the national voter registration roll. Furthermore, the administration posits that Page is contravening the Help America Vote (HAVA) Act by not maintaining an up-to-date voter roster. Allowing non-citizens to vote is a federal crime, and jurisdictions which fail to reveal all requested voter data are breaching federally established election laws.
Efficient extraction of non-citizens from voter logs is pivotal to the integrity of the state’s voting structure, as it ensures that only legal citizens cast votes in California’s elections. The Department of Justice is tasked with holding responsible jurisdictions not adhering to federal electoral laws. The genesis of the lawsuit was the unasked-for mail-in ballot received by an Orange County noncitizen. Post this incident, the DOJ asked for the count of voter registration records in Orange County that had been cancelled starting January 2020, owing to citizenship prerequisites; they also asked for supporting data regarding each nullification.
However, Page’s office is accused of concealing critical details such as California driver’s license and identification card digits, Social Security numbers, and others. With these redactions, the DOJ was obstructed from accurately establishing Orange County’s compliance with the HAVA Act in terms of purging its voter rolls of non-citizens. The DOJ admonished Page of impending lawsuit if he wouldn’t provide the uncensored information by June 20.
Following the deadline, it was provided by Page’s counsel on June 23 that Page would not be complying with the DOJ’s request. The argument is centered on the issue of whether Page can use California law to withhold specific personal data from the DOJ. Federal prosecutors maintain that federal law prevails over state law, thereby necessitating Page’s compliance to their request.
Occupying residence to a population totaling over three million, Orange County holds considerable electoral influence in an otherwise consistenlty Democratic state. In the 2024 vote counts, Kamala Harris trailed Donald Trump by less than three percentage points, a result remarkably different from Harris’s impressive double-digit win in the statewide race.
Nevertheless, the county insists on maintaining the most accurate voting rolls feasible, to ensure that only those legible to vote under federal law can participate. This is a step towards ensuring clean and fair elections without infiltrating foreign influences.
The DOJ’s decision to sue signals the continuing efforts of the current administration to prevent noncitizens’ involvement in U.S. elections. In its quest for electoral honesty, the DOJ has launched various lawsuits and spearheaded administrative overhauls. Its vehement action against North Carolina for alleged noncompliance with maintaining a voter list as per federal standards in May is a shining example.
Federal prosecutors are not only engaging in legal battles with counties, but they are also turning their focus on noncitizens, which include undocumented immigrants who allegedly partook in U.S. elections. Waging legal battles against these individuals personifies the administration’s serious demeanor towards upholding the sanctity of the electoral process.
In May, the administration announced a novel partnership with the Social Security Administration to verify immigration status and U.S. citizenship. The intent is to keep the voting process honest by ensuring that only legitimate U.S. citizens partake in the voting process. This tactic appears to be fruitful already. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in June shared news on an investigation of 33 possible noncitizens suspected of voting. This inquiry was possible due to an executive order, signed by the President, which grants state officials ease of access to a federal database to determine an individual’s citizenship or immigration status.