DOJ Asks Washington to Set Aside 400+ Voters' Ballots
The Facts
- The U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) asked Washington state Monday to set aside ballots from more than 400 people it believes are registered without U.S. citizenship, pointing to about 1,500 votes cast in prior elections. The state has over 5 million registered voters.
- Acting U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd said that investigators cross-referenced immigration data with voter records to flag 405 registrants and described the total as "only the tip of the iceberg," adding that additional names are expected before Election Day.
- Many of those on the list are lawful permanent residents or green card holders who have legal immigration status but can't vote in U.S. elections, federal prosecutors said. The DOJ has not charged anyone with illegal voting.
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The Spin
Republican narrative
Mail-in elections are only as trustworthy as the voter rolls behind them. Automatic registration at licensing counters has clearly put people on that list who can't legally vote. Washington Democratic officials who brush off help cleaning up those rolls look like they fear what an honest audit would turn up. Once a bad ballot is counted, there's no undoing it.
Democratic narrative
Dumping a vague list of names on election officials days before ballots are counted, with no evidence attached, is about scaring voters away, not about protecting elections. Real fraud gets prosecuted in court, not announced at a press conference. Federal law shields voters from last-minute purges for good reason. The Trump administration and Republicans just want to keep people away from the polls.
