Trump admin demands Washington set aside 400 ballots it says are from noncitizens
Also reported by CBS News
Summary
The Justice Department asked Washington state election officials to set aside more than 400 ballots it says may be linked to noncitizen voters. Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs questioned the request’s timing, saying the state was reviewing it and warning that it could create unfounded suspicion shortly before the midterm election.Key Facts
- Federal prosecutors said the list of more than 400 people was “only the tip of the iceberg.”
- The Justice Department’s request came about a week before Washington’s general election.
- Hobbs said at least one person on the federal list dated back to 1994.
- The Washington secretary of state’s office said 113.5 million primary and general election ballots have been cast in the state since 1994.
- The Justice Department has also sued California to stop the state from counting more than 20,000 ballots it says may be linked to noncitizen voters.
- A federal appeals court declined to intervene in the California case and described the claimed emergency as partly “self-constructed.”
- The article says available evidence indicates noncitizen voting and voter fraud are rare and not widespread enough to change an election outcome.
