DOJ subpoenas Los Angeles election officials ahead of Nov. 4 vote

The U.S. Justice Department has subpoenaed Los Angeles County election officials in a move that intensifies federal scrutiny of local voting processes. Three subpoenas were sent to employees of the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder on Wednesday, Oct. 21.

The documents order the recipients to appear in court on Nov. 4, the day after the general election. They request all records, communications, and documents related to letters sent in July and October by federal officials to state election authorities. Those letters outlined allegations that noncitizens remain on the state’s voter rolls. The subpoenas also seek details on the office’s methods for screening for unlawful voting by aliens and any efforts to prevent noncitizen votes from being counted.

According to a person familiar with the matter, all four U.S. attorneys in California are issuing the subpoenas. Dean Logan, the Los Angeles County registrar, responded to the action by saying threats and intimidation have no place in elections.

The legal pressure coincides with an ongoing court battle involving up to 20,000 ballots that the Trump administration suspects went to noncitizens. The administration is suing to force California to set aside those ballots until citizenship is verified. U.S. District Judge David O. Carter rejected that request on Tuesday. He then appointed a special master on Thursday to develop the factual record for the court.

Carter noted that both sides agree the federal government’s list includes an unspecified number of citizens. He expressed concern that separating the ballots at this stage could risk disenfranchising citizens and disrupt the certification process. The certification deadline for county elections is Dec. 3. More than 500,000 votes have already been processed in Los Angeles County alone, and the system protects voter privacy by making processed votes untraceable.

The Justice Department filed a request on Wednesday for the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to rule quickly. The filing argued that irreversible ballot processing is occurring on an ongoing basis. Judge Carter, an appointee of President Bill Clinton, stated he will rule on the government’s renewed request for a preliminary injunction after a Nov. 13 evidentiary hearing.

President Donald Trump criticized Carter’s ruling on Thursday before a campaign rally in South Carolina. He called California elections extremely corrupt and claimed there are millions of bad ballots in the state. The Justice Department has made similar demands in other states, including Washington. Federal authorities have also charged over two dozen foreign nationals in California as part of a statewide sweep targeting alleged illegal registrations or votes.