California Rejects 48-Hour Federal Deadline to Audit 20,000 Ballots

California election officials rejected a federal mandate requiring the verification of approximately 20,000 ballots within 48 hours. The refusal occurred less than two weeks before the midterm elections, creating an immediate legal conflict between state and federal authorities.

Attorney General Rob Bonta labeled the Justice Department's move a political tool. Speaking to MS Now on Saturday, Bonta stated that the agency was "politicizing and weaponizing the law to attack its enemies." He argued that the department acted at the direction of President Donald Trump rather than following standard legal procedure.

The federal request asked county election officials to provide data so the Department of Homeland Security could verify the citizenship status of voters on the list. The Justice Department described the effort as a measure to secure the election. In a statement, officials said they could ensure the "most secure election in California history" with county cooperation.

State personnel warned that the short timeframe could disenfranchise eligible citizens. Los Angeles officials noted that a "high percentage" of the individuals named on the federal list were born in the United States. Governor Gavin Newsom criticized the accuracy of the data, claiming the department included people who never voted and voters from the wrong county.

Bonta pointed to a lack of supporting evidence in his challenge. At a recent press conference, he said the state received only names without an explanation of why those specific voters were deemed ineligible. "If they have such information, we would be happy to review it, but they've provided none," he said.

The dispute arises as federal prosecutors increase enforcement actions related to noncitizen voting. The Justice Department recently charged 28 foreign nationals with fraudulent registration. Bill Essayli, the first assistant US attorney, asserted that the arrests proved California was mailing ballots to noncitizens who were then refusing to comply with federal law.

Some state officials took no action on the letters sent Friday, citing the proximity of the election date. An appeals court is scheduled to hear arguments in the resulting legal fight on Tuesday.