Bonta Files Federal Suit to Block DOJ's 48-Hour Ballot Audit

California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a federal lawsuit on Saturday to stop the Department of Justice from enforcing a 48-hour deadline for local election officials. The suit seeks to halt a demand that counties verify the citizenship status of roughly 20,000 voters on a list provided by federal prosecutors. Bonta argued that the agency is acting at the direction of President Donald Trump to attack political opponents.

The conflict began when federal prosecutors sent letters to county election officials on Friday. The letters requested that each county commit to providing information to the Department of Homeland Security so it could quickly verify citizenship status. Bonta said the Justice Department provided only names without explaining why those specific individuals were considered ineligible to vote.

State officials have raised concerns that the short turnaround time could lead to the removal of eligible citizens from voter rolls. Los Angeles county officials noted that a high percentage of the people on the list were born in the United States. Governor Gavin Newsom criticized the move on social media, describing the process as an absolute clown show that included voters who never cast ballots and residents from the wrong county.

The Justice Department framed the initiative as a measure to secure the election. In a statement, the agency said it was asking county officials to work with it to ensure the most secure election in California history. The push coincides with a wider national effort by Republicans to tighten rules on alleged voter fraud, particularly among undocumented immigrants.

Bonta told MS Now that the department was politicizing and weaponizing the law to attack its enemies. He said the action was completely improper. Congressman Pete Aguilar, representing south-west San Bernardino county, echoed the criticism, writing that voter intimidation has no place in the democracy.

The dispute has legal implications for the upcoming midterm elections. Some state officials initially took no action on the Friday letters, citing the proximity of the election date. This inaction triggered the current legal battle. An appeals court is scheduled to hear arguments on the matter on Tuesday.

The Justice Department recently charged 28 foreign nationals with fraudulently registering to vote. Bill Essayli, the first assistant US attorney, said the arrests proved that California was mailing ballots to noncitizens who refused to comply with federal law. The defendants in that case are lawful permanent residents who hold legal status in the United States but are not citizens eligible to vote.