RIVERSIDE, CA — Federal prosecutors are pressing Riverside County election officials to set aside more than 1,300 mail-in ballots ahead of the Nov. 3 election over claims that noncitizens cast them illegally, The Press-Enterprise reported Tuesday.
According to a letter sent late Monday by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli to Riverside County Registrar of Voters Art Tinoco, the Department of Justice flagged 1,355 ballots as being submitted by "likely aliens." The agency gave the county 48 hours to agree to coordinate with the DOJ and the Department of Homeland Security to verify the voters' citizenship status or face potential legal action, the news outlet reported.
County elections spokesperson Elizabeth Florer confirmed to the PE receipt of the federal notice, stating that registrar officials had not yet reviewed its contents and declined to comment further.
The demand is tied to a broader federal lawsuit involving approximately 20,000 California mail-in ballots. Neighboring San Bernardino County received a matching request to withhold ballots, which local officials are reviewing alongside state election authorities.
While the Justice Department maintains the effort is intended to prevent unlawful voting, state officials have pushed back, arguing the claims lack evidence and represent an attempt to disrupt the election. A hearing on the broader matter is slated for Tuesday in federal court after an appellate court declined to intervene.
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