US attorney predicts 'people will be charged' over California voter rolls

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has approved a new initiative aimed at enhancing election integrity by enabling states to verify the citizenship status of registered voters and monitoring mail-in ballot flows for potential signs of fraud. This decision aligns with President Donald Trump’s broader efforts to address concerns about election security and legitimacy. According to a court filing submitted on Friday, the initiative is expected to launch by the end of June. Under the proposed plan, states would be able to submit their complete voter registration rolls to a federal immigration database called the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program. This system would cross-reference voter records with federal immigration and citizenship data, including information from the Social Security Administration, to confirm whether voters are eligible.

The initiative also involves coordination with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to monitor the flow of mail-in and absentee ballots. This collaboration aims to identify unusual patterns that could indicate voter fraud or misuse and generate leads for further investigation. The plan includes a secure online system that allows state election officials to directly check citizenship information held by federal agencies such as U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the Social Security Administration (SSA), and the State Department. To ensure data security, the information would remain within each agency’s system, and state officials would conduct checks through a secure portal when verifying voter eligibility.

This move follows President Trump’s March 31 executive order titled "Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections," which mandates the creation of "state citizenship lists." The directive requires the DHS to identify confirmed U.S. citizens aged 18 and older and share that information with state election officials. Additionally, the executive order prohibits the USPS from delivering mail-in ballots to anyone not officially enrolled on a state-provided "Mail-In and Absentee Participation List." All outgoing mail-in ballot envelopes must include an "Official Election Mail" marking and a unique tracking barcode to confirm that only citizens cast ballots.

Republican leaders in New Jersey have reportedly discovered hundreds of noncitizens listed on voter rolls, some of whom had voting records. The New Jersey Republican Party (NJGOP) and the Republican National Committee (RNC) obtained this information by requesting voter rolls from all 21 counties. Some of the noncitizens sought naturalization and wished to have their names removed from the rolls. Many of them were registered as Democrats but claimed they were unaware of their registration and feared it might disqualify them from becoming citizens.

New Jersey GOP Chairwoman Christine Giordano Hanlon emphasized the importance of election integrity, stating that ensuring free, fair, and secure elections is crucial for maintaining public trust. She noted that the NJGOP Election Integrity Task Force would work to ensure that New Jersey’s elections are securely and fairly administered. RNC Chairman Joe Gruters commented that the findings in New Jersey are merely the tip of the iceberg and highlighted that New Jersey and other Democrat-run states are reluctant to disclose information about their voter registration list maintenance processes. The RNC has requested information about voter registration list maintenance processes from 48 states.

In California, First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli predicted that "people will be charged" over alleged voter fraud. He emphasized the need for a comprehensive audit of the California voter roll, which he and Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Harmeet Dhillon have been advocating for over the past year. Essayli criticized California’s election system, pointing out its reliance on mail-in voting and the absence of a requirement for photo ID at the polls. He accused California officials of allowing noncitizens to vote, which is prohibited by federal law, although he did not provide specific evidence to support his claims.

President Trump has raised concerns about the integrity of California’s election process, alleging that the Los Angeles mayoral race was a "rigged election." He criticized the slow vote-counting process in California, noting that unlike other countries, the U.S. takes days or even weeks to finalize election results. Despite these allegations, reports indicate that instances of noncitizens voting are rare. However, the Justice Department has initiated legal action against California to gain access to its voter registration rolls under the Help America Vote Act and has launched investigations into alleged voter fraud across the state.

Meanwhile, co-host Sunny Hostin of "The View" defended California’s slow vote-counting process, arguing that taking time to ensure accuracy is essential, especially in a state with 23 million registered voters. She dismissed concerns about the delay, emphasizing that California’s meticulous approach to verifying signatures contributes to the extended counting period. Her comments sparked debate among her colleagues, with co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin questioning why other states like Florida can complete their vote counts quickly. Hostin’s defense of California’s electoral procedures highlights the ongoing discourse surrounding election integrity and the differing perspectives on the efficiency and fairness of various voting systems.