DOJ asks Washington to hold ballots from 405 voters over citizenship questions

The Justice Department asked Washington state election officials Monday to set aside ballots from 405 registered voters whom federal authorities allege may not be U.S. citizens, pending confirmation of their eligibility.

In a letter to Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, federal prosecutors said the Department of Homeland Security had identified the voters as suspected noncitizens. Acting U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd said the group had cast more than 1,500 ballots in previous elections, including some as recently as the August primaries. Prosecutors said many may be lawful permanent residents, who are not eligible to vote in federal elections.

The department gave Hobbs until Wednesday to review the list and prevent any ballots from the identified voters from being tabulated until their citizenship status is established. The letter said federal officials could seek emergency court intervention if the state did not implement the request. Prosecutors also said another list from DHS was expected.

Hobbs said his office was reviewing the request but questioned the list’s accuracy and timing. His office said some entries showed people whose most recent recorded votes dated to the 1990s, including one in 1994.

“We take our responsibility to protect voter information seriously and will only respond to requests that follow due process,” Hobbs said. He described the request, made about a week before the general election, as an attempt to cast “unfounded suspicion” on the results.

Floyd characterized the 405 voters as “the tip of the iceberg,” while acknowledging that limits on access to state records made it difficult to prove illegal voting.