Santa Clara County Rejects DOJ Demand to Verify 902 Voter Ballots

Santa Clara County Executive James Williams sent a formal response to the U.S. Attorney rejecting a demand from the U.S. Department of Justice to identify and set aside the ballots of 902 registered Santa Clara County voters whom federal prosecutors claim are likely non-citizens, according to NBC Bay Area.

The Justice Department letter, received Friday by the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters, arrived alongside similar letters sent to San Francisco, Contra Costa, and San Mateo counties, and as the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals separately denied a Trump administration emergency motion seeking to force California to set aside roughly 20,000 mail-in ballots statewide.

No Subpoena, No Warrant, and Duplicate Names on Page One

Williams and County Counsel Tony LoPresti stated that the federal government provided no legal authority to sequester ballots. “Unsupported allegations from a letter from the federal government does not constitute a basis to sequester votes or failed to count them without a subpoena or a warrant,” Williams said.

When county officials reviewed the 902 names submitted by the Justice Department, they immediately uncovered errors. “Just on the first page alone we found three duplicates. The data is messy and we’re not seeing a thoughtful list that’s backed by valid information,” Williams told NBC Bay Area.

Registrar Pledges Voter Privacy Ahead of Nov. 3 Election

Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters Matt Moreles pledged that the county will abide by all state and federal laws while safeguarding voter privacy. San Jose resident Andy Bonilla criticized the timing of the federal demand so close to Election Day as an effort to intimidate voters, while resident Manny Escarcega noted that election officials already verify voter rolls.