Federal prosecutors asked Washington to set aside ballots tied to more than 400 alleged noncitizen voters, pressing a clear test of election integrity just days before votes are counted.
Story Highlights
- The Justice Department flagged 405 alleged noncitizen registrants and asked Washington to segregate related ballots.
- Officials said many on the list are lawful permanent residents who are not allowed to vote.
- Prosecutors estimated the group cast more than 1,500 ballots across multiple elections.
- Washington’s Secretary of State questioned the list’s accuracy and is reviewing the data.
DOJ Flags 405 Alleged Noncitizen Voters and Seeks Ballot Segregation
The Department of Justice notified Washington’s Secretary of State that federal prosecutors identified 405 registered voters who appear to be noncitizens and asked the state to set aside any ballots connected to those names until citizenship can be verified. Acting United States Attorney Neil Floyd and First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano said the group includes people who voted in multiple elections. The department said it would provide the list to state officials to support a prompt review and next steps.
Federal prosecutors said the list was informed by data from the Department of Homeland Security, and many identified individuals were lawful permanent residents. That status allows someone to live and work in the United States but does not grant the right to vote in federal or state elections. Prosecutors framed the request as an interim safeguard: segregate the ballots first, then confirm citizenship before counting any that are in question, in order to protect lawful votes and public trust.
Scope of Ballots and What Is Still Unclear
Prosecutors estimated the 405 individuals together cast more than 1,500 ballots in past elections. The public materials do not include a ballot-by-ballot accounting or a detailed timeline for those alleged votes. Investigators also did not release the individual names or the exact matching steps used to link federal data to voter files. Those limits leave open questions about specific elections, dates, and how many ballots in federal contests are at stake while the review proceeds.
Federal officials said they lacked access to certain official ballot records during their initial review and instead relied on public voter information. That gap matters for final proof about who cast which ballot. Prosecutors asked Washington to share needed records lawfully so agencies can verify each case. A full reconciliation would match citizenship status, registration history, and ballot returns, then sort out people who later naturalized or appear due to old or mismatched data.
Washington’s Response and Data-Quality Concerns
Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs confirmed receipt of the letter and said his office is reviewing the request to ensure any response follows state and federal law. Hobbs questioned the list’s accuracy and pointed to at least one entry dated 1994, which raised concerns about how far back the data reaches and whether some records are outdated. The Secretary of State has said his office recorded only 15 cases of noncitizen voting from 1982 to 2025, which he calls exceedingly rare.
These competing statements set up a clear test. Prosecutors want to protect the count by holding suspect ballots aside until status checks are complete. State officials warn that database matches can flag citizens by mistake if records are old or inconsistent. The fastest way to resolve the dispute is case-by-case verification using official state voter data and updated federal status files, with privacy protections and clear tracking for each decision point.
Election Integrity Stakes for Voters and Officials
Every illegal vote cancels a lawful one. When the issue is citizenship, the law is bright-line: only American citizens can vote in federal and state elections. The Justice Department’s request aims to keep the count clean while facts are checked. That safeguard does not strip anyone’s rights; it pauses questionable ballots so no one is wrongly disenfranchised and no unlawful ballot slips into the total. Both sides should share verified results quickly so voters can see the process work.
DOJ Asks Washington to Set Aside Ballots From More Than 400 Suspected Noncitizen https://t.co/u0WTfOMbf9
— Restored Republic (@R_republic_411) October 27, 2026
Clear next steps can close the gap. First, Washington can provide ballot-history and registration records under lawful safeguards. Second, federal officials can produce a redacted index noting the source of each citizenship finding and the match fields used. Third, both can reconcile cases where a person naturalized after an older record or where names collide. A joint report that lists totals by election and outcome would give the public firm answers grounded in records, not rhetoric.
Sources:
thehill.com, justice.gov, commondreams.org, abc6onyourside.com, cbsnews.com, sentinelcolorado.com
