Attorney General Pam Bondi has directed Department of Justice (DOJ) officials to probe election practices throughout the country as part of the Trump administration's efforts to crack down on federal election laws.
The DOJ's Civil Rights Division is largely leading the effort, which has involved seeking information from states about their election practices and voter registration lists, sometimes known as "voter rolls," and placing an emphasis on identifying any noncitizens on them.
"Election integrity starts with clean voter rolls. That's the foundation for secure elections," a DOJ source told Fox News. "There's been a culture of noncompliance from several states that don't keep their roles updated. This DOJ is cracking down."
TRUMP APPOINTEE VOWS TO FOCUS DOJ'S LARGEST DIVISION ON DEI, DENATURALIZATION
Some states, like Wisconsin and Utah, shared recent election-related correspondence they had with the DOJ on state websites. New Hampshire's Republican secretary of state rejected a request to provide the DOJ with a statewide database of voters, saying laws do not allow the state to do that.
The department sent more unusual demand letters to numerous local election offices in California, asking for extensive personal data about any noncitizens who ended up on voter registration lists.
At least one of the recipients, Orange County, resisted the request, prompting the DOJ to sue. Attorneys for the county responded that county election officials were authorized under federal law to withhold sensitive information about voters.
The flurry of activity stems from an executive order Trump signed in March tasking the attorney general with coordinating with states on election integrity, which has been a top priority for him since his 2020 election loss. Trump ordered the DOJ to review how states manage their voter registration lists, enter into information-sharing agreements with the states, aid states with prosecuting election-related crimes, and punish uncooperative states where possible.
DOJ LAUNCHES INVESTIGATION INTO BLUE STATE CITY OVER ALLEGED RACE-BASED HIRING
Several Democrat-led states sued over the order, and a federal judge in Massachusetts temporarily blocked parts of it, saying "the Constitution does not grant the President any specific powers over elections." The DOJ is appealing the ruling.
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., blasted the DOJ's efforts, suggesting they were designed to hinder racial minorities' ability to vote.
"These efforts, made under the guise of combating fraud, will disproportionately endanger voters of color, low-income communities, and active-duty military personnel," Durbin said.
Trump has frequently voiced his grievances about voter fraud, saying it is widespread and that illegal immigrants are voting, but there is scant evidence to support those claims.
While states have identified noncitizens on voter rolls and removed them as part of routine voter list maintenance, rarely have they been found to have cast ballots. "Existing safeguards are broadly effective," a Center for Election Innovation and Research analysis recently found.
Last October, a Chinese national allegedly voted in the 2024 election in Michigan. The suspect, a University of Michigan student living legally in the country, used his student identification information and other data to complete a same-day voter registration form. He was charged with voter fraud and perjury.
