Based on DOJ asks Washington to set aside ballots from 400 alleged noncitizens · CBS News, Oct 27, 2026, 11:35 ET
Explain the Big Deal: Washington officials have not been told to separate any ballots yet, and no lawsuit has been filed there so far. The request could lead to legal and election disputes if the Justice Department pushes ahead.
What happened?
Federal prosecutors in Washington state asked Secretary of State Steve Hobbs to set aside ballots from 405 registered voters they say are not U.S. citizens. They said many of the people on the list appear to be green-card holders, who can live and work in the U.S. but cannot vote in federal elections. The prosecutors also said they believe some of those people voted in multiple elections and estimated more than 1,500 illegal ballots may have been cast, though they did not provide a public court filing in this case.
Who is involved and why does it matter?
The main people involved are acting U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd, eastern Washington federal prosecutor Pete Serrano, and Secretary of State Steve Hobbs. The Justice Department says it is trying to protect election integrity and identify ballots from ineligible voters. Hobbs says the list may be inaccurate and warned that the federal government’s method can wrongly flag U.S. citizens, putting their voting rights at risk.
What is the broader context?
This fight sits inside a broader Trump administration push to scrutinize state voter rolls and obtain unredacted registration data from states. The Justice Department has sued 30 states and the District of Columbia over voter roll access, and federal judges have tossed out 27 of those cases, with three still pending and one withdrawn. Washington officials also pointed to a similar effort in California, where the department asked local election offices to separate ballots from alleged noncitizens and then sued state officials after getting limited cooperation.
What happens next?
For now, Washington has only received a letter, not a lawsuit, and state officials say they will respond only through proper legal process. Hobbs said the timing, one week before the Nov. 3 election, appears intended to create doubt about the results. The story does not say whether the ballots will be separated, whether the citizenship claims are correct, or whether the Justice Department will take Washington to court.
Written by the Explain the Big Deal template from the article above. An AI summary: read the full story at the source.
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