Trump Administration Asks Washington State to Hold Ballots of Over 400 Suspected Noncitizen Voters

The Trump administration has asked Washington state to set aside any ballots received from more than 400 people it suspects registered to vote without U.S. citizenship. In a letter sent on Monday, October 26, 2026, to the Washington Secretary of State's Office, the Justice Department stated it identified 1,500 votes cast by these individuals in prior elections. The federal government wants the state to sequester any ballots these voters might cast in next month's midterm until state officials can confirm their legal eligibility. Washington currently has more than 5 million registered voters.

Official Reactions and Legal Context

Acting U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd stated in a news conference that the state needs to hold the ballots until legal voters are confirmed. Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs is reviewing the demand and noted his office has received about 60 subpoenas from the Justice Department since last month seeking voter information. Hobbs stated they take protecting voter information seriously, follow due process, and do not want Washingtonians harassed like in California. Similar federal demands in California asked to sequester mail ballots for up to 20,000 suspected noncitizens, which California has challenged in court. A panel of federal appellate judges questioned the timing, constitutionality, and authority of that demand, noting the U.S. Constitution gives state legislatures the power to manage congressional elections. Los Angeles County checking a sample of 200 records from the administration's list found inactive registrations, people with no voting history, and U.S.-born voters.

Future List and Prior Claims

The Justice Department informed Washington that it expects to send an additional list of suspected noncitizen voters before Election Day, while also admitting some individuals on the list may have since become naturalized citizens. Past government allegations of noncitizen voting have shown much lower numbers upon investigation. Nevada allegations claimed 1,500 potential noncitizen voters, but later checks found zero. In Maricopa County, a Trump-supporter recorder claimed 207 possible noncitizens, but the county attorney found only eight.

Context

Noncitizen voting in U.S. elections is federal law violation and is statistically rare, though political disputes over voter roll accuracy often surface prior to major elections. States traditionally maintain and verify their own voter registration lists under constitutional authority, leading to ongoing legal friction when federal agencies attempt to intervene directly in state election administration.