Federal prosecutors say more than 400 noncitizens registered and cast about 1,500 ballots in Washington—and they want those voters’ new ballots set aside now.
Story Snapshot
- Justice Department flagged over 400 suspected noncitizen voters with about 1,500 past ballots.
- Request asks Washington to segregate any new ballots from those individuals pending checks.
- Washington’s top election official disputes parts of the list’s accuracy and timing.
- Two U.S. Attorney’s Offices signed the request, adding institutional weight.
DOJ Names A Specific Pool And A Specific Fix
The Department of Justice publicly identified more than 400 people it says are noncitizens who registered and voted in Washington across multiple elections. Prosecutors estimate about 1,500 ballots tie to this group’s past voting history. They asked the state to set aside any 2026 ballots from these individuals until officials confirm citizenship. The Justice Department said many on the list are lawful permanent residents, which still bars them from voting under federal and state law.
Two United States Attorney’s Offices—Eastern and Western Districts of Washington—backed the request. Acting U.S. Attorneys Pete Serrano and Neil Floyd’s involvement raises the stakes. It is not a blog post or a campaign memo; it is a public assertion from federal prosecutors tied to a defined dataset and a narrow remedy. The ask stops short of tossing votes. It calls for segregation and verification, which is a cautious step consistent with election integrity and due process.
What Washington Says Back
Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said some people on the federal list are U.S. citizens, and some are not even on the state’s voter rolls. His office also flagged that at least one record dates to 1994, which suggests possible matching or data currency problems. Hobbs questioned the timing near the election and said the state will follow the law on any records or ballot handling requests, not informal demands.
Acting U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd acknowledged that federal investigators do not hold the state’s official voting records for all listed individuals. That matter adds friction. State files confirm registrations, ballot returns, and signature checks. Federal files indicate immigration status. The truth lives where those records meet. That is why the remedy—temporarily segregate, then verify—fits common sense. Protect eligible voters and protect the ballot box at the same time.
The Crucial Difference Between A Match And A Crime
Database flags are not verdicts. A flagged registration is different from a counted ballot, which is different from a knowing illegal vote. Prosecutors say the 400-plus people “appear” to be noncitizens with voting histories. They have not said each case amounts to a prosecutable crime. They have not promised charges now. That restraint is good. Election crimes must be proved person by person, with records like naturalization dates, signed attestations, and ballot tracking, not just broad matches.
Broader research shows confirmed noncitizen voting is rare, even if not zero. A Brennan Center review of 42 jurisdictions covering 23.5 million 2016 votes found about 30 suspected cases referred for investigation—about one in a million. That base rate matters. It warns against panic. It also supports smart screening that separates errors from violations. Precision protects citizens from bad purges and protects elections from unlawful ballots at the same time.
What Should Happen Next
Washington should perform a fast, documented match against its official rolls, ballot histories, and signature records. The Department of Justice should share the underlying person-level evidence and matching rules, with private data protected. Both should record naturalization dates where relevant, because many lawful permanent residents later become citizens. Publish the aggregate results with clear error categories. Show how many cases remain in dispute, and how many resolve cleanly one way or the other.
American conservative values favor secure elections, equal rules, and due process. The Department of Justice request threads that needle better than a purge or a shrug. Hold the specific ballots aside. Verify citizenship quickly. Count eligible votes. Refer willful violations for prosecution. If Washington proves that some federal matches hit citizens or old, stale records, fix the list and move on. Confidence grows when institutions show their work and correct fast, in public view.
Sources:
apnews.com, abcnews4.com, justice.gov, seattletimes.com, theolympian.com
