San Luis Obispo Clerk-Recorder Elaina Cano says she’s looked into some of the names the Department of Justice says are likely noncitizens, and so far the ones with active registrations are “confirmed U.S. citizens.”
“Most of them are either inactive or canceled,” she said of the other voters’ registrations.
On Friday, President Donald Trump’s Justice Department sent Cano a letter with 63 listed names.
Cano provided KCBX a copy of the Justice Department’s letter, minus the names.
On top of other requests, it asks her office to turn over the social security numbers of the 63 people.
“If a ballot for any individual on the list has been returned, instruct the appropriate elections official to not process the ballot until citizenship can be determined,” the letter instructs.
According to Cano, federal and state laws already lay out requirements for determining voter eligibility.
In a statement released Monday, Cano argued the Justice Department’s allegations do not “authorize our office to set aside their ballots or disregard established election law.”
Similar letters were sent to local officials across California last week. According to a court document filed by the state, the list sent to Mendocino County “included only individuals from outside the county.”
On Monday, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected an attempt to force California election officials to set aside the ballots of voters the Justice Department identified as likely noncitizens.
According to CNN, a three-judge panel decided a lower court must first rule on the issue.
