Alleged voter fraud case ahead of 2026 Midterm Elections: What impact will DOJ's charges against 28 California residents have on voting rights ahead of midterms?

The US Department of Justice has charged 28 green card holders in California with allegedly registering to vote illegally, with prosecutors saying 21 of them also cast ballots. The announcement comes just weeks before the November midterm elections.

The cases have renewed a debate over alleged noncitizen voting and the federal government’s efforts to investigate election fraud. California officials and voting rights advocates have questioned the broader crackdown, warning that inaccurate voter lists could put eligible voters at risk. The information is taken from The Guardian and KTLA5.

What are the charges against the 28 California residents

The Justice Department announced Monday that the 28 defendants are lawful permanent residents. They have legal status in the United States but are not citizens and are therefore not eligible to vote in federal elections.

Federal prosecutors allege that the defendants falsely claimed to be US citizens on voter registration applications. They also allegedly denied registering or voting when completing paperwork to become naturalized citizens.

A Justice Department spokesperson said 21 of the 28 had cast unlawful ballots. Eleven defendants had been taken into custody by Monday, while arrests were continuing.

The charges include making false statements in naturalization applications and, in some cases, fraudulent voter registration. Both are felonies that carry a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.

The cases are part of Operation Protect the Vote, a campaign involving California-based US Attorney’s Offices. Prosecutors say the effort is aimed at addressing election fraud.

First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli defended the investigation at a press conference in Los Angeles.

“This isn’t made up stuff. These are facts,” Essayli said.

Why is California disputing the DOJ’s voter fraud claims

The arrests happened during an argument between government leaders and California about a list of people who are thought to not be citizens.

The Justice Department said it gave state leaders a list of over 20,000 people it thinks might not be citizens but received mail ballots. Federal officials wanted California to confirm their citizenship status and set aside ballots until that could be established.

California Secretary of State Shirley Weber has pushed back, calling the federal demands “outrageous”. She said the government had made " vague and unsubstantiated allegations" and had not given enough information about how it put together its list.

Weber also mentioned that the Department of Homeland Security first said than 190,000 registered voters in California might be noncitizens, before changing the number to 20,000.

Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter said that the list might have mistakes.

“There may be some names on there who, it turns out, ultimately are citizens. We’re not perfect, and that’s why we’ve asked California to cooperate with us,” McCotter said.

California officials warn voters not to stay home

Some California officials have accused the federal crackdown of risking public trust in elections. Assemblymember Mark González called the state’s election process “safe and secure” and warned that the allegations could discourage Latino voters.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn also criticized the arrests, describing the situation as “voter intimidation and a blatant attempt to undermine trust in our midterm elections.”

She urged residents to continue voting, including through mail ballots and approved drop boxes.

The Justice Department said federal prosecutors have charged 112 people across 20 states in recent weeks over alleged registration offenses and illegal voting. Election experts have warned that broader efforts to remove suspected noncitizens from voter rolls could also affect eligible citizens.