San Diego County Rejects Federal Demand to Verify Citizenship of 1,709 Voters
County counsel argues the Justice Department's request for private data violates state law, while a federal judge prepares a ruling on similar demands.
By Mateo Thompson ·
San Diego County voters will keep their private data with the county registrar, as the office refused a federal demand to hand over Social Security numbers and hold ballots from 1,709 residents. The county sent a letter to the U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday stating it is legally barred from sharing this confidential information without a court order. This refusal comes after the Southern District of California U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon gave the county a 48-hour deadline to comply, a window that expired Sunday.
The dispute centers on a list of names provided by the federal government. County Counsel Damon Brown wrote that the Justice Department's request serves no proper legal purpose. He described the move as an attempt to extract confidential voter information based on unverified suspicions. The county stated that acting on the federal government's request would require violating both state and federal statutes.
The county pointed to internal data to support its stance. A random spot check of 10% of the names on the federal list revealed that 59% of the sampled individuals had already canceled their voter registrations. Another 74% of that small group had no record of voting in San Diego County. These findings suggest the list contains many inactive or duplicate entries, adding to doubts about the accuracy of a broader list of approximately 20,000 California voters.
Other California counties have taken similar positions. Imperial County also told the Justice Department it would not withhold ballots or provide private details for 161 local voters. Its registrar noted that the federal letter did not provide enough evidence to prove any specific voter was not a citizen. Los Angeles County also found issues in a sample of 200 names, with 71% having never voted and 38% having been born in the United States.
The legal conflict follows a ruling by a federal judge in Los Angeles. That judge ordered the Department of Homeland Security to stop field operations in nine states. The court found those operations relied on flawed data that included many U.S. citizens. The judge also noted that the activities could intimidate voters during early voting periods.
Judge David O. Carter of the U.S. Central District of California is expected to rule Wednesday on a separate lawsuit. The Justice Department filed that suit to see if it can force the California Secretary of State to comply with similar demands. In a Tuesday hearing, Judge Carter said he believed threats against state and county employees should stop immediately. He is also considering appointing a special master to evaluate the federal government's claims.
The San Diego letter warns of further legal action if the conflict continues. Brown wrote that the county reserves the right to pursue all legal remedies against the Justice Department. He argued that the federal agency knows how to obtain a judicial warrant if it had a sufficient evidentiary basis for its allegations. The county emphasized that it is the state, not the local registrar, that holds the primary responsibility for verifying voter eligibility.
The Justice Department has previously used subpoenas to obtain individual records in this district. That process led to four charges against individuals for voting-related crimes in San Diego County. The current demand for bulk data represents a shift in tactics. The county stated it will continue to conduct free and fair elections while complying with existing laws. A spokesperson for the Southern District of California declined to comment on the latest developments.
