It’s not every day that state scofflaws admit on the record they are deliberately refusing to follow the law, but that’s apparently what has happened in a dispute over election records and voters.
It is the American Center for Law and Justice that has documented its efforts to obtain records about the elections in the leftist state of California.
Now, the organization has confirmed, “For years, Americans have been told that concerns about noncitizens voting are a myth, a right-wing talking point unworthy of serious attention. However, California’s own secretary of state and attorney general have proven otherwise, not by admitting the state has no idea whether, or how often, it’s even happening, but because the state isn’t bothering to track it.”
Technically, that is a problem for the state.
“Federal law requires every state to maintain records showing how it safeguards the accuracy of its voter rolls and to make those records available to the public. Specifically, the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), 52 U.S.C. § 20507, requires each state to retain, for at least two years, and make available for public inspection, records showing how it works to keep its official voter rolls accurate and current.
But California just admitted in writing that it keeps no such records regarding the removal of noncitizens from its rolls. That’s convenient. But it’s also unlawful.”
The ACLJ confirmed its California Public Records Act actions, one to the secretary of state and another to Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office.
They seek records on how the state maintains the integrity of its voter rolls.
“The secretary of state’s office responded first, but refused to provide any records responsive to our request. According to its answer, the statewide voter registration system simply ‘does not contain’ a specific cancellation reason for noncitizenship. In other words, the state cannot tell us how many noncitizens have ever been removed from its voter rolls – because it doesn’t keep that information at all,” the organization confirmed.
The ACLJ said the state confirmed no option for canceling voter registration over a person’s status as a non-citizen.
“We asked for the outcomes of investigations into illegal voting. California said it simply ‘does not maintain’ those statistics,” the ACLJ said.
Bonta’s office confirmed it has no records “containing or addressing ‘policies’ that are specific to handling ‘investigative referrals for illegal voting.’”
“California’s own Department of Justice – the agency charged with enforcing the state’s election laws – has no written policy for what happens when someone reports illegal voting. Not redacted. Not withheld. Nonexistent,” the report said.
The report warned, “To be clear, this isn’t a case of the state simply lacking a category for record-keeping in general. California’s own system does track cancellations for other reasons – death, moving out of state, felony convictions – that strip voting rights. Those categories exist and are documented. The one category missing is citizenship. That’s not an oversight; that’s a choice.”
State officials claim “voters must attest, under penalty of perjury, that they meet every eligibility requirement, including citizenship, and that state law clearly bars noncitizens from registering.”
Explained the ACLJ, “Translation: Don’t worry, it’s illegal. But if the state isn’t tracking when that law gets broken, and someone is removed for violating it, and the attorney general isn’t keeping records of investigative referrals of illegal voting, that reassurance is hollow. You cannot claim a safeguard is working if you have no records showing whether it’s ever been triggered, or how it’s been investigated.”
Wonder why? https://t.co/02RWlnOtVI
— House Judiciary GOP 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@JudiciaryGOP) August 18, 2026
There are non-citizens & dead people registered on voter rolls in NJ, and across the nation. Some have voted, illegally.
The @CivilRights Division @theJusticeDept is committed to the integrity of American elections! pic.twitter.com/rGrdn4Gt9m
— AAGHarmeetDhillon (@AAGDhillon) August 17, 2026
UNCOVERED: Virginia Removes over 6500 Declared Non-Citizens From Voter Rolls pic.twitter.com/vBqd8e3wlF
— Judicial Watch ⚖️ (@JudicialWatch) August 17, 2026
