Blanche Won't Rule Out DOJ Election Certification Intervention as California Fight Targets 20,000 Voters
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Oct 23
Blanche Won't Rule Out DOJ Election Certification Intervention as California Fight Targets 20,000 Voters
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Oct 23
Summary
Todd Blanche said the Justice Department could step into a state's midterm election certification only in a hypothetical "doomsday scenario," while insisting he is not trying to block certification or "create chaos."
The remarks came as DOJ presses election lawsuits, including a case seeking to force California to provide unredacted voter data and stop counting mail ballots from roughly 20,000 voters the federal government says may be noncitizens.
California's secretary of state's office said DOJ gave it just 48 hours to review those names, underscoring the practical dispute behind Blanche's broader warning about possible federal action.
Federal law largely leaves elections to state and local officials, with DOJ mainly empowered to protect civil rights and prosecute election crimes rather than challenge ballots or delay certification.
Chuck Schumer said Senate Democrats had prepared for such moves for months, while a federal judge this week temporarily curbed some DOJ election field operations in nine states through Election Day.