Wire reporting: (AP, via LAist)

The U.S. Justice Department sent letters Friday to California county elections offices seeking identifying records on listed voters within 48 hours and asking that ballots be sequestered where citizenship cannot be verified, according to the Los Angeles Times and AP-based accounts^3,1,2.

The letters follow a federal lawsuit against California Secretary of State Shirley Weber and Los Angeles County Registrar Dean Logan that seeks to stop counting of about 20,000 people the department describes as likely noncitizens^3,1,2. AP-based accounts said a hearing is set for Tuesday and that the administration asked the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to act by Saturday if a district judge had not ruled^1,2.

Santa Cruz County Clerk Tricia Webber, president of the California Association of Clerks and Election Officials, told the Times she knew of 15 counties that received letters and had heard of others³. AP-based accounts, citing the L.A. County registrar, said at least 18 counties received similar letters^1,2.

Webber said two people with Justice Department credentials handed her a letter seeking action on 81 names within 48 hours³. A letter to Contra Costa County from U.S. Attorney Craig Missakian cited 407 people and demanded nonpublic registration data, including Social Security numbers and copies of registration applications, the Times reported³. A letter to San Bernardino County described 1,133 names on the government's list for that county, according to AP-based accounts^1,2.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said election officials who knowingly process a noncitizen's ballot face legal jeopardy, according to the Times and AP-based accounts^3,1,2. The Justice Department did not respond to the Times³.

State and L.A. County lawyers have opposed the demands in court, arguing the request could delay certification, that federal data are unreliable and that citizens could be blocked from having ballots counted^1,2,3. Kristin Connelly, Contra Costa County's registrar, said her office follows election law and that "this threat is not helpful and is intended to intimidate"³. Logan told fellow clerks the 48-hour deadline was unenforceable and that the letters sought individual-level data previously obtained only by subpoena, according to the Times³.

Logan's office has said a review of a subset of the 20,000 names found many were born in the United States, were not registered or had never voted³.

Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., said Friday the department had not shown evidence of massive fraud and lacked authority to interfere^2,3. California Attorney General Rob Bonta's office declined to comment to the Times³. Whether counties must comply remains before the courts^1,2,3.