California Blocks Federal Request for Voter Registration Records

California is withholding its statewide voter registration list from the Justice Department despite a request made more than a year ago. Federal officials want the records to check whether the state is meeting requirements under the National Voter Registration Act and the Help America Vote Act.

The department also asked for copies of all voter registration applications submitted between December 1, 2023, and July 1, 2025.

Federal Position Los Angeles U.S.

He noted that California accepts documents such as health club membership cards, employee identification cards, credit or debit cards, prescription labels, and insurance cards when a driver's license or Social Security number is not provided. Essayli also questioned whether the state is removing deceased voters, people who have moved, and individuals convicted of disqualifying felonies.

He pointed to the state's ballot-harvesting rules, which allow third parties to collect and submit ballots with few restrictions. The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division sent an August 2025 letter to California Secretary of State Shirley Weber stating that federal law gives the attorney general authority to obtain the records.

The letter said the department is entitled to a full copy of the voter registration list in the form maintained by the state.

California law requires voters to provide a driver's license number, state identification number, or the last four digits of a Social Security number. When those are unavailable, election officials may assign a unique identifying number. He noted that non-citizens receive different driver's licenses than citizens and that provisional ballots are verified before being counted.