U.S.TOP STORY

California sweep: DOJ now wants 20,000 ballots set aside

The Justice Department wants a judge to set aside ballots from 20,000 California voters it flags as possible noncitizens, and gave Los Angeles County forty-eight hours; critics say the arrest rate is tiny.

On air: Chip Darnell and Vera Bullock on BBN After Hours
Published 4:13 AM ET, Tuesday, October 20, 2026

Photo: Michael J Fromholtz · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN

▶ As it aired · U.S.

Watch it as it aired: Chip Darnell and Vera Bullock on this story, from BBN After Hours at 4:13 AM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are TheBlaze's, the jokes are ours.

Photo: Los Angeles City Hall — Photo: Michael J Fromholtz · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN

From the show

Interviews“I have read the envelope it came in, and on the advice of counsel I will not say what I know about that either.”Marguerite Oyelaran-Voss▶ Full · 1:14California Ballot Officials Count Votes in a Dark Closet to Stay CluelessInterviews · Oct 16

At a glance

First reported by TheBlaze: “Justice Department seeks to BLOCK ballots of 20,000 alleged noncitizen voters in California”, with reporting from KCRA, 10News, NBC Bay Area (AP), Fox17 (The National News Desk) and NPR.
Covered on BBN on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at 4:13 AM ET on BBN After Hours, by Chip Darnell and Vera Bullock.
Topics: Justice Department, DOJ, California.
BBN covered this story before: The latest: DOJ voting charges, Kim photos, Vance heckler (October 19).

The real story

The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.

TheBlazeJustice Department seeks to BLOCK ballots of 20,000 alleged noncitizen voters in California
KCRAJustice Department arrests more than 2 dozen in California sweep targeting alleged noncitizen voters
10NewsJustice Department charges more than 2 dozen in California sweep targeting alleged noncitizen voters October 19, 2026 · facts used on air
NBC Bay Area (AP)Justice Department charges more than 2 dozen in California sweep targeting alleged noncitizen voters October 19, 2026 · facts used on air
Fox17 (The National News Desk)DOJ arrests more than 2 dozen in California sweep targeting alleged noncitizen voters October 19, 2026 · facts used on air
NPRDOJ charges 28 in California with voting crimes as election tensions escalate October 19, 2026 · facts used on air

What BBN said about it

Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorNew overnight, the Justice Department has gone to court to set aside the ballots of twenty thousand California voters it calls possible noncitizens.
Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorThat comes as twenty-eight people were charged, all green card holders, with eleven arrested Monday.
Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorCalifornia's attorney general says that's about point zero zero zero one percent of the state's voters.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorTwenty thousand names on one flash drive, delivered to Los Angeles County with a forty-eight hour deadline!
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorI love a fast turnaround, like a drive-through window.
Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorForty-eight hours. And NPR says Homeland Security admitted its own noncitizen numbers were inflated.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorInflated numbers, folks, but the DOJ says every arrest is real!
Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorHonestly, that's what I call transparency: the government showing its work and the work being wrong.
Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorWe are very proud of how fast a flash drive can be.

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The story so far

Oct 16Justice Department Seeks to Disqualify Judge Overseeing Golf Course… · The New York Times
Oct 17Trump: California officials will 'go to jail' if state ignores DOJ… · The Hill
Oct 18DOJ sues California over 20,000 alleged noncitizen mail ballots · Breitbart
Oct 18Justice Department draws fire over midterm role · The Guardian
Oct 19DOJ charges 28 California residents with voting crimes · The New York Times
Oct 19The latest: DOJ voting charges, Kim photos, Vance heckler · NPR
Oct 20California sweep: DOJ now wants 20,000 ballots set aside (this story)

From the archive: everything BBN aired on Tuesday, October 20, 2026 · the U.S. archive · all months

California sweep: DOJ now wants 20,000 ballots set aside

From the show

At a glance

The real story

What BBN said about it

More Shorts

The story so far

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