According to Breitbart News, Judicial Watch filed a lawsuit against California election officials for not adequately maintaining voter rolls under the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.
The lawsuit targets California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, who occupies a pivotal role in overseeing the state's electoral processes. From November 2020 to November 2022, the lawsuit reveals that 21 counties made minimal updates to their voter lists. In particular, 16 counties did not remove any registrants, raising questions about compliance with federal law.
The complaint focuses on the discrepancies in voter roll maintenance practices across various Californian counties. The 21 counties cited in the lawsuit had nearly six million registrants but removed only 11 individuals over two years.
Contrast this with San Diego County, which saw a significant reduction in its voter rolls during the same period, removing over 130,000 registrants out of 2.3 million.
According to Judicial Watch, 16 counties could not disclose the number of voter roll updates they instituted between November 2020 and November 2022. These counties represent nearly 30% of California’s population, further underscoring the organization’s concerns about electoral integrity.
Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton emphasized the implications: “Dirty voting rolls can mean dirty elections. And California’s voting rolls continue to be a mess," highlighting the urgency of corrective measures.
Judicial Watch achieved a notable settlement with Los Angeles County in February of the previous year. The agreement required the county to remove over 1.2 million outdated names from its voter rolls, which Judicial Watch presents as a precedent for the current legal action.
The lawsuit, formally known as Judicial Watch v. Weber, No. 2:24-cv-3750, is presently before the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. This ongoing case indicates that Judicial Watch believes more comprehensive actions are necessary to ensure compliance with the National Voter Registration Act.
“Judicial Watch litigation already caused the state to remove over a million outdated names from the rolls in California but our new lawsuit shows there is more work to do,” Fitton added. His statements frame the current case as an ongoing effort to rectify what the organization views as critical gaps in voter roll maintenance.
The lawsuit raises broader questions about the integrity of electoral processes in California, highlighting the importance of maintaining accurate voter lists. Judicial Watch argues that failure to uphold these standards can compromise the democratic process by potentially allowing ineligible votes.
The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 mandates states to maintain current and accurate voter rolls by regularly removing individuals who have become ineligible. Judicial Watch asserts that the current practices of California’s election officials fall short of these requirements.
This lawsuit is likely to draw considerable attention, given the ongoing national discourse surrounding election integrity and voter fraud. While the case is specific to California, its outcomes could have broader implications for how states across the U.S. manage their voter registration processes.
Judicial Watch has filed a lawsuit against California election officials to enforce stricter voter roll maintenance. The lawsuit highlights inconsistencies in 16 counties and stresses the need for further action despite a previous settlement that removed outdated entries in Los Angeles County. Tom Fitton of Judicial Watch emphasizes that accurate voter rolls are vital for election integrity and views the lawsuit as crucial for protecting democracy.
