DOJ Sues Orange County Registrar Over Voter Records Under Help America Vote Act

DOJ Lawsuit Against Orange County Registrar

• 🏛️ The US Department of Justice is suing Orange County's Registrar of Voters, Bob Page, over his alleged refusal to provide unedited voter records.
• ⚖️ The lawsuit claims this action violates the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), which mandates clean voter rolls for federal elections.
• 📄 The DOJ is seeking personally identifying information to investigate reports of non-citizens being on voter rolls and potentially voting in federal elections.

Registrar's Defense and Federal Authority

• 🔒 Bob Page states his office shared records but redacted private information to comply with state law.
• 🚫 The DOJ argues that these redactions prevent proper oversight and that federal law, particularly when federal funding is involved, preempts state law.
• 📈 A past lawsuit in Los Angeles County in 2017, filed by Judicial Watch, resulted in the finding that over a million people were improperly on voter rolls.

Purpose and Accountability

• 🎯 The DOJ emphasizes the goal is to ensure only citizens are voting in federal elections, not to facilitate deportations.
• 💰 Local leaders are told they can either stop taking federal money or lobby Congress to change federal law.
• 🧑‍⚖️ Accountability will involve compelling compliance with the law, potentially through a judge's ruling or an appeal if necessary.

Assistant Attorney General's Perspective

• 💼 Harmeet Dhillon, Assistant US Attorney General for Civil Rights, discusses her new role, highlighting significant responsibilities and working with intelligent colleagues on important civil rights issues.
• ☀️ A personal drawback mentioned is the weather in Washington D.C., missing California.