Trump Administration Issued More Than 100 Voter-Record Subpoenas, Reuters Reports
A Reuters investigation found that the Trump administration issued more than 100 subpoenas for voter records in at least 12 states, expanding a noncitizen-voting campaign days before the November 3 midterms.
The Trump administration has issued more than 100 subpoenas seeking records involving tens of thousands of voters in at least 12 states, according to a Reuters investigation published Wednesday, October 28, 2026. Reuters said most of the demands went to state and local election officials during the preceding three months, although some date to early 2026. The disclosure shows a wider federal campaign than had previously been documented, five days before the November 3 midterm elections.
The subpoenas do not establish that the voters named in them cast illegal ballots. They are demands for records or testimony, and many inquiries remain unresolved. Reuters found that at least 44 were issued under grand-jury authority, connecting them to criminal investigations. The requests ranged from files on individual voters to complete local voter rolls containing tens of thousands of names.
The requests span Democratic and Republican-leaning states
Reuters identified the subpoenas through public-records requests and interviews with state and local officials. The jurisdictions included Democratic strongholds such as Minneapolis, Philadelphia and Los Angeles, as well as places in Texas, Kansas and Georgia, where competitive races are underway. California governments received at least 17 subpoenas, while Washington election officials said they had received roughly 60 requests concerning individual voters in recent weeks.
The Justice Department declined to confirm or deny using subpoenas in noncitizen-voting investigations, telling Reuters that it would enforce the law wherever the evidence led. The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to the news organization’s questions. White House spokesperson Lauren Bis defended the campaign, saying people who vote illegally would be held accountable and describing enforcement as a continuing priority.
California actions show how the broader campaign works
Separate reporting by Scripps News documented Justice Department letters directing California election officials to identify people suspected of being noncitizens and to set aside any mail ballots they returned until citizenship could be checked. California officials challenged the reliability of the federal data. Reuters reported that a state review of 200 registrations from a federal list found that nearly 40 percent appeared to belong to citizens, and an administration official acknowledged that the larger list could contain citizens.
Federal law bars noncitizens from voting in federal elections, and violations can be prosecuted. But the existence of a registration record, a government database match or a subpoena is not proof that an illegal vote occurred. Reuters said multiple studies and its own review found noncitizen voting to be exceedingly rare. Its analysis identified 147 federal cases filed since Trump returned to office, most still pending, representing fewer than one case for every million votes cast in 2024.
The campaign has expanded beyond subpoenas
The subpoenas are one part of a broader administration effort. Reuters reported that armed Homeland Security agents questioned residents in several states about immigration status and voting, while the Justice Department sued 30 states that refused to provide voter rolls containing sensitive identifiers. A federal judge largely halted the Homeland Security field operations in nine states on October 21. The new reporting indicates subpoenas have provided another route for federal agencies to seek similar information.
Election administration is primarily a state responsibility, and legal experts interviewed by Reuters disagreed with the administration’s portrayal of noncitizen voting as a major threat. Some warned that unverified lists or open investigations could be cited in attempts to delay certification or dispute close results. Those concerns are prospective: the reporting did not establish that the administration has filed a challenge to any 2026 midterm result.
What remains unresolved
The scale of the subpoenas is the new development, not evidence of widespread fraud. It remains unclear how many records will lead to charges, how many suspected matches involve citizens, and whether any cases could affect an election outcome. The Justice Department and Homeland Security may disclose more about individual investigations after the election, but grand-jury matters are generally secret. Until then, allegations involving particular voters should be treated as allegations unless supported by court findings or convictions.
Sources and image credit
- Reuters — Trump expands hunt for noncitizen voters with broad subpoena campaign before midterms
- Internazionale — accessible Reuters syndication of the investigation
- Scripps News — Justice Department orders California counties to set aside ballots from suspected noncitizens
- Image: Voter Registration (39598250330) on Wikimedia Commons
- Original full-resolution voter registration image
- Image creator: Fabrice Florin