The Department of Justice (DOJ) is facing a potential lawsuit from a voting rights organization regarding a directive issued to California election authorities. The DOJ has demanded that these local officials cross-reference their current voter registration lists against data contained on a USB drive provided by the Trump administration. The directive includes a strict 48-hour window for compliance.

According to a letter obtained by The Hill, the voting rights group contends that the DOJ’s demand is improper and has signaled its intent to initiate legal action if the department does not withdraw the request. The core of the dispute centers on the authority of the DOJ to compel local jurisdictions to process specific datasets within a compressed timeframe, as well as the origin and verification of the data provided on the USB drive.

While the DOJ has not publicly detailed the specific legal basis for this demand, the threat of litigation highlights ongoing tensions regarding federal oversight of state-run election processes. The voting rights group argues that the mandate places an undue burden on local election offices and raises concerns about the integrity of the data being used for the cross-referencing process. As of now, the DOJ has not issued a formal response to the threat of the lawsuit, and it remains unclear whether California officials will comply with the 48-hour deadline while the legal challenge is pending.