Information provided by the SBC Elections Department. Lea este artĂculo en español aquĂ.
The Registrar of Voters (ROV) acknowledges that on October 23, 2026, two federal agents appeared at the office, presented federal badges, and hand-delivered an official demand letter from the Department of Justice (DOJ) titled “Notice of Suspected Likely Aliens on the San Benito County Voter Roll.”
The correspondence included a list of 33 individuals who had registered with the county and stipulated a 48-hour response window. A preliminary review by the ROV indicated that not all listed individuals were currently registered to vote in San Benito County.
The central premise of the DOJ’s demand was the assertion that noncitizens were improperly registered to vote and receiving vote-by-mail ballots. While the ROV remains fully committed to participating in lawful criminal investigations, this expedited demand was not a judicial court order or formal criminal subpoena. The letter requested nonpublic details, such as Social Security numbers, driver’s license information, and voter application records, and asked that vote-by-mail ballots for individuals on the list to be immediately segregated pending citizenship verification.
Local election officials are bound by state law and statutory election procedures. We are actively reviewing this matter with our legal counsel to determine the appropriate response before releasing any nonpublic data or altering standard election processes. While the ROV is firmly committed to upholding election integrity and will fully assist with any legitimate investigation, all inquiries must proceed through proper, authorized legal channels.
“Hand-delivering a letter via armed federal agents with an arbitrary 48-hour deadline does not circumvent state law,” said Francisco Diaz, San Benito County Registrar of Voters. “We will not be intimidated by agents with guns for simply doing our jobs, nor will we be rushed into compromising confidential voter data. We remain committed to balancing the needs of a proper investigation with our strict legal duty to protect the privacy rights of U.S. citizens through due process, not under pressure.”
The Registrar of Voters assures all eligible voters that their personal information remains secure and that our office will continue to uphold strict legal standards to safeguard election integrity and privacy rights.