To: [election supervisor and address]
From: [sender (person or group)]

RE: **Summary of Key Points from the July 7, 2026 U.S. Department of Justice Letter**. *(Signed by Harmeet K. Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division)*  

Dear [election supervisor name],

This letter (sent to Secretaries of State and similarly to election officials in all 50 states) serves as formal notice to **state and local election officials**—including county election supervisors, recorders, and their staff—of their federal legal duties to ensure only eligible U.S. citizens vote in federal elections, and of the criminal penalties for failing to do so.

Core Obligations for Local Election Officials

Federal law requires state **and local** election officials to:

- Properly maintain voter registration lists and election records so that only eligible U.S. citizens cast votes in federal elections.
- Make records available for inspection by the Attorney General upon demand.

- Conduct reasonable efforts to remove ineligible voters (by death or change of residence) and ensure only eligible applicants are registered (National Voter Registration Act / NVRA).

- Maintain accurate, updated statewide voter registration lists containing only legally registered voters, perform regular list maintenance, and reject incomplete registration applications (Help America Vote Act / HAVA).

- Avoid the procurement, casting, or tabulation of ballots known to be materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent.

Criminal Liability for Election Officials

The letter explicitly warns that **any election officer** (including local county officials) can face criminal prosecution for:
- Knowingly and willfully depriving residents of a fair and impartially conducted election by procuring, casting, or tabulating known false/fraudulent ballots (NVRA § 12(2)(B), 52 U.S.C. § 20511).  

*Example given: Knowingly retaining noncitizens on the voter list, sending them ballots, and counting those ballots.*

- Aiding and abetting noncitizen voting or false claims of citizenship (related to 18 U.S.C. §§ 1015(f), 911, and 611).

- Knowingly conspiring to injure citizens in the exercise of their constitutional right to vote by intentional acts aimed at diluting citizen votes (18 U.S.C. § 241).

- Providing false information or committing fraud in connection with noncitizen registration or voting (penalties include fines up to $10,000 or imprisonment up to five years under related HAVA/VRA provisions).

The DOJ Civil Rights Division has authority both to seek injunctive relief and to prosecute criminal violations. The letter encourages states (and by extension local officials) to contact the Division to discuss steps needed to maintain clean voter lists as required by law. It requested a response within five days on how compliance would be ensured at both the state **and local** levels. Did your office comply?

Notice to County Election Supervisors

You are hereby put on notice that these federal requirements and potential criminal penalties apply directly to you and your office in your capacity as a local election official. Knowingly retaining ineligible persons (including noncitizens) on voter rolls, facilitating the receipt or casting of their ballots, or failing to fulfill record-keeping and list-maintenance duties can expose you personally to criminal liability.

This summary is drawn from the official DOJ letter dated July 7, 2026, signed by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon. Full text on “Federal Law Requirements for State and Local Election Officials” are available online. Citizens are encouraged to provide this notice to their county election supervisor and request written confirmation of steps being taken to ensure full compliance.

**Source**: U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division letter of July 7, 2026.

Regards,
[Sender or group name]