Federal prosecutors accused California of blocking access to voter records amid a legal battle over voter roll maintenance in federal court.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said, on social media, that California does not allow compliance with a federal voter registration request that the Department of Justice (DOJ) says is necessary to audit the state's voter rolls and evaluate compliance with federal laws.

“California is blocking a federal audit of its voter records,” Essayli posted on the X social network.