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Judge orders Justice Department to identify states sent noncitizen ballot letters

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 3 outlets across the spectrum.

3 articles in total. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

A federal judge in Washington ordered the Justice Department on Thursday to identify the states it has sent letters demanding they set aside ballots of alleged noncitizens before next week’s midterm elections. The New York Times and The Washington Times report that the government was given until noon Friday to name the states. Roll Call reports that the letters went to California and Washington, among others, and that the judge left open a ruling barring more such letters by Monday. A lawsuit by Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, the Nevada Democratic Party and Democratic campaign committees alleges the administration has claimed states allowed noncitizens to vote.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. A federal judge ordered the Justice Department to disclose which states received letters demanding they set aside ballots of alleged noncitizens.

    Reported byLeft1Center1Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    The New York Times
    Center
    Roll Call
    Right
    The Washington Times

  2. The government was given until noon Friday to identify the states that received the letters.

    Reported byLeft1Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    The New York Times
    Right
    The Washington Times

  3. The letters were sent to several states, including California and Washington, before next week’s midterm elections.

    One outletRoll Call· Center

  4. The judge left open the possibility of a ruling barring the government from sending more letters by Monday.

    One outletRoll Call· Center

  5. Schumer, Jeffries, the Nevada Democratic Party and Democratic campaign committees filed a lawsuit alleging the administration claimed states allowed noncitizens to vote.

    One outletRoll Call· Center

  6. Democrats have challenged the inquiries as an illegal power grab.

    One outletThe Washington Times· Right

What is contested

Where accounts differ

Points the coverage does not agree on, and who says what.

  • The letters are a legitimate inquiry into noncitizen voting.

    The Washington Times reports that Democrats call the inquiries an illegal power grab. The lawsuit alleges the administration is claiming states allowed noncitizens to vote. The supplied coverage does not give the administration’s own stated reason for the letters.

How each side tells it

Compare views

All three sides report a judge’s order that the government identify states sent letters seeking to set aside ballots of alleged noncitizens. The left calls the letters an effort to find voter fraud, while the right describes a campaign Democrats call an illegal power grab.

  • the left

    1 outlet

    Headline puts Trump officials in the subject and frames the letters as an effort to enlist states in finding evidence of voter fraud.

    Judge Orders Trump Officials to Outline Election Demands Sent to States
    The New York TimesLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    1 outlet

    Headline leads with the judge’s order to disclose letters sent to states about noncitizen voters, describing the action without characterizing it.

    Judge orders Justice Department to disclose noncitizen voter letters
    Roll CallCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    1 outlet

    Headline frames the matter as a campaign to stop noncitizens from voting and presents Democrats’ illegal power grab charge in the description.

    Judge presses the Trump administration for details on its campaign to stop noncitizens from voting
    The Washington TimesRightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left1

    trying to enlist them

  • Center0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Right0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

In the outlets’ own words

  • Loaded verb

    trying to enlist themMore neutral: asking them to share information in an effort to find evidence of voter fraud

    Describes the purpose of the letters as enlisting states, a characterization in the outlet’s own voice that the excerpt does not attribute to a source.

    …government until noon on Friday to share which states had received letters trying to enlist them in an effort to find evidence of voter fraud.

    Used byThe New York Times (Left)

Words quoted from someone else (1)Hide the quoted words

Loaded words that outlets reported someone else saying. They show what was said, not how the outlet chose to say it.

  • Delegitimizing label

    Quoted

    illegal power grabMore neutral: inquiries that Democrats have challenged as an expansion of federal power over elections

    Labels the inquiries as illegal, a legal conclusion that the excerpt attributes only to Democrats’ challenge.

    …voting in the midterm election, inquiries that Democrats have challenged as an illegal power grab.

    Quoted byThe Washington Times (Right)

    These are Democrats’s words. The outlets are reporting them.

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

1 outlet

Leads with

  • letters seeking evidence of voter fraud
  • government deadline by noon Friday
See the headline from the leftHide the headlines
  • The New York TimesLeft

    Judge Orders Trump Officials to Outline Election Demands Sent to States

    A federal judge gave the government until noon on Friday to share which states had received letters Loaded verb“trying to enlist them”Describes the purpose of the letters as enlisting states, a characterization in the outlet’s own voice that the excerpt does not attribute to a source.More neutral: asking them to share information in an effort to find evidence of voter fraudDisagree with this highlight? in an effort to find evidence of voter fraud.

    Read at The New York Times (opens in a new tab)

From the center

1 outlet

Leads with

  • judge’s order to disclose states
  • possible ban on more letters by Monday
See the headline from the centerHide the headlines
  • Roll CallCenter

    Judge orders Justice Department to disclose noncitizen voter letters

    A federal judge in Washington ordered the federal government Thursday to provide more information about letters it has sent to several states demanding they set aside ballots of alleged noncitizens during next week’s elections. The ruling from Judge James Boasberg of the U.S. …

    Read at Roll Call (opens in a new tab)

From the right

1 outlet

Leads with

  • campaign to stop noncitizens voting
  • Democrats’ illegal power grab charge
See the headline from the rightHide the headlines
  • The Washington TimesRight

    Judge presses the Trump administration for details on its campaign to stop noncitizens from voting

    A federal judge on Thursday ordered the Trump administration to identify all states where it has pressured officials to comply with its efforts to prevent non-U.S. citizens from voting in the midterm election, inquiries that Democrats have challenged as an Delegitimizing label“illegal power grab”Labels the inquiries as illegal, a legal conclusion that the excerpt attributes only to Democrats’ challenge.More neutral: inquiries that Democrats have challenged as an expansion of federal power over electionsThese are Democrats’s words. The outlet is reporting them.Disagree with this highlight?.

    Read at The Washington Times (opens in a new tab)

The stories you read build My Mix, a private picture of which sides cover the stories you choose, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    5 hr later

    Its first report, Oct 29, 5:46 PM EDT

  • Center

    First to report

    Roll Call, Oct 29, 12:43 PM EDT

  • Right

    5 hr 6 min later

    Its first report, Oct 29, 5:50 PM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. Roll CallCenterOct 29, 12:43 PM EDT
  2. The New York TimesLeftOct 29, 5:46 PM EDT
  3. The Washington TimesRightOct 29, 5:50 PM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

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