PoliticsDevelopingUpdated 56 min ago

Justice Department asks Washington to set aside 400 ballots of suspected noncitizens

Coverage spectrum

Covered by 4 outlets across the spectrum.

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

Image via NBC NewsHow images are chosen Report this image

The Justice Department asked Washington state on Monday to set aside any ballots that more than 400 registered voters might cast in the coming election until officials confirm they are eligible. In a letter to the Secretary of State’s office, the department says these people cast 1,500 votes in prior elections. Acting U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd said the state should hold the ballots until the voters are confirmed as legal voters. Washington has more than 5 million registered voters. Secretary of State Steve Hobbs’s office said it would respond only to requests that follow due process and was reviewing the demand.

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

New to Mantle? It shows who is covering each story across the political spectrum, and highlights loaded words. How to read a storyHide the guide

The coverage spectrum counts the outlets covering a story at each of five points. A short or missing segment means that part of the spectrum is mostly quiet.

Governor Loaded verb“slams”It adds drama to what was said. The governor criticized the lawmakers; “slams” makes it sound like a fight.More neutral: criticizes lawmakers over budget delay

Highlights mark words that carry a judgement. Tap one to see why, and what a neutral writer would say. Here it is “criticizes”.

The 5-point spectrum

Far Left
Voices that strongly advocate for progressive policies and systemic change.
Left
Mainstream liberal perspectives focusing on social equality and regulation.
Center
Sources that prioritize neutral reporting and balanced viewpoints.
Right
Mainstream conservative perspectives focusing on market freedom and tradition.
Far Right
Voices that strongly advocate for conservative values and limited government.

How we measure bias

What happened

Key points

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

The Justice Department asked Washington state to set aside ballots from more than 400 registered voters it suspects are noncitizens.
Reported byLeft1Center1Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
Left
NBC News
Center
PBS NewsHour
Right
The Washington Times
The request covers ballots these voters might cast in the upcoming election, to be held until officials confirm they are eligible.
Reported byLeft1Center1See the outletsHide the outlets
Left
NBC News
Center
PBS NewsHour
The Justice Department says the 400 people cast 1,500 votes in prior elections.
One outletPBS NewsHour· Center
Acting U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd said the department has identified over 400 noncitizens registered to vote who voted in multiple elections, and that this is only the tip of the iceberg.
One outletNBC News· Left
Secretary of State Steve Hobbs’s office said it will respond only to requests that follow due process.
One outletPBS NewsHour· Center
The request came the same day a federal legal effort to set aside thousands of ballots in California suffered a legal setback.
One outletNBC News· Left

What is contested

Where accounts differ

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

The Justice Department is pursuing ballots cast illegally by noncitizens.
Acting U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd says the 400 people voted illegally in multiple elections and that the department will keep investigating. NBC describes the move as the administration's latest attempt to involve itself in ballot counting, and the right's own report calls it a crusade against mail-in voting states. PBS notes that noncitizen voting is exceptionally rare.

How each side tells it

Compare views

All three sides report that the Justice Department asked Washington to set aside ballots from over 400 people it suspects are noncitizens. The right calls it a crusade against mail voting, the left a federal push into ballot counting, and the center sticks to the request.

the left
2 outlets
Headline names the DOJ and says voters ‘may be’ noncitizens; the description frames the move as the administration’s latest attempt to involve itself in ballot counting.
DOJ asks Washington state to set aside 400 ballots from voters it says may be noncitizens
NBC NewsLeftAll left-leaning headlines
the center
1 outlet
The center's only coverage is an AP report carried by PBS NewsHour, whose headline attributes the request to the Trump administration and says the voters ‘may be’ noncitizens.
Trump administration asks Washington state to set aside ballots from 400 voters it says may be noncitizens
PBS NewsHourCenterAll center headlines
the right
1 outlet
Headlines lead with the Trump administration and ‘suspected noncitizens’; the outlet's own report calls the move a ‘crusade’ against mail-voting states, though its AP-written report does not.
Federal prosecutors ask Washington state to block 400 ballots of suspected noncitizens
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.

Left2
attempt to involve itself in ballot countingtargeted another state
Center0
No loaded words in its own voice.
Right1
crusade against mail-in voting states

In the outlets’ own words

Sensational language
crusade against mail-in voting statesMore neutral: effort to request ballot review in mail-voting states
Calling the request a crusade casts a legal request as a moral campaign against a group of states, a judgement the facts in the story do not establish.
The Trump administration expanded its crusade against mail-in voting states by demanding Washington sequester some 400 ballots of people on its…
Used byThe Washington Times (Right)
Loaded verb
attempt to involve itself in ballot countingMore neutral: effort to take part in ballot counting
Describing the move as an attempt to involve itself in counting suggests unwanted meddling rather than a stated legal step.
The move is the Trump administration’s latest attempt to involve itself in ballot counting and certification that’s handled by state officials.
Used byNBC News (Left)
Loaded verb
targeted another stateMore neutral: asked another state
Targeted implies the state was singled out for hostile action, while the request itself is a letter asking for ballots to be set aside.
The Trump administration targeted another state Monday by asking Washington state to sequester ballots in next week’s election…
Used byNBC News (Left)

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

2 outlets

Leads with

Justice Department role in ballot counting
pattern of federal moves against states
same-day legal setback in California

Leaves out

noncitizen voting described as exceptionally rare
1,500 prior votes cast by the 400 people

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 2 headlines from the leftHide the headlines

The GuardianLeftAssociated Press report
Trump administration asks Washington to set aside hundreds of ballots from suspected noncitizen voters
This is the latest sign of the administration’s attempts to challenge states with competitive midterm races that could determine control of Congress The Trump administration on Monday asked Washington state to set aside any ballots received from more than 400 people it alleges …
56 min agoRead at The Guardian (opens in a new tab)
NBC NewsLeft
DOJ asks Washington state to set aside 400 ballots from voters it says may be noncitizens
The move is the Trump administration’s latest Loaded verb“attempt to involve itself in ballot counting”Describing the move as an attempt to involve itself in counting suggests unwanted meddling rather than a stated legal step.More neutral: effort to take part in ballot countingDisagree with this highlight? and certification that’s handled by state officials.
1 hr agoRead at NBC News (opens in a new tab)

From the center

1 outlet

Leads with

request to hold ballots until eligibility is confirmed
rarity of noncitizen voting
1,500 votes in prior elections

Leaves out

same-day legal setback in California
Justice Department plans for similar requests to other mail-ballot states

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the headline from the centerHide the headlines

PBS NewsHourCenterAssociated Press report
Trump administration asks Washington state to set aside ballots from 400 voters it says may be noncitizens
The effort is the latest by the administration to identify noncitizen voters, even though noncitizen voting is exceptionally rare.
4 hr agoRead at PBS NewsHour (opens in a new tab)

From the right

1 outlet

Leads with

administration's push against mail-voting states
suspected noncitizen registrants
ballot sequestration

See the 2 headlines from the rightHide the headlines

The Washington TimesRight
Federal prosecutors ask Washington state to block 400 ballots of suspected noncitizens
The Trump administration expanded its Sensational language“crusade against mail-in voting states”Calling the request a crusade casts a legal request as a moral campaign against a group of states, a judgement the facts in the story do not establish.More neutral: effort to request ballot review in mail-voting statesDisagree with this highlight? by demanding Washington sequester some 400 ballots of people on its voter rolls that prosecutors said appear to be noncitizens.
1 hr agoRead at The Washington Times (opens in a new tab)
The Washington TimesRightAssociated Press report
Trump administration asks Washington to set aside ballots from 400 voters it says may be noncitizens
The Trump administration on Monday asked Washington state to set aside any ballots received from more than 400 people it suspects registered to vote without U.S. citizenship.
4 hr agoRead at The Washington Times (opens in a new tab)

Articles you open from here build My Mix, a private picture of how your reading spreads across the spectrum, 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
3 hr 44 min later
Its first report, Oct 26, 9:08 PM EDT
Center
28 min later
Its first report, Oct 26, 5:52 PM EDT
Right
First to report
The Washington Times, Oct 26, 5:25 PM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order

The Washington TimesRightOct 26, 5:25 PM EDT
PBS NewsHourCenterOct 26, 5:52 PM EDT
NBC NewsLeftOct 26, 9:08 PM EDT
The GuardianLeftOct 26, 9:26 PM EDT

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

Justice Department asks Washington to set aside 400 ballots of suspected noncitizens

Coverage spectrum

Key points

Where accounts differ

Compare views

the left

the center

the right

Language to notice

In the outlets’ own words

Side by side

From the left

Trump administration asks Washington to set aside hundreds of ballots from suspected noncitizen voters

DOJ asks Washington state to set aside 400 ballots from voters it says may be noncitizens

From the center

Trump administration asks Washington state to set aside ballots from 400 voters it says may be noncitizens

From the right

Federal prosecutors ask Washington state to block 400 ballots of suspected noncitizens

Trump administration asks Washington to set aside ballots from 400 voters it says may be noncitizens

How the coverage built up

Read next

Libertarian state Senate candidate arrested after standoff with police in Cary

Justice Department charges James Comey a third time over 2016 disclosure

Ad backing Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed blames Israel aid for grocery prices

Musk says Ukraine violated Starlink terms as Kyiv disputes the claim

Convicted murderer Jacob Morley escapes Tennessee prison; manhunt underway