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Washington official questions DOJ list of 400 alleged noncitizen voters

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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

Man in suit speaking at podium before Washington Attorney General seal backdrop, with staff behind.
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CBS News, The Hill and One America News report that the Justice Department says it suspects more than 400 people are noncitizens registered to vote in Washington state. Federal prosecutors Neil Floyd and Pete Serrano asked Secretary of State Steve Hobbs to set aside ballots from those people until their citizenship is verified. According to CBS News, Hobbs responded on Wednesday that the list is not reliable, that a preliminary review found many people on it are U.S. citizens, and that a significant number are not currently registered or have inactive registrations. Washington's general election is on November 3, and more than 1.3 million mail ballots had been returned as of Wednesday.

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. The Justice Department says it suspects more than 400 people are noncitizens registered to vote in Washington state.

    Reported byLeft1Center1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    CBS News
    Center
    The Hill
    Far Right
    One America News

  2. Federal prosecutors asked Secretary of State Steve Hobbs to set aside ballots from the suspected noncitizens until their citizenship is verified.

    Reported byLeft1Center1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    CBS News
    Center
    The Hill

  3. Hobbs said the list is not reliable and that many people on it are U.S. citizens, based on a preliminary review.

    One outletCBS News· Left

  4. More than 1.3 million mail ballots had been returned in Washington as of Wednesday, ahead of the November 3 election.

    One outletCBS News· Left

What is contested

Where accounts differ

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

  • The 400 people on the Justice Department list are noncitizens registered to vote in Washington state.

    The Justice Department and federal prosecutors say the list identifies suspected noncitizens. Secretary of State Steve Hobbs says the list is not reliable and many people on it are U.S. citizens, according to CBS News.

How each side tells it

Compare views

All three sides report that the Justice Department says more than 400 people are suspected noncitizens registered to vote in Washington. The left centers Hobbs's finding that many listed people are citizens, the center centers the sharp exchange between state and federal officials, and the right centers the suspicion of illegal registration.

  • the left

    1 outlet

    Headlines the rebuttal, saying the DOJ list includes U.S. citizens and attributing the claim to Washington's secretary of state.

    U.S. citizens included on DOJ list of 400 alleged noncitizens, Washington says
    CBS NewsLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    1 outlet

    Headlines a sharp exchange, framing the story as Washington's secretary of state pushing back on the Justice Department's request.

    Washington state secretary of state Loaded verb“fires back”fires back frames a reply as a combative attack, where responds describes the same action neutrally.More neutral: responds toDisagree with this highlight? at DOJ over noncitizen voter claim: 'Profoundly disappointing'
    The HillCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    1 outlet

    Headlines the DOJ's suspicion as illegal registration, reporting the Justice Department's announcement with no rebuttal in the headline.

    DOJ suspects 400 people Loaded modifier“illegally registered to vote”The headline states as fact that the people are illegally registered, while the DOJ only suspects it and the registrations are unverified.More neutral: suspected of being registered to vote despite being noncitizensDisagree with this highlight? in Wash. state
    One America NewsFar RightAll 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.

  • Left0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Center1

    fires back

  • Right1

    illegally registered to vote

In the outlets’ own words

  • Loaded verb

    fires backMore neutral: responds to

    fires back frames a reply as a combative attack, where responds describes the same action neutrally.

    Washington state secretary of state fires back at DOJ over noncitizen voter claim: 'Profoundly disappointing'

    Used byThe Hill (Center)

  • Loaded modifier

    illegally registered to voteMore neutral: suspected of being registered to vote despite being noncitizens

    The headline states as fact that the people are illegally registered, while the DOJ only suspects it and the registrations are unverified.

    DOJ suspects 400 people illegally registered to vote in Wash.

    Used byOne America News (Far Right)

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

  • Hobbs's finding that many listed people are citizens
  • List described as unreliable
  • Timing before the November 3 election
See the headline from the leftHide the headlines
  • CBS NewsLeft

    U.S. citizens included on DOJ list of 400 alleged noncitizens, Washington says

    Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs told two federal prosecutors that "many" U.S. citizens were included on a Justice Department list of suspected noncitizens.

    Read at CBS News (opens in a new tab)

From the center

1 outlet

Leads with

  • Hobbs's public rebuttal of the DOJ
  • Request to set aside ballots
  • Conflict between state and federal officials

Leaves out

  • Hobbs's finding that many listed people are U.S. citizens

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

See the headline from the centerHide the headlines
  • The HillCenter

    Washington state secretary of state Loaded verb“fires back”fires back frames a reply as a combative attack, where responds describes the same action neutrally.More neutral: responds toDisagree with this highlight? at DOJ over noncitizen voter claim: 'Profoundly disappointing'

    Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs shot back at the Justice Department (DOJ) for asking him to order his election officials to set aside ballots for hundreds of people the federal government identified as alleged non-U.S. citizens. …

    Read at The Hill (opens in a new tab)

From the right

1 outlet

Leads with

  • Justice Department's announcement
  • 400 suspected voters
  • Alleged illegal registration

Leaves out

  • Hobbs's finding that many listed people are U.S. citizens
  • Hobbs's view that the list is not reliable

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

See the headline from the rightHide the headlines
  • One America NewsFar Right

    DOJ suspects 400 people Loaded modifier“illegally registered to vote”The headline states as fact that the people are illegally registered, while the DOJ only suspects it and the registrations are unverified.More neutral: suspected of being registered to vote despite being noncitizensDisagree with this highlight? in Wash. state

    The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced that it suspects more than 400 people of being illegally registered to vote in Washington state.

    Read at One America News (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

    First to report

    CBS News, Oct 29, 1:30 PM EDT

  • Center

    2 hr later

    Its first report, Oct 29, 3:31 PM EDT

  • Right

    3 hr 21 min later

    Its first report, Oct 29, 4:51 PM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. CBS NewsLeftOct 29, 1:30 PM EDT
  2. The HillCenterOct 29, 3:31 PM EDT
  3. One America NewsFar RightOct 29, 4:51 PM EDT

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

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