They tried to stop the unwanted mail, but the state keeps sending them ballots for people who left years ago.

Los Angeles residents are speaking out as a new federal lawsuit claims California has over 873,092 inactive voter records on its rolls.

Voting is the heart of our country. But when ballots for strangers and moved family members pile up on doorsteps, it makes regular people worry about the system.

What Happened

Homeowners in Los Angeles County are frustrated. They keep getting election ballots in the mail for people who do not live there anymore. Some of these voters moved away four, five, or even six years ago.

One resident, Sue Pascoe, says she tried to stop the mail. She updated state records and tried to clear old names. Yet, ballots still arrive for her daughter who left years ago and her son who lives in Texas.

Other residents share the same story. Sharon Kilbride allowed people in aid programs to use her address years ago. Now, ballots for those people still show up at her house.

What the evidence shows

• A federal lawsuit says California has 873,092 inactive voter records still on its books.
• Over 326,608 records have been inactive for at least six years.
• Another 151,202 records have been inactive for eight years or more.
• One resident still gets ballots for a daughter who moved away nearly six years ago.
• Another resident receives mail for people who left her address four to five years ago.

The Bigger Question

This is not just about waste or extra paper. It is about trust.

When the state cannot keep its voter lists clean, it makes people doubt the security of the vote. If regular citizens can see these obvious errors on their own doorsteps, why does it take a federal lawsuit for the state to act?

The Other Side

We reached out to the Los Angeles County registrar's office to ask about the extra ballots. While election officials generally point to safeguards that prevent people from voting twice, keeping track of millions of residents who move is a major challenge. Based on the stacks of wrong ballots arriving at real homes, the state's system for updating voter lists looks slow and outdated.

What Happens Now

The lawsuit filed by Judicial Watch wants the state to clean up its voter rolls. If the court rules against the state, election officials will have to remove inactive voters who have moved.

For now, homeowners will have to keep writing "return to sender" on mail that does not belong to them.

What We Still Don't Know

• How many of these inactive ballots are actually filled out and returned by the wrong people?
• Why did the state's updates through the DMV fail to stop ballots from going to old addresses?
• When will the local registrar's office clean up the local voter rolls in Los Angeles?