Three Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder employees received federal subpoenas ordering them to appear in court on Nov. 4, the morning after Election Day.

The move marks an escalation in the U.S. Justice Department's fight with California over voter rolls. The subpoenas, issued between Oct. 21 and Oct. 24, demand records related to correspondence between California Secretary of State Shirley Weber and U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Acting U.S. Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter, the Daily News reported. The subpoenas also seek information about the county's methods for screening noncitizen voters.

The three employees, identified by title as the executive liaison, assistant registrar-recorder/county clerk and records custodian, were ordered to report in person to the federal courthouse in Santa Ana on Nov. 4.

ABC News characterized the documents as grand jury subpoenas. A Justice Department spokesperson said in a statement that the department "does not comment on leaks about alleged grand jury subpoenas." The issuance of a subpoena does not necessarily mean the recipient is a target of a criminal investigation.

LA County Registrar Dean Logan called the DOJ's approach confrontational.

"At every step, the U.S. Department of Justice has taken a confrontational, adversarial approach," Logan said in a statement Oct. 29. "Threats and intimidation have no place in elections. We will take whatever steps necessary to ensure the safety of our employees and to remain focused on serving the voters of Los Angeles County so they can exercise their voting franchise."

The LA County subpoenas came days before U.S. District Judge David O. Carter rejected the DOJ's emergency request on Oct. 28 to force California to set aside ballots from roughly 20,000 people the administration claims are noncitizens. Carter wrote that approving the request "would wreak havoc and disrupt the election that is already underway, create a chilling effect on election workers and voters alike, and discount the votes of United States citizens."

Then on Oct. 29, the Justice Department issued a broader wave of subpoenas to California officials statewide, according to the Associated Press. Those subpoenas were being issued by all four U.S. attorneys in California, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Also on Oct. 29, Carter appointed a special master, Daniel B. Garrie, to evaluate the administration's claims. Carter said Garrie would be tasked with "developing the factual record" for the court. Both sides have agreed the federal government's list includes an unspecified number of citizens who were inadvertently included.

Over 500,000 votes have already been processed in Los Angeles County alone, according to court filings cited by the AP. The 20,000 people on the DOJ's list represent a small fraction of California's 23 million voters.

Justin Levitt, a constitutional law expert who teaches at Loyola Law School and worked on voting rights issues in the Biden administration, questioned the timing. He told the Daily News that federal prosecutors have "plenty of time after the election" to gather information for any criminal investigation.

The Trump administration has appealed Carter's ruling to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Carter is set to rule on the government's request for a preliminary injunction after a Nov. 13 evidentiary hearing with input from the special master.

All 646 LA County vote centers open Oct. 31, according to the county's announcement. On Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, vote centers will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.