California: The US Supreme Court has rejected an eleventh-hour request by the Trump administration to intervene in California’s midterm election vote count, ending a legal effort to set aside approximately 20,000 ballots allegedly linked to non-US citizens.
The Justice Department had asked the Supreme Court to block the counting of the ballots, claiming that some registered voters identified by the federal government were likely non-citizens. However, the request was denied after two lower courts had already ruled against the administration’s attempt. The decision means the lower court rulings will remain in place, allowing California election officials to proceed with the vote-counting process.
In a brief, one-line order, the Supreme Court stated that the application for an injunction pending appeal had been denied. The ruling came just ahead of the US midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress for the final two years of President Donald Trump’s second term.
The Justice Department had sent letters to the California Secretary of State and the Los Angeles County Registrar last month, demanding that ballots from 20,000 registered voters be separated. The administration argued that votes cast by non-citizens could undermine the validity of legitimate ballots. Subsequently, armed Department of Homeland Security officials reportedly delivered letters to county officials across California, warning of potential criminal charges if the ballots were not set aside.
However, California election officials challenged the federal government’s claims, arguing that the list of alleged non-citizens contained significant inaccuracies. They warned that the move could prevent eligible American citizens from having their votes counted and raised concerns about the practical difficulties of separating ballots while voting was underway.
California, the most populous US state, has approximately 23 million registered voters. According to the California Secretary of State’s office, more than six million mail-in ballots had been received by November 1 night.
The legal dispute forms part of the Trump administration’s broader efforts to address alleged voter fraud, particularly involving mail-in voting. President Trump has repeatedly raised concerns about non-citizens voting in US elections, although research indicates that such instances are extremely rare.
Earlier, a federal district judge criticised the administration’s actions, describing the attempt to intervene in California’s election procedures as part of an ongoing pattern of alleged election interference. The judge also raised concerns about the federal government’s efforts to pressure state and local authorities to change established election procedures shortly before an election.
The Supreme Court’s latest decision effectively closes the administration’s attempt to have the 20,000 ballots disqualified, allowing California’s election authorities to continue administering the midterm vote under existing state procedures.
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