The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected a last-minute request from the Trump administration to set aside thousands of mail-in ballots in California, arriving just one day before Election Day. The high court’s decision marks the final legal roadblock in a fast-moving dispute over midterm voting rights and voter rolls.
Supreme Court Rejects DOJ Emergency Request
Justice Elena Kagan denied the Trump administration’s emergency appeal on Monday without comment, choosing not to refer the matter to the full bench. The Justice Department had asked the Supreme Court to temporarily block lower-court rulings and order California officials to segregate or set aside ballots cast by more than 20,000 voters.
The administration argued that these individuals were “likely” noncitizens and that their votes should not be tabulated until their citizenship status could be verified. Under federal law, noncitizens are barred from casting ballots in federal elections.
The Supreme Court’s refusal to intervene leaves in place previous decisions by federal district judges and the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which had declined the Justice Department’s requests to halt the processing and counting of the contested mail-in ballots.
Background on the Legal Battle
The high-stakes legal feud began on October 15, when the Justice Department filed a civil lawsuit against the state of California in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. As part of the dispute, the DOJ provided Los Angeles County officials with a digital drive containing names of voters the department suggested could be noncitizens.
Lower federal courts repeatedly rejected the administration’s attempts to stop election officials from processing the ballots. Following a rejection from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals days prior, the DOJ escalated the matter to the U.S. Supreme Court on the eve of the nationwide midterm elections.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta sharply criticized the federal government’s legal maneuvering following the Supreme Court’s decision.
“Courts have now rejected the Trump Administration’s attempts to interfere in California’s elections not once, not twice, not three times, but four times — from the district court to the Ninth Circuit to the U.S. Supreme Court,” Bonta said in a statement. He added that the ruling should conclude attempts to disrupt state elections through emergency orders, though he pledged to remain vigilant against future federal challenges.
The Department of Justice has not announced any further immediate legal challenges following Justice Kagan’s order, allowing local election workers to proceed with tabulating the ballots as scheduled.
