Federal Judge Rejects DOJ Bid to Set Aside 20,000 California Ballots
A federal judge in California rejected the Trump administration's Justice Department request to force the state to set aside roughly 20,000 mail ballots over unsubstantiated claims of noncitizen voting. Judge David Carter condemned the effort, saying it would "wreak havoc" on an election already underway and chill election workers and voters. The judge ordered the DOJ's threats of criminal exposure to stop and moved to appoint a special master. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals also declined to grant the DOJ immediate relief, keeping the dispute in district court.
IllustrationEditorial responsibility
- No named human review is recorded for this page.
- Reports are grouped by semantic similarity and deterministic rules. Language models may assist titles, summaries, translation and cross-source analysis; the page reads the event directly, while its address stays stable when the title changes.
- Summary covers the current reports
Cross-source coverage
Reporting timeline
Judge Rips Trump Over Bid to Set Aside 20,000 California Ballots
U.S. District Judge David Carter sharply criticized the Trump administration for seeking a temporary restraining order that would have forced California to set aside roughly 20,000 ballots over unsubstantiated voter fraud claims. Carter wrote that never before in American history had the federal government, on the eve of an election, tried to coerce a state to abandon its constitutional election procedures. The Justice Department had demanded California election workers not process ballots from individuals it claimed without evidence were likely noncitizens; state and local officials said the DOJ list was unreliable, with Los Angeles County finding many named people had no active voter registrations. The DOJ reportedly warned officials of potential criminal exposure for noncompliance. Carter ordered the threats to stop, noting the DOJ can prosecute individual noncitizens with evidence but cannot impose its election preferences nationwide, and said the requested relief would disrupt the ongoing election and chill election workers and voters.
Read sourceJudge Rejects DOJ Bid to Block Immediate Counting of California Ballots
A federal judge rejected a Department of Justice request to block California from immediately counting ballots linked to alleged noncitizens, according to multiple news outlets. The Guardian reported the judge rebuffed the Trump DOJ's bid to force California to set aside 20,000 ballots. NPR reported the judge denied the Justice Department's bid to stop processing California ballots. Yahoo reported the judge will appoint a special master in the California voting case, describing it as a setback to the Trump administration. Reuters reported the judge said the Trump bid to set aside California ballots would 'wreak havoc' on democracy. The rulings represent a legal setback for the Justice Department's efforts in the California voting case.
Read sourceJudge Denies DOJ Request to Segregate 20,000 California Ballots, Warning of 'Havoc'
A federal judge denied a request from the Trump administration's Justice Department to set aside or segregate approximately 20,000 California mail ballots in a blistering opinion, warning that such an action would 'wreak havoc' on voting. The DOJ had sought to block counting of ballots allegedly cast by noncitizen voters as part of a lawsuit. The judge declined to block California from counting the ballots. Separately, the San Diego Registrar of Voters is evaluating its response to a DOJ voter-information demand that included a threat of prosecution. The rulings represent a setback for federal efforts to intervene in California's election administration.
Read sourceShow 12 older updatesHide older updates
Federal Judge Denies Trump Administration Request to Segregate 20,000 California Ballots
A federal judge has denied the Trump administration's request to segregate 20,000 ballots in California, according to multiple news reports. The judge rebuffed the Department of Justice's bid to force California to set aside the ballots, stating that such a move would 'wreak havoc' on democracy. The court also decided to appoint a special master in the voting case, marking a setback for the Trump administration. Additionally, the judge warned that the administration's efforts to purge noncitizens from election rolls could disenfranchise voters. The rulings represent a significant legal pushback against federal attempts to intervene in California's election processes.
Read sourceJudge Denies Justice Department Bid to Stop Processing California Ballots
A federal judge has denied the Justice Department's request to halt the processing of California ballots, rejecting the Trump administration's push to force the state to set aside thousands of mail ballots. The ruling also declines to block California from counting ballots cast by alleged noncitizen voters in a DOJ lawsuit. The case involves a pro-Trump prosecutor's effort to stop California ballots from being counted. The judge's decision allows ballot processing to continue while the legal challenge proceeds.
Read sourceJudge Rejects Trump DOJ Bid to Set Aside California Ballots
A federal judge declined a request by the Trump Justice Department to order California to set aside roughly 20,000 ballots allegedly cast by noncitizens, according to multiple reports. The judge also moved to appoint a special master in the voting case, a setback for the administration. Coverage describes a pro-Trump prosecutor involved in efforts to stop California ballots from being counted, while local election officials examined the administration's new claims about California voters. The reports attribute the allegations of noncitizen voting to the DOJ and the administration, and the rulings to the presiding judge.
Judge Questions Trump DOJ Push Targeting Noncitizen Voters in California
A federal judge questioned the Trump administration's need to target noncitizen voters as the Justice Department pursues a lawsuit claiming noncitizens are on California voter rolls, according to The New York Times and Reuters. Separately, an appeals court rejected a Trump DOJ demand to set aside 20,000 California mail ballots, CNN reported, while ABC7 Los Angeles said a California judge was set to rule Wednesday on the DOJ bid. Democracy Docket reported that an election official involved in a ballot seizure scheme backed the DOJ's California lawsuit. The aggregated headlines indicate ongoing litigation over voter rolls and mail ballots in California, with courts weighing or rejecting DOJ requests.
Read source9th Circuit Rejects DOJ Appeal Over 20,000 California Mail Ballots
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied a federal appeal seeking to set aside 20,000 California mail ballots, allowing a district court hearing to proceed. The ruling rejects a demand by the Trump Justice Department in its voting lawsuit against California. Multiple outlets reported that the appeals court appeared to doubt the Justice Department's claims in the case. California election officials were described as frustrated and rattled by the DOJ demand to sequester so-called 'noncitizen' ballots. The decision keeps the dispute in the lower district court, where further proceedings will determine the fate of the contested ballots.
Appeals Court Rejects DOJ Bid to Set Aside California Mail Ballots
A federal appeals court ruled against the Justice Department in a dispute over California mail-in ballots, declining to intervene in the case. According to headlines from The Hill, The New York Times, CBS News, CNN and The Guardian, the court dismissed the DOJ's request to force California to set aside roughly 20,000 mail ballots and blocked the Trump administration's bid to stop the state from counting them. The ruling allows California to proceed with counting the contested ballots while the litigation continues.
Read sourceAppeals Court Rejects Trump DOJ Bid to Set Aside California Mail Ballots
A federal appeals court declined to intervene in a lawsuit brought by the Trump Justice Department seeking to set aside roughly 20,000 mail ballots in California. Multiple outlets, including The New York Times, CNN, CBS News, ABC News, and AP News, reported that the appeals court rejected the DOJ's request to force California to set aside the ballots. AP News reported that the 9th Circuit questioned the DOJ's demand. The rulings represent a setback for the Trump administration's voting lawsuit against California.
Read sourceAppeals Court Rejects DOJ Bid to Force California to Set Aside Ballots
A federal appeals court declined to quickly intervene in the Justice Department's lawsuit against California over ballot handling, rejecting the DOJ's bid to force the state to set aside ballots. Multiple outlets, including Politico, The New York Times, NBC Los Angeles, and ABC News, reported that the appeals court refused to grant the Trump administration's request in the voting lawsuit. NBC Los Angeles characterized the ruling as rejecting an effort to block roughly 20,000 Los Angeles County ballots. Separately, KCRA reported that a Sacramento County spokesman said elections officials were 'working with counsel' after a DOJ letter on ballots. The reports indicate the litigation over California's ballot procedures will continue at the lower court level rather than through immediate appellate intervention.
Read sourceAppeals Court Rejects Trump DOJ Bid to Set Aside 20,000 California Mail Ballots
A federal appeals court rejected a request by the Trump Justice Department to set aside 20,000 mail ballots in California, according to multiple news outlets. CNN reported that the appeals court denied the DOJ's demand, while CBS News said the court dismissed the DOJ's request to force California to set aside ballots. The New York Times reported that the appeals court appeared to doubt the Justice Department's claims in the California ballot case. The Guardian reported that the court blocked the bid by the Trump DOJ to stop California from counting mail-in ballots. KCRA reported that a Sacramento County spokesman said elections officials are 'working with counsel' after a DOJ letter on ballots. The rulings allow California to continue counting the mail ballots at issue.
Read sourceAppeals Court Rejects Trump DOJ Bid to Set Aside 20,000 California Mail Ballots
A federal appeals court rejected a demand by the Trump Justice Department to set aside 20,000 California mail ballots, according to multiple news reports. CNN reported that the appeals court rejected the DOJ demand, while Democracy Docket said the DOJ could not leapfrog a lower court in its bid to block the 20,000 California voters. The New York Times reported that the appeals court appeared to doubt the Justice Department's claims in the California ballot case, and AP News said the 9th Circuit questioned the DOJ demand. The Los Angeles Times published a commentary titled "California votes. Trump's Justice Department panics." The reports center on the 9th Circuit's skepticism toward the Justice Department's effort and its refusal to grant the requested relief at this stage.
Read source9th Circuit Judges Skeptical of DOJ Bid to Block 20,000 California Ballots
A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments in the Trump administration's voting lawsuit against California and appeared skeptical of the Justice Department's request to block or set aside roughly 20,000 mail ballots. According to the Los Angeles Times, CNN, ABC News, AP News, and The New York Times, the judges questioned the basis for the federal demand, which sought to sequester ballots described by DOJ as 'noncitizen' ballots. California election officials were reported to be frustrated and rattled by the demand. The panel's skepticism suggests the court may doubt the Justice Department's claims in the case, though no ruling was indicated in the source items.
Appeals Court Skeptical of DOJ Bid to Force California Mail Ballot Changes
A federal appeals court panel appeared skeptical of the Justice Department's effort to force California to set aside mail ballots in a voting lawsuit brought by the Trump administration, according to Politico, CNN, ABC News, and The New York Times. The panel heard arguments in the case, with multiple outlets reporting that judges doubted the DOJ's claims. AP News reported that California election officials were frustrated and rattled by the DOJ demand to sequester what it described as 'noncitizen' ballots. The case centers on the federal government's attempt to compel California to change how it handles mail ballots, a move that state officials have resisted. The appeals court's skepticism suggests the DOJ may face an uphill battle in the litigation.
Read source