Supreme Court Rejects Trump Administration Bid to Set Aside 20,000 California Ballots on Election Eve

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected a bid by President Donald Trump's administration to temporarily block California from counting mail-in ballots from more than 20,000 registered voters who federal officials allege are likely non-U.S. citizens, Reuters reported. The justices denied the Justice Department's emergency request just hours after it was filed on the eve of Tuesday's midterm elections, which will decide whether Republicans retain control of Congress.

The court's brief, one-sentence order offered no explanation, as is common in emergency matters, and no justice publicly dissented, Reuters and CNN reported. The court also did not ask California for a response to the administration's request before ruling. The decision leaves California's existing ballot procedures in place: the state will not be required to separate the disputed ballots or hold them uncounted while voters' citizenship is verified.

The administration had demanded that California set aside any ballots from people on a federal list while it challenges their validity. The list of 20,000 registered voters was amassed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and sent to California officials and to Los Angeles County officials, Reuters reported. The case reached the high court after two lower courts sided with California: U.S. District Judge David Carter denied the administration's request on Oct. 28, and a divided panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals refused it on Friday, concluding that forcing California to use the list could bar valid votes from being counted and jeopardize the Los Angeles County election.

Monday's ruling is the decision this station's earlier file was waiting on: the administration's emergency appeal, staged and published this morning (SQ-20261102-041), has now been answered, and Election Day voting proceeds Tuesday under the procedures already in place.