Appeals Court Rejects Trump Bid to Impound 20,000 California Ballots Before Midterms
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Oct 30
Appeals Court Rejects Trump Bid to Impound 20,000 California Ballots Before Midterms
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Oct 30
Summary
A federal appeals panel on Friday refused to order California to set aside about 20,000 mail ballots the Trump administration said were sent to possible noncitizens.
The judges said granting that request would override California’s authority over election procedures and “undermin[e] the Constitution’s plain text,” adding that any change to vote-by-mail rules belongs in Congress, not court.
The ruling, issued days before the midterm elections, sharply narrows the Justice Department’s chance to force changes to ballot processing, though the administration could still seek emergency intervention from the Supreme Court.
California officials have said the federal list of names is riddled with errors, while documented cases of noncitizen voting remain exceedingly rare.
The case is part of a broader Trump administration push that has included subpoenas to county election workers and charges against 28 people, amid warnings the effort could cast doubt on the vote as Republicans risk losing one or both chambers of Congress.