Judge Carter rejected the Justice Department's proposed temporary restraining order, ruling that the eleventh-hour challenge violated constitutional principles granting states authority over election procedures. California officials argued that the federal claims relied on questionable data, while federal attorneys failed to demonstrate how many flagged individuals actually cast ballots. The legal challenge reflects a wider administration initiative to contest voting rolls and allegations of noncitizen participation nationwide. Similar federal challenges have emerged to contest ballots in Washington state and delay certification in a tight Alaska Senate race.
Key points
The federal court ruling protects California's constitutional authority to run its own el…: The federal court ruling protects California's constitutional authority to run its own election procedures without late federal interference.
Voting rights advocates warn that aggressive federal list reviews risk disenfranchising e…: Voting rights advocates warn that aggressive federal list reviews risk disenfranchising eligible naturalized citizens based on unverified allegations.
The rejected restraining order prevents major disruptions to ballot counting as both poli…: The rejected restraining order prevents major disruptions to ballot counting as both political parties fight for control of Congress.
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LOS ANGELES - A US judge rejected on Wednesday a request by the Justice Department to temporarily block California from counting any mail ballots for the November 3 midterm elections received from people on a list of more than 20,000 registered voters the Trump administration alleges are likely noncitizens.
The decision marks the latest setback for President Donald Trump's effort to boost the federal government's role in elections ahead of the midterms, with his Republican Party locked in a tight battle to retain control of both houses of Congress.
US District Judge David Carter issued the decision after a hearing on Tuesday in Los Angeles federal court over the Justice Department's request for a temporary restraining order barring officials from counting any ballots from the individuals it flagged.
"Never before in American history has the federal government, on the eve of an election, sought to coerce a state and local government to abandon their own Constitutional elections procedures and bend to the will of the Executive Branch," Carter wrote on Wednesday.
The judge, an appointee of Democratic President Bill Clinton,…
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