On Friday, a U.S. appeals court rejected the Trump administration’s request for a temporary order that would have stopped California from counting mail ballots cast by more than 20,000 registered voters alleged to be noncitizens.
The decision allows California to continue processing those ballots as part of its ongoing certification of the 2024 election results, without the injunction the administration sought.
The Justice Department argued that counting votes from individuals who are not U.S. citizens could violate federal election law, and asked the court to pause the tally while the issue was examined.
California election officials responded that the ballots are being reviewed in accordance with state law and that no definitive evidence has yet shown the voters in question are ineligible.
Legal analysts say the case highlights the broader national debate over voter eligibility and the Trump administration’s strategy of challenging ballot counts in key states.
The ruling arrives amid heightened scrutiny of election integrity measures following the contentious 2020 presidential election, as states across the country continue to finalize their vote totals.
<small>Source: CNBC — read the original story there.</small>