On Wednesday, a U.S. court severely chastised the Trump administration by turning down the Justice government’s request to temporarily prevent California from tallying mail-in ballots for the midterm elections from over 20,000 registered voters that the government claims are probably not citizens.
With his Republican Party engaged in a fierce struggle to maintain control of both chambers of Congress, the ruling is the most recent blow to President Donald Trump’s attempt to increase the involvement of the federal government in elections ahead of the midterm elections on November 3.
Quick Fact
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| What Happened | Federal Judge Blocks DOJ Ballot Challenge |
| Location | Los Angeles, California, USA |
| Presiding Judge | US District Judge David Carter |
| Main Issue | Justice Department Request to Exclude Certain Ballots |
| Ballots in Question | More Than 20,000 in California |
| Government Response | Justice Department Appealed the Ruling |
| Other States Involved | Alaska and Washington |
| Key Concern | Voter Rights and Election Integrity |
| Current Status | Appeal Filed, Further Court Proceedings Expected |
Following a hearing in Los Angeles federal court on Tuesday over the Justice Department’s request for a temporary restraining order prohibiting authorities from counting any ballots from the individuals it highlighted, US District Judge David Carter announced the ruling.
The Justice Department’s lawsuit, which was filed on October 15, indicated the Trump administration’s intention to challenge the midterm results in court and was an uncommon involvement in the voting process weeks before an election.
“Never in American history has the federal government attempted to force a state or local government to forgo Constitutional election processes on election eve.
Judge Warns Against Election Interference
The Justice Department’s last-minute attempt to remove more than 20,000 ballots, according to the judge, who was appointed by Democratic President Bill Clinton, violated “longstanding constitutional principles mandating that states have control over their elections.”
Carter cautioned that thousands of registered voters would “possibly lose the right that generations of Americans have fought to preserve” and that a decision in favor of the Trump administration would “wreak havoc.”
Carter remarked, “Eroded trust in our democracy is irreparable.” “Once a vote is separated, long-term damage has been done.” if the Executive has the authority to reject ballots and jeopardize a current election on the basis of unsubstantiated accusations.
Justice Department Appeals Ballot Ruling
The ruling was promptly challenged by the Justice Department to the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals.
“Election officials are processing more ballots every day,” Justice Department attorney Bill Essayli said in a statement. “American citizens are disenfranchised through dilution due to this ongoing emergency.”
According to California, the state has strong precautions against noncitizen voting. It said that the Justice Department’s claims were based on “suspect data” and that granting its requests would put qualified voters at risk of losing their right to vote.
The most populous state in the union and a Democratic bastion is California. With 52 seats in the House of Representatives, it has more than any other state.
Trump Targets California Over Voting Claims
Since taking office again, Trump has centered his massive immigration crackdown on California, claiming that the state’s “sanctuary state” regulations, which restrict collaboration with federal immigration police, compromise public safety.
Despite several studies and state audits demonstrating that noncitizen voting is uncommon, Trump has consistently maintained that states are not doing enough to prevent it.
Appeals court rejected emergency request
Carter made his decision two days after a federal appeals court on Monday denied the Justice Department’s extraordinary emergency plea to temporarily prevent California from tallying the votes before Carter could make his decision.
Out of the over 20,000 individuals in California who the Justice Department highlighted, it did not specify how many of them had actually cast a mail-in ballot.
It had said that in order to prevent California from obstructing prosecutors’ enforcement of a federal law that prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal elections, a restraining order was required.
DOJ Challenges Election Rules in Multiple States
Carter, however, claimed that since states are not obligated to assist the federal government in investigating and prosecuting crimes, the Justice Department never provided an explanation for why counting ballots would hinder any legal prosecutions.
The Trump administration has attempted to meddle in elections in two states with tight contests, aside from California.
Last week, the Justice Department requested that a judge in Alaska postpone the certification of election results in the event that the Republican incumbent senator loses by a narrow margin. The department said that voters would be confused by the appearance of another candidate with a similar name on the ticket.
DOJ Voter Scrutiny Raises Rights Concerns
In a letter delivered on Monday, the Justice Department in Washington state requested that authorities refrain from tallying any votes cast by 400 voters who it said might not be citizens. The timing of the request suggested that it was meant to raise unwarranted suspicions about the election results, according to Washington’s top elections officer.
According to state statistics, there were 23 million registered voters in California as of December 2025 and 5 million in Washington as of 2024.
Voting rights advocates are worried that the federal government’s procedures for examining state voter lists to find noncitizen voters run the danger of incorrectly designating naturalized persons for removal.
