California Ballot Fight Reaches Supreme Court Before Midterm Election Day
Trump’s administration wants 20,000 mail ballots set aside in California until each voter’s citizenship is checked, while state leaders call the claim weak and risky.
Trump – (Special Correspondent / Web Desk) – The California ballot fight has now reached the US Supreme Court, just as Americans head to the polls in the midterm elections.
On Monday, President Donald Trump’s administration asked the justices for emergency help. It wants California to stop counting mail-in ballots from more than 20,000 registered voters.
Federal officials say these voters may not be US citizens. They want the ballots kept apart until each person is verified.
The list was put together by the Department of Homeland Security. It was then sent to California and Los Angeles County officials.
The Justice Department says that once questioned ballots are mixed with valid ones, the damage cannot be undone.
California strongly disagrees. State officials say their safeguards against noncitizen voting are solid. They also say the federal list is flawed and full of likely errors.
In their view, the lawsuit could take away the voting rights of 20,000 people based on vague claims.
The case began on October 15, when the Justice Department sued the state. It argued that California was blocking a 1996 federal law that bans noncitizens from voting in federal elections.
US District Judge David Carter rejected the request on October 28. He noted that people flagged as noncitizens in other states had often turned out to be naturalized citizens.
On Friday, the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals also said no. It stressed that states run their own elections. It also warned that siding with the administration could put the whole county election at risk.
Now the Supreme Court must decide, and time is very short. In September, the court stopped Missouri from using a new House map in the middle of an election, saying it would cause chaos.
Experts and past studies show that voting by noncitizens is rare. A Reuters review found only 129 charged cases since 1996, and many seemed to come from confusion or paperwork mistakes.
The stakes are high. California has 52 House seats, more than any other state. Democrats need a net gain of four seats to take control of the House.
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