Court Rejects Trump Bid on California Ballots

A federal appeals court panel has rejected the Trump administration's request to require California officials to set aside approximately 20,000 mail-in ballots that the administration alleged were sent to possible noncitizens. The 2-to-1 decision, delivered just days before the midterm elections, called the administration's claim plainly unconstitutional. The judges wrote that granting the government's request would undermine both California's authority over its election procedures and the Constitution’s clear text. With the elections imminent, the ruling effectively closes the window for the Justice Department to secure a court order that could alter the way mail-in ballots are processed in the state. The administration still has the option to petition the Supreme Court, though recent precedent suggests that federal courts remain reluctant to change voting procedures so close to an election.