A federal judge in Los Angeles questioned a Trump administration bid to block about 20,000 California ballots. He said he would rule Wednesday.
- 20,000 flagged voters were labeled likely noncitizens by the Justice Department.
- 2-1: a 9th Circuit panel ruled Monday it lacked jurisdiction.
- Carter asked how the administration built its list of flagged voters.
- Carter told prosecutors to indict anyone who voted illegally.
Why it matters: Carter called the demand a "monumental change" to California elections. He said he worried about disenfranchising eligible voters.
- Essayli said the request is narrow: separate ballots until citizenship is verified.
- State lawyers said the government relied on data known to be unreliable.
The story so far
54 steps · since Oct 9- Oct 9–14
- Justice Department Sues California Over Alleged Noncitizen Mail Ballots59 sources
- Oct 15–19
- DOJ Charges 28 Over Alleged Noncitizen Voting in California56 sources
- Oct 19–22
- Trump Admin Moves to Block Alaska Senate Result If Sullivan Loses83 sources
- Oct 23–27
- Judge Weighs DOJ Bid to Block 20,000 California VotesYou are here
- Oct 28
- Peltola Campaign Reportedly Recruited Second Dan Sullivan52 sources
- Oct 28
- Report: DOJ Probes Alleged Decoy Candidate in Alaska Senate Race4 sourcesLatest
How 8 sources split on this story
Strong LeftLeftLean LeftCenterLean RightRightStrong Right
Political Bias
Coverage by lean% of 8 sources
8 sources · 10 articles · 50% Left coverage
Where they split: The dispute is whether the federal list is reliable enough to justify setting ballots aside mid-election.
Left coverage, 4 sources: The left sees a judge resisting what Raw Story calls a federal power grab that could disenfranchise eligible voters.
Right coverage, 3 sources: The right sees a Clinton-appointed judge warning the DOJ while ballots it says went to noncitizens remain in play.
What’s next: Carter said he will rule Wednesday. He wants to develop the record further, including with an expert for the court.
- Essayli said the government would likely appeal to the 9th Circuit.
- Carter said any threats to state and county election workers should stop.
- What data and methods did the federal government use to flag the 20,000 voters?
- How many of the flagged voters, if any, are actually noncitizens?
- Will the Justice Department pursue criminal charges against individual voters?
