9th Circuit Hears DOJ Request to Block California Ballots
The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals held an emergency hearing on a Justice Department request to block 20,000 allegedly ineligible noncitizen ballots in California.
A three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals held an emergency hearing on Sunday to consider a Justice Department request to block the tabulation of 20,000 ballots in California. The Trump administration argues these ballots were cast by ineligible noncitizens and has demanded that state and county officials segregate them from the count.
California officials, including Secretary of State Shirley Weber and Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder Dean Logan, challenged the request as unconstitutional and based on unreliable data. They argued that federal intervention would be catastrophically disruptive to the November 3 election.
During the proceedings, judges Mark J. Bennett and Gabriel P. Sanchez expressed skepticism regarding the administration's jurisdiction and the reliability of the voter list. Judge Bennett specifically questioned how the request aligns with the U.S. Constitution's Elections Clause, which grants states authority over election manners. The court has not yet issued a ruling, but a decision is expected soon. This legal challenge is part of a broader pattern of Justice Department attempts to intervene in state-run elections across the country.
