Supreme Court Rejects DOJ Request to Segregate California Ballots

The Supreme Court of the United States denied an emergency application from the Department of Justice that sought to compel California to segregate approximately 20,000 mail ballots cast by suspected noncitizens. Solicitor General D. John Sauer filed the request on the eve of the midterm election, but the Court rejected the application without providing an explanation or noting any dissents.

The legal challenge followed a Department of Homeland Security claim that over 190,000 noncitizens might be registered to vote in California, though that figure was later reduced to 20,000. Governor Gavin Newsom praised the ruling, calling it a welcome sight for all Americans given the disgusting and dangerous attacks on our democracy by the federal government.

In a related development, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit vacated a stay on a restraining order. This ruling potentially allows the Department of Justice to communicate its views on criminal statutes regarding voter eligibility to state officials, despite warnings from dissenting judges that such communication could create election chaos.