Supreme Court takes California ballot case
The gist
The Supreme Court swiftly rejected the Trump administration's emergency request to set aside about 20,000 California ballots.
The ruling leaves state election procedures intact days before the federal election.
How it unfolded
- Oct 15, 2026The DOJ sued California in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, seeking to stop officials tabulating mail-in ballots from "likely non-citizens" until citizenship could be determined.
- Oct 28, 2026U.S. District Judge David Carter denied the government's request for a temporary order to sequester the ballots, questioning the credibility of the administration's allegations.
- Oct 30, 2026The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit rejected the administration's motion for emergency relief.