Ninth Circuit Panel Questions DOJ Lawsuit Over California Ballots
The Trump Department of Justice faced skepticism from a 9th Circuit appeals court panel during oral arguments regarding its lawsuit to prevent California from counting ballots of approximately 20,000 suspected noncitizens.
Sioux Falls, SD, October 26, 2026 —
A panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals expressed skepticism during oral arguments over a Trump Department of Justice lawsuit seeking to prevent California from counting ballots associated with approximately 20,000 people suspected of being noncitizens, according to the information provided.
The summary does not specify what questions or comments from the judges indicated skepticism, or which arguments the department and California presented. It also does not identify the case, the date of the hearing, the panel members, or the legal grounds for the lawsuit. No ruling or other outcome is provided.
The figure in the dispute is approximately 20,000, and the people are described as suspected noncitizens. The available information does not explain how that number was determined, what records or procedures are involved, or whether the ballots have been counted, challenged or set aside. It also does not clarify whether the lawsuit concerns ballots already cast or ballots that may be counted later.
The oral arguments mark the point in the case described in the summary, but the court’s next steps are not specified. The summary does not state whether the panel issued a decision, when a decision might come, or whether any other court action is pending. Without those details, the precise legal and practical effects of the lawsuit remain unclear.
The available account establishes only that the federal department is pursuing a lawsuit concerning California’s handling of ballots tied to approximately 20,000 suspected noncitizens, and that the appeals court panel appeared skeptical during oral arguments. Further details about the claims, the state’s response and the court’s eventual decision were not provided.
Story summarized from the original created by Jonathan Shorman on southdakotasearchlight.com, see more information here.
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