California Federal Judge Rejects DOJ Request to Exclude About 20,000 Ballots
A federal judge in California denied a request from the Trump administration's Department of Justice to exclude approximately 20,000 ballots from voters suspected of being non-citizens, ruling that the executive branch's attempt to interfere with state election procedures was unprecedented.
Sioux Falls, SD, October 28, 2026 —
A federal judge in California denied a request by the Trump administration’s Department of Justice to exclude approximately 20,000 ballots cast by voters suspected of being non-citizens. The judge characterized the executive branch’s attempt to interfere with state election procedures as unprecedented.
The ruling means the DOJ’s request to remove those ballots was rejected. The information provided does not identify the judge, the court, the case, the election involved or the date of the decision. It also does not specify how the ballots were identified or what evidence prompted the suspicion about voters’ citizenship.
The account describes the dispute as involving the federal executive branch and state election procedures, but does not provide further details about the legal arguments made by either side. It does not say whether the ruling addressed any additional requests or claims, or whether the administration plans to appeal.
The judge’s characterization of the intervention as unprecedented is the only explanation of the court’s reasoning included in the available summary. No written opinion, direct quotation or additional statement from the court or the parties was provided. The precise effect of the decision beyond denying the request to exclude the ballots is therefore not specified.
The number of ballots at issue was described as approximately 20,000, and the voters were described as suspected of being non-citizens. The summary does not establish that those voters were non-citizens, nor does it state that the ballots were ultimately counted or provide an outcome for the broader election-related dispute.
Story summarized from the original created by Jonathan Shorman on southdakotasearchlight.com, see more information here.
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