Appeals Panel Rejects Trump Administration’s Bid to Set Aside 20,000 California Mail Ballots; Supreme Court Appeal Filed
WASHINGTON — A federal appeals panel on Friday refused the Trump administration’s request to have California set aside about 20,000 mail ballots that the federal government suspects may have been sent to noncitizens. The decision, which came down just days before the pivotal midterm elections, was a setback for the administration’s push to sideline the disputed ballots. The panel’s order stated, “If the United States believes different procedures are necessary for vote-by-mail ballots, we believe it should take that suggestion to Congress, not the courts.” The majority also noted that “The United States’s claimed emergency, at least in part, is a self-constructed one.”
Undeterred, the Trump administration appealed to the Supreme Court on Monday, the day before the elections, seeking an emergency stay of the appeals court’s ruling. The administration argues that the ballots should not be counted until the voters’ citizenship status can be verified. This legal maneuver is part of a broader effort by the administration to challenge election procedures in California. In recent weeks, the administration has subpoenaed county election workers in California and charged 28 people with breaking federal election laws, signaling an aggressive posture toward what it perceives as vulnerabilities in the mail-in voting system.
The appeals court’s decision underscores a judicial reluctance to interfere with state election processes so close to an election. The panel’s majority emphasized that any changes to vote-by-mail procedures should be pursued through legislative channels rather than urgent court action. The administration’s appeal to the Supreme Court now places the matter before the nation’s highest court just as voters head to the polls. It remains unclear whether the Supreme Court will act before the election results are finalized, but the outcome could have significant implications for the handling of disputed ballots in California and beyond.
The case highlights ongoing tensions between federal and state authorities over election integrity and the handling of mail ballots. With the midterm elections looming, the administration’s efforts to set aside thousands of ballots have raised concerns about voter disenfranchisement and the potential for chaos in a key state. As the legal battle continues, election officials in California are preparing to count all valid ballots, while
Shimanta Das 
