Why did the Trump administration ask the Supreme Court to intervene over California mail ballots?

The federal government suspects that about 20,000 people who received ballots may not be citizens and argues their ballots should not be counted until their status is verified. The Justice Department sought an injunction to keep those ballots separate while the case continues.

What did California officials say about the list of suspected noncitizen voters?

California officials called the list highly unreliable and said it likely includes many U.S. citizens. They opposed setting aside the ballots based on the federal government’s suspicions.

How could separating the disputed ballots affect California’s midterm election?

A district judge warned that separating ballots could disenfranchise citizens, wreak havoc on the election and erode trust in the democratic process. Voting had been underway since early October, and hundreds of thousands of ballots had already been processed.

Trump asks Supreme Court to sideline 20,000 California mail ballots

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Summary

The Trump administration appealed to the Supreme Court in Washington on Monday, seeking to set aside about 20,000 California mail ballots before the Nov. 3 midterm elections. The Justice Department says the ballots should not be counted until voters’ citizenship is verified, while California officials say the list of suspected noncitizens is unreliable. Lower courts rejected the administration’s request, warning that separating ballots could disenfranchise citizens and disrupt the election.

Key Facts

The Justice Department asked the Supreme Court for a limited injunction to prevent suspected ballots from being mixed with legal ones while the case proceeds.
California has roughly 23 million registered voters, all of whom are mailed a ballot, and hundreds of thousands of ballots had already been processed.
A district judge warned that segregating ballots would wreak havoc on the midterm elections and erode trust in the democratic process.
The administration’s appeal followed an appeals court rejection and a district court denial of its request.
The Supreme Court had previously rejected Trump’s push to restrict mail ballots ahead of the midterms.

By AP

Published Nov 3, 2026 1:57 am KST
Updated Nov 3, 2026 2:27 am KST

The U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on Jun. 25. Reuters-Yonhap

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's administration appealed to the Supreme Court on Monday in its push to sideline thousands of disputed California mail ballots the day before the pivotal midterm elections.

The emergency appeal came after an appeals court rejected the request to set aside some 20,000 ballots from people the federal government suspects may not be citizens.

The federal government says those ballots should not be counted until the voters’ status can be verified. California officials say the list is highly unreliable and likely includes many people who are U.S. citizens.

The Republican Trump administration has prioritized identifying noncitizen voters this year, despite them being rare.

A district court judge forcefully denied the Justice Department's request and warned that the demand could disenfranchise citizens in the Nov. 3 midterm elections to determine control of Congress.

The Justice Department asked the high court for a “limited injunction” that would direct California to “stop commingling suspected illegal ballots with legal ones” while the case continues to play out.

Voting has been underway in California, a largely Democratic state, since early October. All of the state’s roughly 23 million registered voters are mailed a ballot. Hundreds of thousands of ballots have already been processed.

Lower courts have sided with the state, with a district judge warning that segregating ballots would “wreak havoc” on the midterm elections and erode trust in the democratic process.

“If the Executive can discount votes and threaten an ongoing election due to unproven allegations, then our democracy is in danger,” wrote U.S. District Judge David O. Carter, who was nominated by President Bill Clinton, a Democrat.

The Justice Department has sought to move the case along quickly, unsuccessfully asking an appeals court to intervene early.

The Trump administration has racked up a series of wins in emergency appeals before the Supreme Court, but the justices previously rejected the president’s push to restrict mail ballots ahead of the midterms.

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