Federal Judge Rejects DOJ Request to Exclude About 20,000 California Ballots
A federal judge in California has denied a request from the Trump administration's Justice Department to exclude approximately 20,000 ballots from voters suspected of being noncitizens from the vote count, citing concerns about state election authority and potential chaos.
Baton Rouge, LA, October 28, 2026 —
A federal judge in California denied a request from the Trump administration’s Justice Department to exclude approximately 20,000 ballots from the vote count. The voters associated with the ballots were described as suspected of being noncitizens.
The stated concerns behind the ruling involved state election authority and the potential for chaos. The available information does not provide the judge’s name, the court, the date of the decision or the specific legal arguments made by the Justice Department. It also does not identify the election involved or explain how the voters came to be suspected of being noncitizens.
The ruling means the department’s request to remove those ballots from the count was denied. The information provided does not establish whether any separate challenges or proceedings concerning the ballots are underway, or what effect the decision may have on a final tally. It also does not say whether the judge made any determination about the voters’ citizenship or the validity of individual ballots.
The decision, as described, reflects a dispute over whether the requested exclusion should be made and raises concerns about the role of state election authority. Further details about the court’s reasoning and any next steps were not provided. The identities of the voters, the specific state election officials involved and the precise status of the ballots were also not included in the available account.
Story summarized from the original created by Jonathan Shorman on lailluminator.com, see more information here.
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