Midterm Elections: US Appeals Court Rejects Trump's Bid To Stop California From Counting Ballots

A US appeals court rejected the Trump administration’s request for an order blocking the US state of California from counting the midterm election mail ballots that were received from more than 20,000 registered voters.

In a 2-1 ruling, a panel of the 9th Circuit US Court of Appeals rejected the Justice Department’s request to stop California from counting votes while the case continues. The judges cited a lower court’s finding that the list prepared by the Trump administration might not be entirely reliable.

“There is a material risk that granting the United States its requested relief would result in disenfranchisement,” wrote US Circuit Judges Mark Bennett, appointed by Trump during his first term, and Gabriel Sanchez, appointed by former President Joe Biden, according to Reuters.

The decision could take the legal fight to the US Supreme Court just days before the November 3 midterm elections.

The elections will determine whether President Donald Trump’s Republicans can hold on to their majorities in both the House and the Senate.

The Trump administration escalated its legal fight on October 15, when the Justice Department asked a federal court to stop California from counting ballots cast by people on its list of suspected noncitizens.

It wanted the state to keep those ballots separate until officials confirmed the voters were US citizens.

However, US District Judge David Carter rejected the request for an immediate order on October 28. He warned that the move could “wreak havoc” on the election and risk denying thousands of eligible voters their right to vote.

Crackdown Puts California's Eligible Voters At Risk

The dispute has raised concerns among voting rights groups, which warn that the Trump administration's efforts to remove suspected noncitizens from voter lists could also affect eligible American citizens.

California has also questioned the information behind the Justice Department's list, calling it “suspect data”. The state says acting on the department's demands could lead to eligible voters losing their right to have their ballots counted, according to Reuters.

The list contains more than 20,000 names of people suspected of being noncitizens, but the Justice Department has not revealed how many of them voted. The legal battle comes as Trump continues his broader confrontation with California over immigration.

He has accused the state of weakening public safety through its sanctuary policies, which limit local authorities' cooperation with federal immigration agencies.

California's political importance adds another dimension to the dispute. The Democratic-led state has 52 seats in the House of Representatives, the largest number held by any state in the country.