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The Supreme Court has denied the Trump administration's appeal to block California from counting approximately 20,000 mail-in ballots, which the Department of Justice (DOJ) claimed might have been cast by non-U.S. citizens. The decision came swiftly and without explanation, as reported by NBC News.
The DOJ had petitioned the Supreme Court after the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals rejected its request to prevent the counting of these ballots. The DOJ's appeal was part of a broader effort to challenge the inclusion of ballots from individuals it suspected might not be citizens, despite California's assertion that the list of alleged non-citizens was unreliable.
According to CNBC, the DOJ had previously provided Los Angeles County officials with a list of voters it believed could be non-citizens. However, Judge David Carter denied the DOJ's request to set aside these ballots, emphasizing the importance of upholding state sovereignty in election procedures.
The Trump administration's push to scrutinize voter citizenship has faced multiple setbacks. As noted by KCRA, California Attorney General Rob Bonta criticized the appeal as an attempt to undermine elections. The Supreme Court's decision marks another loss for the administration, which has faced criticism for its timing and approach to election oversight.