Appeals Court Blocks Trump Justice Department Bid to Stop California Counting Mail-In Ballots
A US appeals court on Monday ruled against President Donald Trump's justice department in a major voting dispute ahead of the midterm elections, denying a request to block California from counting mail ballots.
The ballots at the centre of the dispute are linked to a list of more than 20,000 registered voters that the federal government alleges are likely noncitizens. The justice department had sought to stop those ballots from being counted.
The decision was given by the San Francisco-based Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals. It was described as the latest setback in Trump's efforts to assert a greater federal role in overseeing elections.
The ruling came ahead of the 3 November midterms, in which Trump's fellow Republicans are fighting to retain control of Congress, and in the run-up to which efforts to assert a greater federal role in overseeing elections have continued.
On Friday, at least 18 counties across California were told by the justice department that local election officials should set aside and verify ballots that the administration claims belong to noncitizen voters. The appeals court's decision denied the request to block the counting of those mail ballots.
The justice department's lawsuit was filed earlier this month. It was described as the latest escalation in the Trump administration's battle with California.
