Supreme Court rejects Trump bid to set aside 20,000 California ballots

· Politics · United States

The US Supreme Court on Monday refused to let the Trump administration force California to segregate and not count about 20,000 ballots that officials claim were cast by non-citizens, hours before midterm elections. The Justice Department had asked the justices to intervene after lower courts declined, arguing the votes were from people it described as "likely" non-citizens. California said setting ballots aside could disenfranchise eligible voters. The justices declined to get involved, handing President Donald Trump a high-profile setback as he presses unproven claims of widespread illegal voting. In a separate action, the Justice Department charged six more people in California with alleged voter fraud, escalating a campaign that has already broken with decades of practice under which federal prosecutors stayed clear of elections.

Why it matters：The ruling tests how far federal power can reach into vote counting before a national election, and it sets the legal ground for possible disputes over results.

Key points

  • The administration said the ballots came from about 20,000 people it claims are "likely" non-citizens.
  • California argued that removing ballots could disfranchise legitimate voters.
  • The Justice Department separately charged six more people with voter fraud in California.

Sources (original reporting)

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