US Justice Department asks appeals court to step into California ballot dispute
Reuters reports the US Justice Department asked an appeals court to intervene in its bid to halt counting of over 20,000 mail-in ballots in California.
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what happened
According to Reuters, the US Justice Department turned to the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday, asking it to join its lawsuit seeking a temporary halt to California counting more than 20,000 mail-in ballots. The Trump administration believes many of these voters are likely not US citizens.
Department lawyers called the move unusual and said it was needed because Judge David Carter had not ruled by Thursday afternoon, as the department had requested. Carter has scheduled a hearing for next week on the emergency order. The department views his silence as a "constructive denial" of its request.
why it matters
The case is closely watched as the administration tries to expand its control over next month's elections, which will decide who controls Congress. Individual states run US elections, so the outcome could shape political expectations ahead of the vote.
tags
sources
- Justice Department asks appeals court to intervene in California ballot case — Reuters, 23 October 2026 at 00:58 UTC
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