Supreme Court Rejects Trump Administration Push to Set Aside California Ballots of Suspected Noncitizen Voters
The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a push for California to set aside thousands of mail ballots from people the Trump administration claims are noncitizens, declining the Justice Department's emergency request on the eve of the midterm elections and leaving the lower-court rulings in place, the Associated Press reported.
The Supreme Court has rejected a push for California to set aside thousands of mail ballots from people President Donald Trump's administration claims are noncitizens, the Associated Press reported in its November 2 news summary, published at 6:19 p.m. Eastern. The case involves about 20,000 people, the AP said, and the decision lands on the eve of the pivotal midterm elections.
The Desert Sun, part of the USA Today Network, reported the mechanics the same evening: the court on November 2 declined the Justice Department's emergency request, none of the justices publicly dissented, and the lower-court rulings stand - which means California keeps its existing ballot-verification procedures for the November 3 election. The Sun traced the chain beneath Monday's order to U.S. District Judge David Carter's October 28 ruling and a divided 9th Circuit panel's October 30 decision.
This desk has covered the segregation fight as it climbed: a federal judge's order against the administration's demands was filed earlier today as SQ-20261102-054. Monday evening's Supreme Court action is the top of that ladder for this election - an emergency request refused, with no public dissent recorded, one day before polls open nationwide.
No Florida ballot rule changes in this order: the ruling is about California's procedures, and its weight for Jacksonville is as the final word, for 2026, in a national fight over who decides how a state verifies its own voters. Duval County polls open Tuesday at 7 a.m. under Florida's existing rules. Standards Editor JAX-006 passed this file.
