In a significant decision just ahead of the midterm elections, the Supreme Court dismissed a bid by the Trump administration to delay the counting of 20,000 ballots in California. The Court’s choice not to elaborate on its decision aligns with its usual practice in such emergency filings.
AP reports that none of the justices expressed any opposition to the ruling. This follows the Court’s previous stance against mail-in voting restrictions, citing the proximity to the elections and potential voter disenfranchisement as concerns.
California Governor Gavin Newsom took to X to express his satisfaction, stating, “The Court rejected Trump’s emergency request without even asking the other side to respond. Democracy won.”
Recently, the Justice Department has been actively pursuing legal actions to compel states like California and Washington to halt ballot processing due to allegations of non-citizen voting. However, these claims have been largely unsubstantiated. In Washington, a review of 400 names provided by the Justice Department revealed that many were U.S. citizens, while others hadn’t cast a vote since 1994.
The Justice Department’s actions in California have also come under scrutiny. Attempting to bypass a district judge’s decision, they filed an appeal, which was not processed because the district judge had not yet ruled. This appeal faced skepticism from the court regarding the allegations.
U.S. District Judge David O. Carter ultimately ruled against the Justice Department’s attempt to suppress the ballots, emphasizing that such action would disrupt the ongoing election process and possibly intimidate both voters and election workers.
An immigrant rights group, having contested the Justice Department’s claims, was permitted to review the list of 20,000 names. Their analysis indicated that thousands were indeed U.S. citizens, and 40% of the names did not appear on California’s voter rolls.
The Trump administration’s efforts to influence the midterms have included various measures, from redistricting to challenging mail-in voting, often based on unproven assertions of voter fraud. As voting continues, early indications suggest challenges for Republicans, with some traditionally secure races showing unexpected competitiveness.
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Trump’s Final Message Ahead Of Midterms: Look At My Reflecting Pool
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