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Judge declines to block California from counting alleged noncitizen voters’ ballots in DOJ lawsuit
NBC News • • nation
Key Points:
- A federal judge in California denied the Trump administration's request to segregate 20,000 mail-in ballots alleged to be from noncitizens, citing constitutional principles that give states control over their elections.
- Judge David Carter emphasized that the proper remedy for suspected noncitizen voting is prosecutorial action, not disrupting the ongoing election or disenfranchising lawful voters.
- The Justice Department claimed it had a list of over 20,000 likely noncitizen voters, but California attorneys challenged the reliability of these numbers and warned the government's demands risk disenfranchisement.
- The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals previously ruled against the administration's emergency request, citing jurisdictional issues and criticizing the government's delay in filing the suit.
- The case highlights a legal conflict over federal versus state authority in election administration, with dissenting opinions supporting federal intervention to prevent alleged illegal voting.
