Judge denies DOJ bid to stop processing California ballots : NPR

Key Points:

• A federal judge denied the Department of Justice's emergency request to segregate 20,000 California ballots linked to individuals the DOJ claims are "likely" noncitizens, citing concerns about disenfranchisement and election disruption.
• Judge David Carter emphasized that the federal government has never before sought to override state election procedures on the eve of an election and warned that segregating votes based on unproven allegations threatens democracy.
• California officials challenged the DOJ's list as unreliable, with local analysis showing many on the list are not actively registered voters, and argued that segregating ballots days before Election Day is unlawful and impractical.
• The DOJ has pursued similar actions in other states, including Washington and Alaska, raising concerns about federal interference in state election processes ahead of the midterms.
• The DOJ plans to appeal the ruling, and the issue may reach the U.S. Supreme Court; meanwhile, federal prosecutors continue to charge individuals for illegal voting by noncitizens, though such cases remain rare.