The Supreme Court has quickly rejected the Trump administration’s effort seeking to compel California officials to set aside 20,000 ballots it claims belong to likely noncitizens and must be investigated.
The court’s one-sentence order, on Monday November 2, 2026 contained no explanation and had no noted dissents.
California and immigration rights groups question the veracity of the administration’s list and say its lawsuit is an attempt to disenfranchise legal voters. The administration raced its claims to the Supreme Court earlier Monday after California persuaded lower courts that the administration has no legal right to push the state to comply.
It’s one of multiple legal cases the Department of Justice (DOJ) has launched in the final weeks leading up to the midterm contests. The DOJ has also emerged unsuccessful in Alaska, as it looks to block certification of the state’s Senate race over a second candidate with the same name as the incumbent.
Although it technically is not the end of the lawsuit in California, the Supreme Court’s emergency ruling appears to mark the final word ahead of Election Day.
All sides agree that ballots can’t be separated once they’re processed, and election officials have already received hundreds of thousands of mail ballots ahead of polls opening Tuesday. It left the administration warning the justices that the clock was running out.
“The only way to preserve the district court’s ability to grant relief to the United States after a full merits proceeding, therefore, is to segregate the challenged ballots now. That remedy would not cause any undue hardship to California,” Solicitor General D. John Sauer wrote to the court.
The court rejected the bid within hours and without ordering California to file a response.
“After repeatedly losing in the lower courts, the highest court in the land firmly slapped down the Trump DOJ’s baseless attack on California’s electoral process — not even entertaining it,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said in a statement. “The third branch of government did its job, and that should be a welcome sight for all Americans given the disgusting and dangerous attacks on our democracy by the federal government.”
The Trump administration launched its lawsuit against California last month as it alleged the state was sending 20,000 likely noncitizens ballots as part of its universal mail-in voting program. All active, registered California voters are automatically sent a ballot.
U.S. District Judge David Carter, an appointee of former President Clinton, ruled last week that California could continue to accept the questioned ballots like any other.
“This request violates longstanding constitutional principles mandating that States have control over their elections,” Carter wrote. “If Plaintiff’s last-minute request for relief were granted, either party could create chaos for their own political purposes to disrupt the election process,” he continued. “Over 20,000 registered Californians would potentially lose the right that generations of Americans have fought to preserve.”
“Courts have now rejected the Trump Administration’s attempts to interfere in California’s elections not once, not twice, not three times, but four times — from the district court to the Ninth Circuit to the U.S. Supreme Court,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) said in a statement.
“This latest decision should put an end to the Administration’s attempt to disrupt California’s elections through emergency court orders. But our work is not over. We will remain vigilant and keep fighting back against federal efforts to undermine our democracy.” USAficaonline.com wt The Hill and agency/wire reports.
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