Supreme Court Rejects Trump Admin Request to Set Aside 20k CA Ballots

The Supreme Court declined a request from the Trump administration to have California set aside roughly 20,000 mail-in ballots flagged by federal officials as potentially belonging to noncitizens.

The Details: The decision came one day before midterm elections. The Trump administration said the ballots should be separated until voters' citizenship could be verified. California officials disputed these allegations and said the request could've prevented eligible citizens from having their votes counted. The Supreme Court issued a brief order rejecting the request but didn't explain its reasoning. No justices publicly dissented.

For Context: The Trump administration filed the lawsuit on Oct. 15. It alleged that Los Angeles County is where most of the reported ineligible voters are registered. The request is part of the Trump administration's broader efforts to identify suspected noncitizen voters ahead of the midterm elections.

A Loss for the Trump Admin: The New York Times (Lean Left bias) said the ruling "appeared to be an extraordinary rebuke of the Trump administration, sending a message that the court was not interested in stepping in to assist President Trump's efforts to interfere with how states are administering elections." It cited legal experts, which it said were "skeptical" of the request and also quoted California officials who expressed concerns the move would "scare people into staying home."

Encourage Voters to Show Up: Newsweek (Center) quoted several individuals who criticized the Trump administration's request and encouraged people to vote. That included the NAACP's General Counsel who called the allegations a "baseless challenge" that was "yet another attempt at federal overreach and voter suppression." The LA County Registrar-Recorder also told Newsweek that their focus was "ensuring a safe, independent, and secure voting experience."

Protect Election Integrity: New York Post (Right) described the Trump administration's request as a "plea" compared to Newsweek who called it a "demand." The Post included arguments from the Trump administration. It quoted Solicitor General D. John Sauer who said, "The only way to preserve the district court's ability to grant relief to the United States after a full merits proceeding…is to segregate the challenged ballots now." Sauer also said they wouldn't toss out any votes, just confirm whether the voters are eligible. The Post also outlined challenges by California officials against the request.

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