Appeals court declines to rule on California noncitizen ballot case

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 27 Oct, 00:02 · Archive

An appeals court has declined to rule on whether California can count roughly 20,000 ballots the Justice Department alleges belong to noncitizen voters.

An appeals court on Monday declined to rule on whether California elections officials can count roughly 20,000 ballots that the Justice Department alleges belong to noncitizen voters. Two of the three judges of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the federal government's argument that a faster decision was needed, writing that it 'failed to allow the district court adequate opportunity to consider' the initial request to sequester the ballots.

The Republican administration sued California election officials in mid-October, accusing them of failing to meet a 48-hour deadline to review a list of 20,000 people it alleged were likely noncitizens on the state's voter rolls. The administration asked the court to stop the state from counting those ballots until immigration status checks could be completed.

The decision sets the federal government and state officials up for another legal hearing on Tuesday before a federal district judge. This gives the federal government a very short window to compel California to sequester votes before the 3 November election.

How it is being reported

• Appeals court declines to rule on federal bid to set aside California ballots of alleged noncitizensAn appeals court has declined to rule on whether California elections officials can count roughly 20,000 ballots that the Justice Department alleges belong to noncitizen voters.Clickorlando · 26 Oct, 23:14
• Appeals court declines to rule on federal bid to set aside California ballots of alleged noncitizensAn appeals court has declined to rule on whether California elections officials can count roughly 20,000 ballots that the Justice Department alleges belong to noncitizen voters.News4Jax · 26 Oct, 23:14

In this story: Justice Department · California · 9th Circuit Court of Appeals · Republican administration

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