California Judge Rejects DOJ Bid to Exclude About 20,000 Ballots
A federal judge in California denied a request from the Trump administration's Department of Justice to exclude approximately 20,000 ballots from the vote count, which the DOJ alleged belonged to noncitizens. The judge ruled that the DOJ's actions constituted an…
Providence New Bedford, RI, October 29, 2026 —
A federal judge in California denied the Trump administration’s Department of Justice request to remove approximately 20,000 ballots from the vote count. The DOJ alleged that the ballots belonged to noncitizens.
In rejecting the request, the judge characterized the department’s actions as an unprecedented attempt to coerce California and interfere with the state’s election procedures. The ruling, as described, concerns the DOJ’s effort to exclude the ballots and the judge’s assessment of that effort.
The information provided does not identify the judge, the court, the election involved or the date of the decision. It also does not describe the evidence behind the DOJ’s allegation, the department’s specific legal arguments, or the judge’s full reasoning. The allegation that the ballots belonged to noncitizens is attributed to the DOJ; no separate finding about the voters’ eligibility is provided.
The request’s denial means the judge did not grant the DOJ’s bid to exclude the approximately 20,000 ballots. The available account does not specify whether any further proceedings or appeals are planned, or whether the ruling addresses any other ballots or election procedures.
The decision places the dispute at the intersection of federal action and state administration of elections. However, the details provided do not establish the broader legal effect of the ruling beyond the denied request and the judge’s stated characterization of the department’s conduct. The DOJ’s response to the decision was not provided.
Story summarized from the original created by Jonathan Shorman on rhodeislandcurrent.com, see more information here.
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