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Judge declines DOJ bid to segregate 20,000 California ballots

U.S. District Judge David Carter ruled the request came too late and lacked credibility, citing risks to eligible voters.

Updated Oct 29, 2026 · 05:06 UTC5 reports

The short version

A federal judge declined a Justice Department request to stop California from counting votes of over 20,000 people flagged as potential noncitizens.[The Washington Sun]
The judge ruled the request came too late in the election process and that efforts to isolate these voters lacked credibility.[The Washington Sun]
The list was narrowed from up to 190,832 names flagged in July to 20,000 by October, then sent to the Los Angeles County clerk.[The Washington Sun]
The accuracy of the Justice Department's list remains disputed.[NPR]

U.S. District Judge David Carter declined a Justice Department request to stop California from counting votes of over 20,000 people identified as potential noncitizen voters.[The Washington Sun]
Judge Carter ruled the government's request to segregate ballots was delivered too late and that its attempts to isolate noncitizen voters lacked credibility.[The Washington Sun]
The Department of Homeland Security initially identified up to 190,832 potential noncitizen voters on California's rolls in July, and by October the list was lowered to 20,000 names sent to the Los Angeles County clerk.[The Washington Sun]
The Justice Department filed its lawsuit against California on October 15, seeking to have the state set aside ballots from persons likely to be noncitizens.[The Guardian · NBC News · Al Jazeera]
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 against the administration on Monday, after an emergency hearing held Sunday.[NBC News]

The accuracy of the Justice Department's list of likely noncitizens remains disputed.[NPR]

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.