A federal judge has denied the Trump administration’s request to require California to isolate roughly 20,000 mail ballots that officials said might have been cast by noncitizens.
The ruling leaves the ballots in the state’s election process while the broader legal dispute continues.
The administration argued that the ballots should be separated for additional review, citing concerns about potential noncitizen voting.
California officials opposed the request, saying the proposed action could interfere with election administration and undermine confidence in legally cast ballots.
The case centers on how states verify voter eligibility and how federal authorities may challenge those procedures.
The decision does not resolve the underlying claims about the ballots. It instead rejects the immediate effort to impose a broad set-aside requirement, leaving further legal proceedings to determine whether any ballots were improperly included.