The US Supreme Court on Monday rejected the US President Donald Trump administration’s emergency request to set aside thousands of mail-in ballots in California over claims that some voters may not be US citizens.
According to the Associated Press, the administration had identified approximately 20,000 registered voters it believed were likely noncitizens and wanted their ballots separated until their citizenship status could be verified.
The Supreme Court dismissed the request just hours after it was filed, delivering another legal setback to Trump’s efforts to intervene in state election procedures.
California officials opposed the move, arguing that the administration’s list contained numerous errors and that setting aside the ballots could prevent eligible citizens from having their votes counted.
The ruling comes ahead of Tuesday’s midterm elections, with Democrats hoping to gain greater control of Congress and increase scrutiny of the Trump administration.
The decision also follows an earlier Supreme Court ruling in September that rejected Trump’s attempt to restrict mail-in voting nationwide.
The latest decision leaves California’s existing ballot procedures in place as voters prepare for the November 3 elections.
