The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit rejected the Trump administration's emergency request to require California election officials to segregate mail-in ballots from approximately 20,000 individuals the government believes are likely noncitizens, marking the state's third legal victory in one week against the federal effort.
The appeals court determined that allowing the administration's request would undermine states' authority to manage elections and place unnecessary burdens on election officials and voters. An earlier district court ruling found that the administration's "methodology in creating the list was vague and raised multiple questions regarding reliability," and noted that "district courts across the country have cast doubt about the United States' proffered lists," according to the attorney general's office.
"Three legal victories in one week make clear that the Trump Administration has zero authority to interfere in California's elections," said Attorney General Rob Bonta.
Under California law, noncitizens are prohibited from voting in federal elections, with several state safeguards in place making such fraud "exceptionally rare," according to Bonta's office. The administration had sought an emergency injunction, arguing the Purcell principle—which prohibits court-ordered changes to election rules close to an election to avoid confusing voters—required segregation of the disputed ballots. The appeals court rejected this reasoning.
California's prior victories came on October 26, when the Ninth Circuit dismissed the administration's first appeal for lack of adequate time for the district court to consider it, and October 28, when a district court denied the administration's request for a temporary restraining order.