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NewsWPLG Local 10 – PoliticsOctober 26, 2026Miami-Dade County

Appeals court declines to rule on federal bid to sequester California ballots

Photo: WPLG Local 10 – Politics

An appeals court on Monday declined to rule on a federal request to block California from counting roughly 20,000 ballots alleged to belong to noncitizen voters. The decision leaves the matter for a federal district judge to review ahead of the Nov. 3 elections.

Elections and VotingLegal ProceedingsImmigration and Citizenship
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Why It Matters

The ruling keeps 20,000 contested ballots in play for the upcoming election while setting up an immediate legal hearing before a district judge with a narrow timeframe before Nov. 3.

Key Facts

  • An appeals court on Monday declined to rule on a federal request to sequester roughly 20,000 ballots in California.
  • The Justice Department alleged the ballots belong to likely noncitizen voters who were on state voter rolls.
  • The federal administration sued California election officials in mid-October over an alleged failure to meet a 48-hour review deadline.
  • Two of three 9th Circuit judges found the federal government failed to give the district court adequate opportunity to consider the initial request.
  • The decision leads to a legal showdown on Tuesday in front of a federal district judge ahead of the Nov. 3 elections.

Who's Mentioned

Organization9th Circuit Court“Appeals court that declined to rule on the federal emergency request.”OrganizationJustice Department“Federal agency that sued election officials regarding voter rolls.”locationCalifornia“State where election officials are administering the election and ballots are be”