Trump Administration Sues California Over Mail Ballots Flagged for Citizenship Review
The Trump administration has filed a lawsuit against California election officials, seeking to block the state from counting mail-in ballots cast by individuals identified by the federal government as likely noncitizens until their citizenship status can be confirmed. The action…
Denver, CO, October 15, 2026 —
The Trump administration has filed a lawsuit against California election officials seeking to stop the state from counting certain mail-in ballots until the voters’ citizenship status can be confirmed.
The suit concerns ballots cast by people whom the federal government identified as likely noncitizens. The administration is asking that those ballots not be counted while their citizenship status remains unconfirmed, according to the available description of the case.
The action stems from a Justice Department claim that California failed to meet a deadline to review a federal list of alleged noncitizens who received ballots. The description does not identify the deadline, the officials named in the lawsuit, or the number of people or ballots involved.
The allegation that the state missed the review deadline is the Justice Department’s claim; no response from California election officials is included in the information provided. The description also does not specify when or where the lawsuit was filed, which court is handling it, or what legal arguments either side has made.
The requested measure, as described, would prevent the affected ballots from being counted until citizenship status is confirmed. The available information does not say whether a court has acted on that request or how the review of the list has proceeded. It also does not provide details about how individuals were identified by the federal government or how their citizenship would be confirmed.
Those details leave the scope and immediate status of the dispute unclear. The central issue identified in the filing is whether California met the federal deadline to review the list, alongside the administration’s request to hold the specified ballots out of the count pending confirmation. Further information about the lawsuit and any response from the state was not provided.
Story summarized from the original created by AP via Scripps News Group on www.denver7.com, see more information here.
