Judge declines to block California from counting alleged noncitizen voters’ ballots in DOJ lawsuit

A federal judge in California is refusing a request by the Trump administration to segregate 20,000 mail-in ballots from individuals it alleges are noncitizens.

“This request violates longstanding constitutional principles mandating that states have control over their elections,” U.S. District Judge David Carter wrote. “If Plaintiff’s last-minute request for relief were granted, either party could create chaos for their own political purposes to disrupt the election process.”

Carter, as he did during Tuesday’s hearing, notes there is a “clear remedy” available to the federal government: the use of its prosecutorial tools. Carter also notes California has established procedures to cancel the voter registration of any individual proven ineligible.

“The Executive’s requested relief, however, would wreak havoc and disrupt the election that is already underway, create a chilling effect on election workers and voters alike, and discount the votes of United States citizens,” Carter writes.

The Justice Department filed the suit on Oct. 15, seeking a court order that the state “set aside vote-by-mail ballots from persons identified by the Federal Government likely to be noncitizens” and not count them until their citizenship is confirmed.

The department said it had compiled “a list of over 20,000 names of people” the government…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/business