Trump asks Supreme Court to intervene in bid to get California to set aside ballots from 20,000 alleged noncitizens

Updated on: November 2, 2026 / 11:58 AM EST / CBS News

Washington — The Trump administration on Monday asked the Supreme Court to intervene in its effort to force California election workers to set aside mail ballots from thousands of people it claims are not U.S. citizens.

The Justice Department's request for emergency relief came after a federal appeals court on Friday declined to order California officials to segregate the ballots cast by more than 20,000 people included on a government list of suspected noncitizens.

More than 6 million mail ballots have been returned statewide as of Sunday, according to the California secretary of state's office. Voting has been underway in California since early October. There are more than 23 million registered voters in the state.

The emergency appeal to the high court came in the fast-moving legal battle unfolding in the run-up to Tuesday's elections. The Trump administration so far has not been successful in convincing lower courts to require the ballots at issue to be put aside.

But in the request to the Supreme Court, Solicitor General D. John Sauer said the government is seeking a "modest remedy" that will ensure any ballots cast by people who…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/world/