Justice Department Dismisses Ballot Case After Supreme Court Denies Appeal

The U.S. Justice Department has moved to voluntarily dismiss its lawsuit challenging the counting of 20,000 ballots in California, citing the impossibility of obtaining the relief sought after the midterm election concluded.

The department had previously sought a court order requiring election officials to set aside the ballots, which it claimed could be cast by noncitizens. However, both a federal judge and a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the request, and the Supreme Court denied the Trump administration's appeal to those rulings.

In a filing before Judge David O. Carter, Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hamill stated that the court process was no longer necessary, as the ballots had already been mixed with lawful votes, making segregation impossible. She noted that the relief sought by the government was no longer available, necessitating the dismissal.

Hamill wrote that the Trump administration had exhausted its appeals to obtain timely relief and that the case was now moot. A Justice Department spokesperson confirmed the litigation was moot but stated the administration would continue targeting alleged noncitizen voters in other cases.

California Secretary of State Shirley Weber and Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean Logan expressed satisfaction with the dismissal, noting that the court had already ruled against the administration's claims. Both emphasized their commitment to ensuring fair and secure elections.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta called the dismissal the end of an unlawful effort to interfere with elections, reaffirming the state’s commitment to protecting voters’ rights. Election officials across the state also expressed relief at the case’s conclusion, though they acknowledged the issue may resurface in the future.