Appeals Court Rejects Trump Bid to Block 20,000 California Mail Ballots Before Midterms

A divided 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel ruled 2-1 on October 26, 2026, against a Trump administration request to sequester roughly 20,000 mailed ballots in California before the November 3 midterm election, allowing the state to continue counting them. The administration had sued California on October 15, claiming without public evidence that the ballots went to people who are "likely" noncitizens.

Writing for the majority, Judge Gabriel Sanchez said the administration was effectively asking a federal court to "dictate to a state legislature a matter squarely within the state's traditional domain," and warned that granting the request would be "inviting disorder and confusion for voters and election officials alike." The ruling underscores a broader pattern: the Justice Department has sued 30 states and Washington, D.C. over voter-roll access this year, losing 26 of those cases and winning none.

The underlying case remains before a district court, which had a hearing scheduled for October 27. California's secretary of state had called the suit, in an October 20 filing, "at best ... a reckless political stunt."