The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday evening denied an emergency request from the Trump administration to intervene in a dispute over California’s voter rolls. The administration had asked the justices to require California officials to set aside and stop processing ballots cast by individuals the Department of Justice (DOJ) identified as "likely" noncitizens. The court issued the denial without noted dissents or a written explanation.
The request reached the high court after the DOJ identified a list of approximately 20,000 names on California’s voter rolls that it contended were noncitizens. California officials and Los Angeles County argued the list was unreliable and that altering procedures while voting was already underway was not feasible. Lower courts had previously ruled against the federal government, with a federal judge in Los Angeles, David Carter, describing the efforts last week as "attempted election interference by federal officials."
A divided panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals also rejected the DOJ’s request on Friday, Oct. 30. Judges Mark Bennett and Gabriel Sanchez cited the Purcell principle, a legal precedent stating that courts should not change election rules shortly before an election. The panel also noted the National Voter Registration Act, which prohibits the systematic removal of voters within 90 days of a federal election. Judge Patrick Bumatay dissented from that decision.
The decision reinforces the legal precedent that federal courts generally avoid changing state election procedures in the final days before an election. It also limits the federal government's ability to compel states to deviate from established ballot-counting procedures based on federal databases. California Attorney General Rob Bonta stated the ruling should end attempts to disrupt the election through emergency orders, though he noted the state remains prepared for further legal challenges.
Beyond the Supreme Court, other federal courts recently limited the administration's actions regarding voter rolls. A judge in San Francisco issued a temporary restraining order on Oct. 30 barring federal officials from intimidating election workers. On Monday, Nov. 2, a judge in Washington, D.C., found federal attempts to impose new ballot-counting procedures unconstitutional, and a separate D.C. judge barred the administration from sending lists of alleged noncitizens to election administrators nationwide. The general election took place on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026.