Justice Department Withdraws Lawsuit Over California Ballots Alleged to Be Sent to Noncitizens
The U.S. Department of Justice withdrew its lawsuit against California, which sought to prevent the counting of approximately 20,000 ballots alleged to have been sent to noncitizens until their immigration status could be verified.
Mobile Pensacola, AL, November 6, 2026 — The U.S. Department of Justice has withdrawn its legal action against the state of California. The lawsuit had aimed to halt the counting of roughly 20,000 ballots.
The ballots in question were alleged to have been sent to individuals who are not U.S. citizens. The Department of Justice’s suit sought to prevent these ballots from being counted unless the recipients’ immigration status could be thoroughly verified.
The U.S. Department of Justice did not provide specific reasons for withdrawing the lawsuit at the time of this report. The legal action was initiated to address concerns about the integrity of the electoral process in relation to noncitizen voting. The amount of approximately 20,000 ballots was cited as the focus of the dispute.
California officials were the defendants in the case. The withdrawal means the state will no longer be compelled by this particular federal lawsuit to verify the immigration status of these specific ballots before they could be processed. Further details regarding the specific dates of the lawsuit’s filing or the withdrawal, as well as the names of involved parties or courts, were not immediately available.
The core of the litigation revolved around ensuring that only eligible citizens’ votes were counted in the electoral process. The Department of Justice’s stance highlighted a federal interest in maintaining the accuracy and legality of elections nationwide. However, the decision to withdraw the suit indicates a shift in the federal government’s immediate course of action regarding this specific case in California.
Story summarized from the original created by SAFIYAH RIDDLE, Associated Press on www.wkrg.com, see more information here.
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