Justice Department Drops Lawsuit Over California Ballots Alleged Cast by Noncitizens
The U.S. Department of Justice has dropped its lawsuit against California that sought to prevent the counting of approximately 20,000 ballots alleged to have been cast by noncitizens.
Springfield, MO, November 6, 2026 — The U.S. Department of Justice has officially withdrawn its lawsuit against the state of California concerning the handling of approximately 20,000 ballots. The lawsuit had aimed to prevent these ballots, which were alleged to have been cast by noncitizens, from being counted in elections.
The Department of Justice’s decision to drop the case signifies a significant development in the legal challenge that had raised questions about voter eligibility and ballot integrity. The federal government had previously alleged that a substantial number of noncitizens had registered to vote and subsequently cast ballots.
Specific details regarding the reasons for the Justice Department’s withdrawal of the lawsuit were not immediately provided. The lawsuit targeted the state’s election processes, focusing on the claims related to the 20,000 ballots. The outcome means that the legal dispute over these specific ballots has concluded without the federal government securing an injunction or other court-ordered relief to block their tabulation.
Information regarding the timeline of the original filing, the specific court where the lawsuit was lodged, or statements from California state officials in response to the withdrawal was not included in the available information. The department’s action effectively ends this particular federal challenge to California’s election procedures as it pertained to the ballots in question.
The trend summary indicated that the lawsuit’s central premise was the alleged casting of votes by individuals ineligible due to noncitizenship. The withdrawal by the Department of Justice means this specific legal avenue to challenge those ballots has been closed by the department itself. Further details on any ongoing or future actions by state or federal authorities regarding voter list maintenance or noncitizen voting are not specified.
Story summarized from the original created by SAFIYAH RIDDLE, Associated Press on www.ozarksfirst.com, see more information here.
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