Trump admin blocked from separating suspected noncitizen ballots in California

A US judge ordered the Trump administration to stop demanding segregation of certain California ballots. The ruling affirmed California's authority to determine its voter citizenship verification procedures.

In Short

• US judge stops Trump admin from segregating ballots in California
• Ruling cites flawed noncitizen lists with many errors
• Judge says California can decide its own voter verification

A US judge ordered the Trump administration on Monday to stop demanding that California election officials segregate ballots cast by people on its lists of suspected noncitizens.

The ruling by US District Judge James Boasberg comes a day before the November 3 midterm elections, with President Donald Trump's fellow Republicans battling to maintain majorities in both houses of congress.

Boasberg found that the lists the administration had compiled were flawed, and included many people who were wrongly listed as noncitizens.

"California may decide for itself what procedures to use for verifying the citizenship of registered voters," wrote Boasberg, who is based in Washington and was appointed by Democratic President Barack Obama. "The Executive Branch lacks authority to unilaterally impose its preferred procedures.

On Monday, the Supreme Court rejected a bid by the Trump administration to temporarily block California from counting mail-in ballots from more than 20,000 registered voters who federal officials alleged are likely non-US citizens.

- Ends