by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Worthy News) – The Trump administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday to intervene in an escalating election dispute, seeking to prevent California from counting ballots associated with more than 20,000 registered voters federal officials suspect may not be American citizens.

The emergency appeal comes just one day before Tuesday’s midterm elections, following two federal court setbacks for the Justice Department.

Federal officials want California election authorities to separate the disputed mail-in ballots and withhold them from the count until the voters’ citizenship can be verified, arguing that potentially unlawful votes cannot be identified once they are mixed with legitimate ballots.

The Justice Department filed its lawsuit on October 15, alleging that California officials were failing to enforce federal laws prohibiting noncitizens from voting in federal elections.

However, U.S. District Judge David Carter rejected the administration’s request on October 28. A divided three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals subsequently upheld that decision on October 30, warning that last-minute changes could disenfranchise eligible voters and disrupt the election process.

California officials dispute the federal government’s findings, maintaining that the list of suspected noncitizens contains inaccuracies and may include legitimate American voters.

The controversy has intensified as federal prosecutors have also issued grand jury subpoenas to Los Angeles County election officials concerning their handling of the disputed voter registrations.

The Supreme Court’s response could have immediate consequences for California’s ballot-counting procedures as millions of Americans prepare to vote Tuesday in elections that will determine control of Congress.

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