Trump administration drops California mail-in ballot lawsuit after midterms

The Trump administration withdrew a lawsuit Friday seeking to prevent California from counting mail-in ballots from more than 20,000 registered voters whom federal officials alleged were likely not U.S. citizens, ending the legal challenge after this week’s midterm elections.

The Justice Department filed a notice of voluntary dismissal after Democrats won California’s statewide races by comfortable margins and prevailed in most congressional contests.

The case centered on registered voters identified by federal officials as potentially ineligible to vote on citizenship grounds. The administration had sought to stop ballots associated with those voters from being counted.

On Monday, one day before the election, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the administration’s request to temporarily block California from including the disputed ballots in its vote count.

In earlier court filings, Justice Department lawyers argued that immediate intervention was necessary as ballots could no longer be separated from other votes after election officials accepted them.

The department cited that same issue in Friday’s dismissal notice, saying the remedy it had requested was no longer possible after the ballots had been counted.

“The relief the United States sought is no longer available,” the department wrote, explaining its decision to end the proceedings.

U.S. District Judge David Carter had previously questioned the administration’s request, raising concerns about the potential consequences for eligible voters and the administration of an election already underway.

Carter warned that the proposed intervention could confuse legitimate voters and prevent some from having their votes counted. He described the requested change to established election procedures as “monumental.”

The case unfolded against the backdrop of California’s midterm voting, with federal officials pressing for action immediately before election day and the Supreme Court declining to intervene.

Friday’s filing came after the counting process had progressed beyond the point at which the Justice Department said its requested remedy could be implemented.