US appeals court questions Justice Department suit over California voter rolls

A federal appeals court appeared skeptical during a rare Sunday hearing regarding the Department of Justice request to immediately segregate 20,000 California ballots, according to The Hill. U.S. News & World Report and Reuters both report that the appeals court appeared doubtful of the lawsuit filed by the Justice Department of President Donald Trump concerning the state voter rolls. [1][2][8]

The lawsuit follows letters sent by the Justice Department demanding that California election officials sequester ballots sent to suspected noncitizen voters ahead of the midterm elections, ABC News Politics and The Hill reported. According to ABC News Politics, the federal government requested sensitive information, including Social Security numbers, for approximately 20,000 voters. It is illegal for noncitizens to register to vote or cast a ballot in federal elections. [2][3]

ABC News Politics reported that local election officials across California expressed confusion and frustration over the federal demands. During the Sunday hearing, one judge questioned whether the court possessed jurisdiction over the emergency bid, according to The Hill. [2][3]

As FTMQ Politics reported earlier, federal officials gave local county registrars a 48-hour deadline to respond to the letters and quarantine the targeted ballots. Electoral rolls are compilations listing citizens entitled to vote in a specific jurisdiction, typically maintained through voter registration processes. [15][16]