Federal judge rejects Trump Administration's request to block 20,000 votes in California

A federal judge dismissed Trump's administration's request to block over 20,000 mail-in votes in California, citing potential harm to ongoing elections. Judge David O. Carter ruled that the request violated state autonomy and could disenfranchise voters based on uncertain claims. The Justice Department had identified these voters as potential non-citizens and sought to verify their citizenship before counting their ballots. California officials disputed the reliability of the list and warned that separating the identified ballots would complicate the voting process. This legal battle occurs amid early voting and reflects a broader Republican strategy to challenge voter eligibility, particularly among minority groups, ahead of the upcoming elections.