Federal judge rejects blocking 20,000 votes in California

A federal judge in California dismissed Trump's administration's request to invalidate over 20,000 mail-in ballots, citing potential harm to ongoing elections. Judge David O. Carter emphasized that the request violated state autonomy and could disenfranchise voters based on uncertain claims. The Justice Department had identified these ballots as possibly from non-citizens and sought to verify citizenship before counting. California officials contested the reliability of this list, arguing that separating ballots would complicate the voting process. This legal battle unfolds as early voting is underway, with implications for the upcoming elections.