Wilkes Barre Scranton Hazleton, PA, October 15, 2026 —

The Trump administration has sued California election officials, seeking to stop the counting of mail-in ballots from people the federal government has identified as likely noncitizens until their immigration status is confirmed.

The dispute centers on whether ballots from individuals in that category can be counted before the status check is completed. The summary of the case does not specify how officials would verify immigration status or what process would apply to affected voters.

Details about the lawsuit remain limited. The names of the officials sued, the court handling the case and the date the lawsuit was filed were not provided. The number of ballots or voters potentially affected was also not provided, nor was information about the evidence used to identify people as likely noncitizens.

No response from California officials, decision by a court or next step in the case was included in the available information. The lawsuit’s requested pause is therefore not an indication that a court has ordered ballots to be withheld from counting. Its effect on ballot processing, if any, is not stated.

The central question described in the case is whether ballots associated with people flagged by the federal government should remain uncounted while their immigration status is confirmed. The available summary does not provide further details about the legal arguments, the state’s election procedures or the timeline for resolving the dispute.


Story summarized from the original created by ALANNA DURKIN RICHER, SOPHIE AUSTIN and SAFIYAH RIDDLE, Associated Press on www.2822news.com, see more information here.

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