California Officials Push Back On DOJ

California officials pushed back on the Justice Department’s demand to set aside ballots tied to flagged voters. At a rare Sunday hearing, two Ninth CircuitCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuitfederal appellate court for the western U.S. judges questioned DOJ’s authority, timing and evidence, and issued no immediate ruling. The fight centers on whether Washington can force California to change ballot processing for people it says may be noncitizens. DOJ says federal law and the risk of unlawful votes justify segregation, while California says it controls election procedures and has safeguards. Local officials said counting had begun and would continue. State officials said a review found many listed voters appeared U.S.-born or had no voting history. The emergency request remained pending, with a district court hearing set for Oct. 27.