DOJ Drops California Ballot Suit
The Justice Department abandoned its bid to set aside disputed California ballots.
November 6, 2026 · Updated Nov 6, 9:09pm ET
Los Angeles TimesFeds move to dismiss case over 20,000 California ballots after Supreme Court denied appeal
CBS NewsDOJ moves to drop its lawsuit asking California to set aside alleged noncitizen ballots
Just the NewsJudge demands DOJ stop pressuring Washington state election officials
Raw StoryTrump DOJ waves white flag in blue state ballot war after Supreme Court smackdown
NBC NewsJustice Department drops bid to force California to set aside ballots from alleged noncitizens
Breitbart NewsUS Justice Department drops bid to force California to set aside disputed ballots
MS NOWSupreme Court justices cast their own crucial votes this week
Joe.My.God.DOJ Ordered To Stop Threatening WA Election Officials
AlterNetTrump DOJ crushed in court for threatening to prosecute vote counters
64%
Left · 7
18%
Center · 2
18%
Right · 2
Pano rates the coverage Mostly Left.
What happened
- The Justice Department moved Friday to dismiss its lawsuit seeking to make California set aside roughly 20,000 ballots over suspected noncitizen voting.
- The department wanted those ballots kept separate until voters’ citizenship could be verified, but California officials said its list was outdated and included eligible voters.
- A federal judge and an appeals court rejected the request, and the Supreme Court denied an emergency appeal without any noted dissents.
- The department said the ballots would be mixed with others before a Nov. 13 hearing, making the relief it sought unavailable.
- California continues counting ballots, while the Justice Department still faces separate lawsuits seeking to limit its use of the suspected-noncitizen list.
How the left told it
Left-leaning outlets emphasized judicial rebukes of the administration’s ballot challenges. The Los Angeles Times highlighted the judge’s finding that the California request was likely unconstitutional. MS NOW’s legal newsletter called it a “voter suppression effort,” while Raw Story described the dismissal as a “massive admission of defeat.”
How the right told it
Right-leaning outlets framed the ballot challenges as legal setbacks for the administration. Breitbart’s Associated Press report covered the California dismissal and officials’ concerns that the voter list included eligible citizens. Just the News described “similar legal headwinds” in California while reporting a judge’s order against pressuring Washington election officials.
California Ballot Lawsuit
Part of the storyline · Storyline →- Nov 7DOJ Drops California Ballot SuitMostly Left
- Nov 6DOJ Drops California Ballot Suit (this story)Mostly Left
