US appeals court sceptical of Trump’s lawsuit over California voter rolls

Judge questions the Trump administration’s efforts to exert greater influence over elections process ahead of upcoming midterm vote.Published On 26 Oct 202626 Oct 2026A United States appeals court has expressed doubt over the Department of Justice’s lawsuit against California, which seeks to force the state to throw out mail-in ballots it has deemed likely to go to non-citizens.Circuit Judge Mark Bennett said on Sunday that the three-judge panel would issue a decision as soon as possible, following a rare weekend oral argument.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Trump administration sues California over noncitizens on voter rollslist 2 of 3US judge blocks federal operations seeking to identify non-citizen voterslist 3 of 3Will ICE agents play a role in the 2026 US midterm elections?end of listBut Bennett, an appointee of Republican President Donald Trump, voiced concern that the lawsuit would not hold up to scrutiny.He pointed to the Elections Clause in the US Constitution, which allows states — not the federal government — to administer elections.“It seems to me that you want us to issue an injunction that is entirely inconsistent with the law that the California legisla...