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Update: 9th Circuit panel appears skeptical of DOJ bid to set aside about 20,000 California mail ballots

Published 5:00 PM CT, Sunday, October 25, 2026 · Updated 5:11 PM CT
In the 5 PM CT update

At a rare Sunday hearing, two of three judges on a 9th Circuit panel sharply questioned a Justice Department lawyer about the lawsuit seeking to force California to set aside mail-in ballots allegedly sent to noncitizens, Reuters reported. DOJ says roughly 20,000 potential noncitizen voters are on the state's rolls; California says the list is unverified, and Los Angeles officials said nearly 40% of 200 names they checked indicate U.S. birth, ABC News reported. DOJ has charged roughly 28 people from the list with voting and immigration-related crimes, ABC reported.

• Ninth Circuit
• California
• Noncitizen voting
• Mail-in ballots
• Justice Department
• Election integrity
• Midterms 2026
• Voter rolls
• United States