Trump's Justice Department launches an immediate appeal after a US judge refuses to stop California counting 20,000 disputed ballots
Donald Trump, whose approval rating has fallen to 36% among likely voters, offered a $1m reward for voter-fraud tips leading to convictions, leaving unanswered who would fund or administer the scheme.
District Judge David O. Carter rejected the Justice Department's demand that California segregate 20,000 mail ballots it claims were sent to non-citizens, warning the move would "wreak havoc" and that letting the executive branch "discount votes due to unproven allegations" would put democracy in danger. California's attorneys challenged the accuracy of the DoJ's noncitizen list and stressed that the state already has protections against non-citizen voting. The DoJ immediately appealed Carter's ruling, with a state official warning: 'Every day, more ballots are processed — this ongoing emergency disenfranchises American citizens through dilution.'
Carter, a Clinton appointee, ruled the request 'violates longstanding constitutional principles' giving states control of elections.
The 9th Circuit already rejected the DoJ's weekend emergency bid before the trial-court hearing, finding the administration's claimed urgency was 'self-constructed.'
With Election Day on Tuesday, hundreds of thousands of California ballots have already been returned, making segregation practically impossible.
