US appeals court refuses Trump bid to set aside 20,000 California ballots the DoJ says are from noncitizens
From the Newshound archive · first published 27 October 2026.
Gernot Döllner (left) with Donald Trump. IG Metall chief Christiane Benner branded the Audi CEO's rally appearance "highly embarrassing", saying it breached the carmaker's political neutrality rules.
Trump appointee Judge Patrick Bumatay dissented, warning the 'questionable ballots are now rolling in' and cannot be identified once processed. Judges Mark Bennett and Gabriel Sanchez ruled 2-1 that the Justice Department's emergency was 'a self-constructed one'. Some ballots may already have been tallied. District Judge David Carter is to hear the case on Tuesday afternoon, a week before the 3 November midterms.
The Justice Department gave California just 48 hours to check its list on a flash drive.
Bumatay accused California of 'burying its head in the sand while aliens may be voting'.
California governor Gavin Newsom accused Trump of an 'assault on democracy'.
