U.S. Supreme Court denies Trump administration bid to exclude disputed California ballots

On November 2, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected an emergency request by the Trump administration to require California to set aside ballots cast by voters the federal government said were noncitizens. The order came hours before the final day of voting, leaving California’s existing ballot-handling procedures in place for the close of the midterm election. The ruling narrows the administration’s room for late-cycle federal intervention in state election administration and shifts the contest back toward post-election litigation, certification fights, and political messaging.