{
  "id": 16568338,
  "title": "Appeals court skeptical over Trump administration lawsuit against California mail-in ballots",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/26/appeals-court-skeptical-over-trump-administration-lawsuit-against",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-26T06:58:51.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Jerusalem Post",
    "slug": "jerusalem-post",
    "url": "https://www.jpost.com/american-politics/article-912864"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A federal appeals court expressed doubt on Sunday about a lawsuit initiated by President Donald Trump's administration aiming to compel California officials to discard thousands of mail-in ballots suspected of being sent to non-citizens prior to the midterms. During an unusual weekend hearing, two judges on a three-judge panel of the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals probed a Justice Department lawyer concerning the lawsuit, a significant move by the Trump administration to increase federal involvement in elections ahead of November 3. The lawsuit, filed by the Department of Justice, underscores the administration's intention to challenge midterm results that will determine control of the US Congress, where Republicans hold a narrow majority in both chambers. The DOJ has warned election officials in California that they could face federal scrutiny if they resist assisting in identifying suspected non-citizens on voter rolls. The administration has provided California officials with a list of 20,000 individuals it claims are likely aliens registered to vote in the state. Despite California's assertion of robust safeguards against non-citizen voting, the DOJ contends that the evidence presented is untrustworthy. The lawsuit was initially filed in federal court in Los Angeles on October 15, requesting a federal judge to order California to segregate ballots from individuals on the administration's list and refrain from counting them until the citizenship of the voters is verified. Circuit Judge Mark Bennett, a Trump appointee, questioned during Sunday's oral argument whether the lawsuit could comply with the US Constitution's Elections Clause, which grants states authority over election processes. Judge Bennett emphasized that it appears the suit contradicts a provision of the Constitution that allows states to set their election procedures.",
  "summary": "During a rare weekend oral argument, two judges on a three-judge panel of the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals sharply questioned a Justice Department lawyer regarding a lawsuit.\n\nAccording to reports from The Wall Street Journal and The Jerusalem Post, U.S. officials have approached Orbán with a proposal. Orbán has expressed interest but has not made a final decision on whether to enter the race for UN Secretary-General. Washington believes Orbán’s previous contacts with Moscow and Beijing could help secure support for the Hungarian politician, who is viewed as pro-Russian.\n\nA State Department official estimated that Orbán could secure the support of at least eight of the 15 Security Council members, and potentially as many as 10 if circumstances are favorable. A State Department official also described Orbán as a “MAGA conservatives dream candidate” due to his stances on mass immigration, liberal nongovernmental organizations, and certain centers of influence in Hungary. It remains unclear if the United Kingdom and France would be prepared to block his candidacy.",
  "key_points": [
    "Appeals court doubts Trump lawsuit on California mail-in ballots",
    "DOJ provided list of 20,000 suspected non-citizen voters to California",
    "Circuit Judge questions lawsuit's constitutionality"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The Department of Justice's attempt to intervene in state voting procedures signals an effort to expand federal oversight over local election administration ahead of the critical midterm contests.",
  "illustration": "https://urgent.news/ill/16568338.png",
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Al Jazeera",
        "title": "US appeals court sceptical of Trump’s lawsuit over California voter rolls",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/26/us-appeals-court-sceptical-of-trumps-lawsuit-over-california-voter",
        "published": "2026-10-26T04:32:48.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Hindustan Times - World News",
        "title": "US Justice Department challenges California over 20,000 ballots linked to suspected noncitizens",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/26/us-justice-department-challenges-california-over-20-000-ballots",
        "published": "2026-10-26T05:44:11.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}