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Judge Rejects DOJ Bid to Toss 20,000 Mail Ballots

By Drooid · Oct 29, 2026 · How we work

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Summary

Judge David O. Carter denied the Justice Department’s request to set aside 20,000 California mail-in ballots on October 29, 2026.
He said the request was legally thin, risked disenfranchising voters, and would chill workers.
The Justice Department delivered a USB drive with a list of 20,000 non-citizens and gave officials 48 hours.
California officials and voting-rights groups said the list was unreliable, noting a 200-name sample included many U.S.-born people.

History

The Voting Rights Act, signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson on August 6 1965, immediately registered about 250,000 Black voters. Decades later, Supreme Court rulings such as Shelby County v. Holder (2013) weakened its preclearance, prompting renewed litigation. Today, Judge David O. Carter’s refusal to discard 20,000 California mail-in ballots reflects the Act’s enduring fight against voter suppression.

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The Voting Rights Act, signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson on August 6 1965, immediately registered about 250,000 Black voters. Decades later, Supreme Court rulings such as Shelby County v. Holder (2013) weakened its preclearance, prompting renewed litigation. Today, Judge David O. Carter’s refusal to discard 20,000 California mail-in ballots reflects the Act’s enduring fight against voter suppression.

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