AP reports a request for rapid appellate review after Judge David Carter rejected emergency relief. The allegations about voter eligibility remain disputed.
The Justice Department has asked the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to act quickly after a federal judge refused to stop California processing disputed mail ballots, according to AP’s October 29 report carried by SFGATE. The department argues that continued processing makes relief urgent. The reviewed report does not announce an appellate decision.
NPR’s report carried by KPBS says U.S. District Judge David Carter denied a temporary restraining order on Wednesday. Federal officials describe roughly 20,000 people as likely noncitizens. California officials dispute the list’s reliability and say segregating ballots during voting could disenfranchise eligible citizens. Those eligibility allegations remain contested.
AP reports that a renewed request for a preliminary injunction also remains before Carter. The appeal and that request are separate procedural steps, so rejection of emergency relief does not mean the litigation has ended. Readers can follow both the AP update and NPR’s account of the lower court ruling below.