Feds Can’t Force WA to Set Aside Alleged Noncitizen Ballots, Judge Rules
The 14-day order says federal officials may ask for cooperation but cannot compel counties to set aside or ignore ballots for about 400 voters.
- On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Jamal Whitehead issued a 14-day restraining order barring the Trump administration from forcing Washington state election officials to set aside ballots of suspected noncitizens or threatening them with prosecution.
- Acting U.S. Attorney Pete Serrano and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd demanded Secretary of State Steve Hobbs hold off counting about 400 ballots, which Hobbs called a "dumpster fire disguised as a legal document."
- The ruling aligns with Ninth Circuit and Supreme Court decisions in California, which established that federal law does not allow the Justice Department to "take charge of or intervene in a state's administration of an ongoing election."
- For two weeks while counties certify results by November 24, the order protects election workers, though it does not block federal authorities from investigating potential illegal voting or asking states to cooperate voluntarily.
- Justice Department spokesperson Kiersten Pels said the agency is reviewing the order, while Whitehead scheduled a hearing for November 18 to determine whether to extend the injunction beyond the initial 14-day period.
28 Articles
28 Articles
Feds can’t force Washington to set aside alleged noncitizen ballots, judge rules
The Trump administration can’t force Washington state election officials to set aside ballots from 400-plus voters alleged to be noncitizens, a federal judge in Seattle ruled Thursday. The temporary court order stymies a longshot bid from the U.S. Department of Justice to leave ballots from those voters uncounted while authorities investigated their eligibility, a step that the state refused. The ruling is unsurprising in light of the U.S. Sup…
Judge halts Department of Justice from demanding Washington vote sequestering
SPOKANE, Wash. – A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order preventing the U.S. Department of Justice from pressuring Washington State officials to set aside around 400 ballots while it verifies their citizenship.
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Feds can’t force WA to set aside alleged noncitizen ballots, judge rules
The Trump administration can’t force Washington state election officials to set aside ballots from 400-plus voters alleged to be noncitizens, a federal judge in Seattle ruled Thursday.
Feds can’t force WA to set aside alleged noncitizen ballots, judge rules • Washington State Standard
The Trump administration can’t force Washington state election officials to set aside ballots from 400-plus voters alleged to be noncitizens, a federal judge in Seattle ruled Thursday. The temporary court order stymies a longshot bid from the U.S. Department of Justice to leave ballots from those voters uncounted while authorities investigated their eligibility, a step […]
Judge blows up Trump DOJ’s ballot gambit with devastating line
A federal judge barred President Donald Trump’s administration from threatening to prosecute Washington election workers, ruling it likely can’t make them set aside ballots still being counted.U.S. District Judge Jamal Whitehead issued the 14-day restraining order Thursday in Seattle, two days after Election Day, as counties kept counting mail ballots. Two Washington civic groups and a labor union had sued.The order bars the Justice Department a…
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