Washington | Oct. 30, 2026, 2:32 p.m. ET | 6 min read

After the Trump administration recently demanded that California set aside midterm election ballots it claims could be from noncitizens, a federal judge there firmly rejected the effort.

Elections are traditionally regulated and managed by states, and the judge said allowing the move would “wreak havoc” and potentially disenfranchise registered voters.

If the executive branch “can discount votes and threaten an ongoing election due to unproven allegations, then our democracy is in danger,” U.S. District Judge David Carter wrote on Wednesday. Data shows noncitizen voting is rare, and there is no evidence to suggest it has altered election results.

Yet President Donald Trump has threatened to prosecute California election officials if they count those ballots. The administration, which also told Washington state to set aside ballots, appealed the California ruling.…