A federal appeals court has denied a request from the U.S. Justice Department to force California to set aside disputed ballots.
The ruling deals a blow to the federal government's efforts to intervene in state-level voting procedures concerning approximately 20,000 disputed ballots. The Justice Department had sought a preliminary injunction to prevent these specific votes from being processed while legal challenges moved forward.
The decision comes amid ongoing legal scrutiny surrounding election administration across multiple states. While federal authorities continue to examine various voting methods and ballot handling practices nationwide, the appeals court's rejection leaves California's current handling of the disputed votes intact for now.
