By Staff, Agencies

The US Justice Department has withdrawn its lawsuit seeking to block the counting of approximately 20,000 ballots in California, following a series of court defeats.

The administration had argued that the ballots could have been cast by noncitizens and asked the courts to require California and Los Angeles County election officials to keep them separate from other votes. However, US District Judge David Carter, a three-judge panel of the 9^th Circuit Court of Appeals, and ultimately the US Supreme Court rejected the administration’s requests.

In a filing submitted on Friday, Assistant US Attorney Julie Hamill said the case had become moot because the midterm elections had concluded and the disputed ballots would be mixed with other valid ballots before the scheduled November 13 hearing. She argued that separating the ballots was no longer possible, making the requested legal remedy unavailable.

Justice Department spokesperson Kiersten Pels confirmed that the case was now moot but insisted that the administration would continue pursuing efforts to identify alleged noncitizen voters. She also pointed to a separate lawsuit seeking to require California to review and update its voter registration lists.

In an earlier ruling on October 28, Judge Carter found that the administration’s request was likely unconstitutional, emphasizing that states have authority over their election processes. He also described the government’s allegations as lacking credibility.

Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder-County Clerk Dean Logan welcomed the withdrawal, saying the administration had accepted the courts’ findings.

Meanwhile, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the decision marked the end of another unlawful attempt by the administration to interfere in the state’s elections and potentially disenfranchise eligible voters.