# Court Rejects Trump Effort to Impound California Ballots

> Federal court blocks Trump administration from threatening California election officials with criminal prosecution over mail-in ballots.
- Title: Court Rejects Trump Effort to Impound California Ballots
- Summary: Federal court blocks Trump administration from threatening California election officials with criminal prosecution over mail-in ballots. A federal appeals…
- Keywords: trump administration, california elections, mail-in ballots, federal appeals court, unconstitutional, midterm elections, election officials, criminal prosecution, The New York Times
- Source: The New York Times — https://nytimes.com/live/2026/10/30/us/midterms-elections-trump
- Published: 2026-10-30T09:51:53+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: trump administration, california elections, mail-in ballots, federal appeals court, unconstitutional, midterm elections, election officials, criminal prosecution, news, world
## Court rejects Trump ballot order
A federal appeals court rejected the Trump administration’s request to order California officials to set aside more than 20,000 mail-in ballots.
## Judge blocks criminal threats
Late Friday, a federal judge temporarily blocked the Justice Department from threatening election officials with criminal prosecution if they did not comply with ballot directives.
## Trump administration's legal push
The administration has sought to sow doubts about voting integrity ahead of midterms amid voter discontent and declining Trump approval ratings.
## Alaska ballot scheme
The Justice Department issued subpoenas linked to a Democratic plan to stack the Alaska Senate ballot in a close race.
## Mary Peltola's response
Mary Peltola, the Democratic Senate candidate, said she knew nothing about candidates recruited to peel votes from Senator Dan Sullivan.
## Campaign manager's claim
Peltola's former campaign manager claimed she was 'definitely aware' of the ballot-packing effort.
## Alaska investigation
The Justice Department says its investigation into the Alaska ballot scheme may never yield criminal charges.
## U.S. attorney's stance
Michael J. Heyman, the U.S. attorney for Alaska, stated there is no crime in recruiting a decoy candidate to dilute votes.
## Alaska legal battle
Judge Sharon L. Gleason is considering a motion to dismiss the lawsuit filed by Peltola’s campaign and Democrats.
## Trump's campaign shift
Trump reversed plans to hold tele-rallies in Kansas and Iowa after Republicans requested in-person appearances.
## California ballot dispute
California officials argue the Justice Department’s list of noncitizen voters contains errors and is riddled with inaccuracies.
## Election interference fears
Senator Chuck Schumer established a 'war room' to coordinate Democratic response to potential election interference.
## Midterm election context
The Trump administration turned to courts in search of structural advantages ahead of the November midterms.
## California lawsuit details
The lawsuit claims the Justice Department’s data on noncitizen voters is unreliable and risks disenfranchising eligible voters.
## Alaska ballot scheme impact
The Alaska ballot scheme could affect the Senate race between Mary Peltola and Senator Dan Sullivan.
## Next steps for Trump
The Trump administration could now ask the Supreme Court to intervene in the California ballot dispute.
## Key takeaway

A federal appeals court rejected the Trump administration's request to order California officials to set aside 20,000 mail-in ballots, calling the move unconstitutional.