Dhaka, Nov 03 (V7N)- The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected a request from President Donald Trump's administration to block the counting of more than 20,000 mail-in ballots cast by registered voters in California, clearing the way for election officials to count the votes ahead of the U.S. midterm elections, according to the BBC.
The Trump administration had alleged that the ballots were sent to individuals who were not U.S. citizens and could therefore contain illegal votes.
The U.S. Department of Justice had petitioned the Supreme Court to direct California election officials to set aside the ballots over concerns that non-citizens might have been included among the recipients. However, the court's rejection of the request means there is no federal court order preventing the ballots from being counted.
President Trump has repeatedly claimed that widespread voter fraud exists in the United States, accusing Democrats of allowing undocumented immigrants to participate illegally in elections. He has also frequently criticised mail-in voting, particularly in states governed by Democrats, alleging that the system creates opportunities for electoral fraud.
California has approximately 26 million registered voters and is the most populous state in the United States. Several lower courts had previously ruled in favour of California election officials, arguing that the federal government's efforts raised concerns about interference in state-administered elections.
The state holds 52 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, making it the largest congressional delegation of any state.
Meanwhile, various studies and government audits have found that voting by ineligible individuals, particularly non-U.S. citizens, is extremely rare in American elections.
The Supreme Court's decision marks another development in the ongoing dispute between the Trump administration and California officials over federal authority, election administration and the integrity of the voting process.
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