Follow-Up: Newsom and Bonta Respond to Ninth Circuit Ruling, Calling It the Trump Administration's Third Failed Attempt This Week to Interfere in California's Election
California Governor Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta each issued statements on October 30 responding to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit's latest ruling rejecting the U.S. Department of Justice's emergency bid to set aside mail ballots from more than 20,000 registered voters. Bonta said the ruling marked his office's third legal victory in one week in the fight to protect California's elections from the Trump administration.
"Three legal victories in one week make clear that the Trump Administration has zero authority to interfere in California's elections," Bonta said. "California law makes it illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections, and there are several state laws that guard against it. That is why it is exceptionally rare. The Administration's baseless claims of widespread fraud are an attempt to sow doubt in our democratic process and risk disenfranchising eligible voters. We will keep fighting to uphold the rule of law."
"Trump and his administration just lost for the third time this week in their desperate and dangerous attempts to meddle in the California election process with voting already underway and just days before Election Day," Newsom said in the Governor's Office statement. "These attacks on our democracy are serious, and the full force of our state is defending our democracy right now. We will continue to fight them on their illegal power grabs every step of the way, and deliver a free and fair election just as we've always done."
Bonta's office said it had filed its opposition to the Justice Department's emergency motion with the Ninth Circuit that morning, arguing the request should be rejected on grounds including the Purcell principle, which guards against court-ordered changes to election rules close to an election. The office also noted that a court ruling earlier this week found the federal government's methodology in creating the list was vague and raised multiple questions regarding reliability, and that district courts across the country have cast doubt on similar lists.
As GSM reported earlier today, the Ninth Circuit ruled 2-1 to deny the Justice Department's emergency request, and the mail ballots of the more than 20,000 registered voters at issue will be processed and counted as usual.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：加州州议会大厦（Sacramento）。GSM 素材库加州固定图库。 / The California State Capitol in Sacramento. GSM asset library, California fixed-image collection.
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