Supreme Court rejects Trump administration's bid to set aside California ballots ahead of Election Day

And just hours before Election Day, the U.S. Supreme Court has rejected the Trump administration's emergency request to set aside certain California ballots over questions about voter citizenship. That decision comes as millions of Californians, they've already cast those ballots. Betty, you're with us here in the studio with more on today's decision. Betty? So the Supreme Court rejected the Trump administration's emergency request. So this leaves California's voting procedures unchanged. Here in the Bay Area, officials say it's business as usual as they prepare for Election Day. Election workers across the Bay Area are preparing for a busy day at the polls. The Trump administration wanted California to set aside mail-in ballots from roughly 20,000 registered voters flagged as possible non-citizens until their citizenship could be verified. But on Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected that emergency request. Why at the Supreme Court? In a matter of hours, all nine of them looked at the case and said, forget about it. We had no recorded dissents. We didn't have a Justice Alito, a Justice Thomas, who you would think would be the most administration friendly. They didn't say a word. In Contra Costa County, the Justice Department identified 407 suspected non-citizen voters. The registrar says her office reviewed a sample of those names and found the federal government's list was riddled with errors consistent with the findings from the Secretary of State's office. She says the federal government's actions were unsettling. It felt like a threat to me. It's not a normal thing for me to have to consult with potential criminal defense counsel just just for doing my job. I mean, I'm proud. I'm proud of our work, I'm proud of our team, and I know that I'm not doing anything wrong. The registrar says multiple safeguards are in place to protect election integrity. To everyone, we are an open book. You can come watch what we do. Everything we do is observable. Governor Gavin Newsom praised the court's decision while criticizing the Trump administration. The third branch of government did its job, and that should be a welcome sight for all Americans given the disgusting and dangerous attacks on our democracy by the federal government. UC College of the Law professor David Levine said he believes the Trump administration's challenge was politically motivated. I think you have to say election noise. I really think it's part of laying the groundwork for the president and for his This is supporters at the highest levels to say there are problems. And Governor Newsom also issued a warning today saying that anyone who interferes with California voters or tampers with ballots could face felony prosecution. And he added that a presidential pardon would not protect someone from prosecution under California law. Now, it is a midterm election, not a presidential election. So what are you hearing in regards to voter turnout come tomorrow here? So already across the country, early voting is strong. I spoke to the Contra Costa County registrar, and she says they're expecting about 65 percent voter turnout, which is decent. It's better than what they saw. in 2022, but still below what we would see during the presidential election. Yep. Certainly. We hope people come out and vote. All right. Thank you, Betty.