‘Wreak havoc’: US judge blocks Trump bid to set aside 20,000 California ballots

A federal judge has rejected the Trump administration’s request to set aside up to 20,000 mail-in ballots in California over allegations that the voters may be non-citizens, warning that the move would “wreak havoc and disrupt the election that is already underway”.US District Judge David O Carter issued the ruling on Wednesday, rejecting the Justice Department’s demand that California delay counting the ballots until the citizenship status of the voters could be verified. The decision came as more than 3.7 million people had already voted in the state, according to court proceedings cited in Associated Press (AP) reports.“Eroded trust in our democracy is irreparable. Once a vote is segregated, lasting harm has occurred,” Carter wrote in his order.“If the Executive can discount votes and threaten an ongoing election due to unproven allegations, then our democracy is in danger.