Courts reject Justice Department bid to set aside California ballots before midterms

Federal courts have rejected the US Justice Department’s attempt to make California set aside about 20,000 ballots that the department links to suspected noncitizens, days before the November 3 midterm elections. The department has also asked Washington state to hold back ballots cast by more than 400 people it suspects were registered without US citizenship. Officials in both states have criticised the requests.