Key facts
- The lawsuit seeks to force California officials to set aside mail-in ballots allegedly sent to non-citizens.
- The lawsuit is a high-profile effort by Trump's administration to boost the federal government's role in elections ahead of the midterms.
A federal appeals court on Sunday appeared skeptical of a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump's administration that seeks to force California officials to set aside thousands of mail-in ballots allegedly sent to non-citizens ahead of the midterm elections. During a rare weekend oral argument, two judges on a three-judge panel of the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals sharply questioned a Justice Department lawyer about the lawsuit, a high-profile effort by Trump's administration to boost the federal government's role in elections ahead of the midterms. The Republican Party is locked in a tight battle to retain control of both houses of Congress.