The US Supreme Court on Tuesday refused a last-minute request from Donald Trump to stop California authorities from counting disputed ballots, a move that comes just before midterm elections and effectively scuppers his bid to have the votes tossed.
The court's action leaves intact the state’s ongoing canvass of ballots and allows election officials to continue counting without the immediate threat of federal intervention. By declining the appeal, the high court removed a legal obstacle that had sought to pause the process while litigation continued.
The request represented a final, expedited attempt to disqualify ballots that Mr. Trump argued were not valid. With the Supreme Court declining to intervene, the challenge will not prevent the results from being tabulated on schedule in California.
The ruling arrives amid heightened scrutiny of election procedures nationwide ahead of the midterms. Analysts and election officials have said that rapid resolution of such legal disputes is important to public confidence and to ensuring that results are reported in a timely manner.