Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Constitutional Law, Election Law, Litigation
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October 30, 2026
The Ninth Circuit refused to require California officials to segregate thousands of ballots days before the election because federal law did not clearly compel that remedy and late changes risked serious disruption.
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Election Law
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October 26, 2026
A divided Ninth Circuit panel dismissed the appeal for lack of jurisdiction and denied the emergency motion as moot. Ordinarily, an appellate court reviews an order granting or denying an injunction, not a request the trial court is still actively considering. The narrow constructive-denial doctrine can treat inaction as appealable when delay effectively refuses urgently needed relief and creates imminent, severe, irreparable consequences. Those conditions were not met here.
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Constitutional Law, Election Law, Litigation
automatic /
September 30, 2026
A divided Ninth Circuit panel affirmed dismissal of the facial and as-applied challenges. Applying exacting scrutiny, the majority found a substantial relationship between source disclosure and Arizona’s important interest in giving voters accurate information about major campaign-media spending.
California Supreme Court, Administrative Law, Constitutional Law, Election Law
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September 24, 2026
The California Supreme Court ordered Riverside County’s sheriff to return roughly 650,000 voted ballots because state law requires them to remain in election officials’ custody.
California Supreme Court, Administrative Law, Constitutional Law, Election Law
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September 24, 2026
The California Supreme Court held that the Attorney General may issue binding, lawful directions to a county sheriff concerning a particular criminal investigation.
6th District Court of Appeal, Constitutional Law, Election Law, Tax (non-estate)
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September 23, 2026
The Sixth District upheld Santa Clara County's special sales-tax election, construing Proposition 218's emergency exception according to its ordinary broad meaning.
U.S. Supreme Court, Administrative Law, Constitutional Law, Election Law
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August 24, 2026
The Supreme Court stayed an injunction against a federal election executive order while emphasizing that future implementation may still be challenged.
3rd District Court of Appeal, Administrative Law, Constitutional Law, Election Law
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July 28, 2026
California may require presidential write-in candidates to file a complete slate of elector declarations before votes cast for them will be counted.
2nd District Court of Appeal, Administrative Law, Election Law, Tax (non-estate)
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July 24, 2026
A California Court of Appeal held that school bond ballot questions must express property-tax rates per $100,000 of assessed value, matching the format required in voter information materials.
1st District Court of Appeal, Constitutional Law, Election Law
automatic /
March 9, 2026
First District holds that an Oakland voter initiative funding the Oakland Zoo violated the California Constitution by naming a private operator, but the offending references can be severed and the measure passed with the required simple majority.