Washington:A US federal judge has turned down a request from the Trump administration to prevent California from counting mail-in ballots from over 20,000 registered voters suspected by the Justice Department of being non-citizens. The judge cautioned that such a move could disrupt the election process.

According to Qatar News Agency, the ruling by US District Judge David O. Carter was issued as more than 3.7 million Californians had already participated in early voting for the November 3 midterm elections.

This decision represents another legal obstacle for President Donald Trump's attempts to increase federal oversight in elections managed by states. The outcome of these elections is critical as it will determine the control of both chambers of Congress and influence the remainder of Trump's presidency. The Justice Department has since appealed the ruling.