FOUR-MINUTE READ | UNBIASED COVERAGE OF TOP POLITICAL NEWS
Federal Level
Supreme Court Rejects Bid to Set Aside California Votes
The Supreme Court on Monday rejected the Trump administration’s emergency request to force California officials to set aside mail ballots from about 20,000 voters that federal officials claim are not U.S. citizens. The one-line, unsigned order came just hours after the Justice Department filed its appeal, and no justice noted a dissent. The court did not ask California officials to respond before ruling. The request followed refusals by a federal district judge and a divided appeals court to order the ballots separated. More than 6 million mail ballots had already been returned statewide, and the ruling effectively ends the administration’s effort before Election Day.1, 2
Judge Boasberg Bars DOJ Demands on California Ballots
Chief U.S. District Judge James Boasberg on Monday barred the Trump administration from demanding that California officials set aside ballots from up to 20,000 registered voters flagged as likely noncitizens. “The Executive Branch has likely violated the Constitution’s Elections Clause, which commits authority over election rules to the states and Congress alone,” Boasberg wrote. The ruling came in a lawsuit brought by the Coalition for Human Immigrant Rights. At a separate hearing Monday in San Francisco, U.S. District Judge Trina Thompson questioned a Justice Department attorney, who agreed it was “a fair statement” that the federal list had a high error rate.2
Trump Closes Midterm Campaign at Reflecting Pool
President Trump on Monday delivered his final scheduled remarks of the midterm campaign in front of the newly reopened Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington. He spent the first 23 minutes discussing his renovations of monuments, fountains and lighting before turning to Tuesday’s elections, according to ABC News. Trump noted that a sitting president’s party usually loses midterm elections. “But we gave this a very strong shot,” he said. Earlier Monday, in an interview with the Pod Force One podcast, Trump said he would become “Mr. Veto” if Democrats win control of Congress, though he added that he would probably make deals with them.3, 4
Vance Closes Campaign in Ohio for Husted and Ramaswamy
Vice President JD Vance on Monday delivered his closing midterm remarks in Ohio, the home state where his political career began. He urged voters to support Republican Senate candidate Jon Husted and Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, calling this “the most important midterm election of my lifetime.” Vance also campaigned Monday in Rome, New York, for Republican House candidate Anthony Constantino. Asked about Rep. Haley Stevens’s endorsement of Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan, Vance said, “I certainly think it helps.” He told reporters, “I feel good about tomorrow, but obviously it’s in the hands of voters.”3, 4
El-Sayed Reports Record Haul After Stevens Endorsement
Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed’s campaign said Monday that it raised more than $2.4 million on Sunday, a single-day record, after Rep. Haley Stevens endorsed Republican Mike Rogers. El-Sayed told reporters that “none of this matters” and said he was focused on what voters pay for gas and groceries. Also on Monday, Rep. Hillary Scholten, a fellow moderate Democrat, said she disagreed with Stevens’s decision. “The issues at the heart of this disagreement are ones that can and should be solved within the Democratic Party, not by walking away from it,” Scholten said. She still declined to endorse El-Sayed.4, 2
State Level
Hochul and Blakeman Crisscross New York on Final Day
Gov. Kathy Hochul and Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman spent Monday making campaign stops across New York on the final full day before Election Day. Hochul, who is seeking a second full term, began early Monday in Harlem, where she greeted residents near a train station and encouraged New Yorkers to vote. Blakeman, the Nassau County executive, stopped at a diner in Bethpage and said the race is neck and neck and closer than polling suggests. His schedule included planned stops in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Binghamton before ending in Manhattan. More than 1.7 million New Yorkers voted early, according to the state Board of Elections.5, 4
Rick Jackson Leans on Kemp Record in Georgia Closing
Republican Rick Jackson campaigned across Georgia on Monday, emphasizing that he would continue the record of outgoing Gov. Brian Kemp while avoiding mention of President Trump. “In Georgia, a governor makes decisions every day that affect your life,” Jackson told voters at a Canton restaurant Monday morning. He added, “No matter what has happened in Washington, through two different presidents.” A Jackson spokesperson, Garrison Douglas, said a governor cannot control national events and can only control how the state responds. Jackson did appear with the president at an October rally in Perry, where Trump announced a $4 billion Audi plant.2
Cruz Warns Texas Republicans Could Lose Statewide Races
Sen. Ted Cruz warned Republican supporters on Monday that “if the election were over today, the Democrats could well win every single statewide position in Texas.” Cruz spoke in Conroe at an event for Senate candidate Ken Paxton, who faces Democrat James Talarico. He said there are more Republicans than Democrats in Texas, adding, “If our people show up tomorrow, we win.” Cruz also urged party members divided after Paxton defeated Sen. John Cornyn in the primary to spend the next two years improving the party. Paxton told the crowd that a vote for Talarico is a vote for Chuck Schumer to run the Senate.4
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Article Sources
1. CBS News, “Supreme Court rejects Trump’s effort to force California to separate mail ballots from alleged noncitizens,” Nov. 2, 2026.
https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/supreme-court-rejects-trump-california-mail-ballots-alleged-noncitizens/
2. Politico, “Chaos and campaigning in the final day before the election,” Nov. 2, 2026.
https://www.politico.com/storyline/live/2026/11/02/midterm-election-eve
3. ABC News, “Midterm elections live updates: Supreme Court denies Trump bid to segregate California votes,” Nov. 2, 2026.
https://abcnews.com/Politics/live-updates/midterm-elections-2026-1-week-high-stakes-elections/?id=137578278
4. CBS News, “2026 election live updates as Trump tells GOP ‘we gave this a very strong shot,’ midterm candidates make final pitches,” Nov. 2, 2026.
https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/2026-elections-monday-november-2/
5. ABC7 New York, “Hochul and Blakeman spend Monday campaigning across NY,” Nov. 2, 2026.
https://abc7ny.com/live-updates/election-day-2026-what-voters-need-know-ny-nj-ct/19986474/entry/20008125/