With Nov. 3 midterms approaching, the U.S. Justice Department on Oct. 15 sued California election officials, asking a court to suspend counting of more than 20,000 mail ballots pending verification of voters' citizenship, saying those individuals may be ineligible. California disputed the accuracy of the list and the legal basis for federal intervention in state election administration. The case highlights a federal-state confrontation over voter eligibility ahead of the midterms.