A federal judge has issued a sweeping emergency order barring the Trump administration from pressuring state and local election officials in the final days before the United States midterm elections, according to reports from Reuters and CNN.
The order, issued by US District Judge Trina Thompson, blocks the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security from threatening election officials with criminal prosecution or taking other steps intended to intimidate them into changing how ballots are handled.
Under the ruling, federal officials may not demand that local election offices remove voters from registration rolls, refuse ballots to particular voters, or separate ballots cast in the midterm elections on the basis of an administration list of alleged non-citizen voters. The order also bars demands to halt ballot processing on that basis.
The case was brought by unions representing election workers and other groups, who argued that recent federal tactics risked interfering with election administration and discouraging eligible voters. The judge agreed that the emergency measures were warranted as voting is already under way in many states.
The ruling lands just days before the November 3 midterm elections, which will decide control of Congress. Republicans currently hold narrow majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, and the outcome in a handful of closely fought Senate races could shape the final two years of President Donald Trump's term.
In the months leading up to the vote, the administration has pressed states for voter-registration data and other election records, arguing that stricter checks are needed to protect election security and public confidence. Federal officials have also sent letters to 29 states and Washington, DC, threatening investigations and seeking voter data and records from the 2024 election, according to reports of the case.
Critics of that approach, including election officials in several states, have said the demands go beyond normal federal oversight and risk disrupting preparations for an election that is already in progress. Supporters of the administration's position say verifying voter rolls is a legitimate step to prevent unlawful voting.
The Justice Department had no immediate comment on the ruling, according to Reuters. The order does not settle the underlying legal dispute, but it sets clear limits on what federal agencies can demand from local officials while the election proceeds.
With a record number of Americans already casting early ballots, election administrators say clarity about the rules matters more than ever. The court's intervention is likely to be closely watched by officials in battleground states, where small shifts in turnout or ballot handling can have an outsized effect on the result.
Further court action is possible before Election Day, and both sides may seek additional rulings as the final votes are cast and counted.
Sources: Reuters, CNN, The Jerusalem Post, News18.
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