Federal judge blocks Trump DOJ threats against election workers ahead of 2026 midterms

A federal judge has temporarily stopped the Trump administration from warning election workers that they could face criminal charges for handling ballots cast by people it suspects are noncitizens. U. S. District Judge Trina Thompson, appointed by President Biden, concluded on Friday that the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security probably broke the Voting Rights Act's ban on voter intimidation. The timing is significant because the midterm elections are only days away, on Nov. 3, according to Fox News.

Thompson's temporary restraining order covers more than threats. Federal officials also may not pressure state or local election offices to remove registered voters from the rolls, withhold ballots from them, set their ballots aside or leave them uncounted, when the only basis is the administration's claim that those voters are ineligible.

The case was filed by labor unions and civil rights groups, among them the Service Employees International Union and the NAACP. In her eight-page ruling, Thompson pointed out that ballots have already gone out and voting has started, and she said the public's interest in letting election workers follow federal law and established procedure favored the plaintiffs.

Summarized by PolitiKool from Fox News’s reporting. Read the full story at Fox News →