Midterm Elections: US Judge Bars Trump Administration From Threatening Election Officials

A federal judge in the United States has ordered the Justice Department to stop threatening legal action against state and local election officials who refuse to follow the Trump administration's demands.

The order, issued late Friday, prevents the Justice Department from asking local election officials to keep aside ballots or refuse to count them based on the federal government's claims that they may have been cast by ineligible voters, reported the Guardian.

The decision is another setback for the Donald Trump administration's attempts to expand federal control over elections, which are managed by state and local authorities.

It follows a separate ruling earlier on Friday, when a federal appeals court rejected the Justice Department's demand that California set aside disputed ballots in the midterm elections.

The court's decision comes just days ahead of the US midterm elections next week, which will decide control of Congress. Republicans currently have slim majorities in both the House and Senate.

Several major contests remain tight, but opinion polls suggest Democrats could win back the House and are also in contention for control of the Senate.

The Judgment By The Court

In her temporary restraining order, Judge Trina Thompson stressed that election officials must be allowed to carry out their duties without interference, particularly with election day just days away.

She wrote, “Because the public has a paramount interest in ensuring that election officials and workers are able to carry out their work in accordance with federal law and election procedure, and the official day of the Elections is only a couple of days away, the balance of the equities and public interest weigh in Plaintiffs' favor.”

Thompson, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden, also barred the Trump administration from asking local election officials to remove voters from state registration lists, reject ballots from specific voters, or set aside midterm ballots based on the administration's list of suspected noncitizen voters.

Ahead of the midterm elections, the Trump administration has stepped up its involvement in election matters, seeking voter registration records from states. The administration says tighter oversight is necessary to protect election security and maintain public trust in the voting process.

However, the Justice Department faced criticism this month after warning that state and county officials could face prosecution if they refused to comply with the Trump administration's election-related demands.