US midterms 2026: Judge blocks Trump admin from threatening election workers over voter data demands

A US federal judge has barred the Justice Department from threatening state and local election officials with prosecution for refusing to follow the Trump administration's demands over voters suspected of being non-citizens.US District Judge Trina Thompson issued the temporary restraining order on Friday, ruling that the administration could not use its list of alleged non-citizen voters to direct local officials to change how they administer elections.The order prevents the federal government from demanding that election officials remove voters from state registration lists, reject ballots from specific voters or separate ballots cast in the midterm elections on the basis of the administration's list.Thompson said the Justice Department had overstepped by threatening prosecution against officials who did not cooperate with its election-related initiatives. The ruling followed a lawsuit filed by election workers' unions and other groups."The balance of the equities and public interest weigh in Plaintiffs' favor," Thompson wrote, citing the need for election officials and workers to perform their duties under federal law and established election procedures.The decision comes days before the November 3 midterm elections. Republicans currently hold narrow majorities in both chambers, while Democrats are seeking to gain control of the House and potentially the Senate.The Trump administration has sought voter-registration data from states, arguing that stricter oversight is necessary to protect election security and public confidence in the voting process. However, its efforts have drawn criticism from election officials and political experts, who have raised concerns about federal interference in state and local election administration.Some election officials told Reuters they were preparing for possible federal intervention during the midterms.Trump has repeatedly questioned the integrity of US elections and continued to make false claims about the 2020 presidential election, which he lost to former President Joe Biden.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.