A US federal judge has temporarily blocked the Justice Department from threatening state and local election officials with criminal prosecution if they fail to comply with its directives on processing ballots. The order, issued by Judge Trina Thompson in the Northern District of California, deals a setback to Trump administration efforts to restrict voting by people it says might not be US citizens in the 3 November midterm elections. The ruling was in response to a case brought by labour unions and civil rights groups against the Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security.
The temporary restraining order, which expires on 16 November, was issued in a harshly worded statement that described the "intimidation" and threats of criminal prosecution of election workers as "contrary to law" and "arbitrary and capricious." The judge ruled that Justice Department officials "shall not threaten state or local election officials and workers with criminal prosecution for failure to comply" with demands to halt processing ballots of alleged ineligible voters.
The Trump administration has been trying to cast doubt on electoral results, with President Donald Trump's Republican Party at risk of losing its control of Congress in next Tuesday's elections. Critics have accused the administration of trying to restrict voting by people it says might not be US citizens. On Wednesday, a federal judge rejected the Justice Department's efforts to set aside the ballots of more than 20,000 California voters it said might not be citizens.
Judge Thompson's order also prohibits the defendants from demanding the removal of specific registered voters from voter lists, nor refusing to issue ballots to specific voters, nor demanding ballots not be counted because of alleged ineligibility to vote. The ruling was justified "given the fast-approaching date of the Election" and because the plaintiffs "have demonstrated that they will likely succeed on the merits of their claims."
For months, Trump has been claiming that there will be fraud in this year's midterms, despite studies showing that while rare cases of voter fraud exist, such incidents are minuscule and do not influence US election results. The judge's ruling is a significant setback to the Trump administration's efforts to restrict voting rights.
The case was brought by labour unions and civil rights groups who argued that the Justice Department's actions were threatening and intimidating election officials. The groups claimed that the administration's actions were aimed at restricting voting rights, particularly for minority and immigrant communities.
The restraining order is a significant development in the lead-up to the midterm elections, which are set to take place on 3 November. The outcome of the elections could have significant implications for the balance of power in Congress and the future of the Trump administration's policies.
Key points
- A US federal judge has temporarily blocked the Justice Department from threatening state and local election officials with criminal prosecution.
- The ruling deals a setback to Trump administration efforts to restrict voting by people it says might not be US citizens.
- The restraining order expires on 16 November.
