Democratic leaders and allied organizations filed a federal lawsuit in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday accusing the Trump administration of unlawfully threatening state election officials and pressuring local authorities to purge voter rolls ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
Federal Lawsuit Filed in Washington Over Voter Roll Demands
The 44-page federal complaint targets President Donald Trump, Attorney General Todd Blanche, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Homeland Security. Filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the suit argues that the administration has no legal authority to superintend state voter list maintenance or decide which citizens receive ballots.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and other Democrats joined the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the Democratic Governors Association, the Nevada State Democratic Party, and individual voters as plaintiffs in the case. The filing was assigned to Chief Judge James Boasberg.
The lawsuit was backed by Marc Elias.
The Executive Branch enjoys no authority to superintend state voter list maintenance, to supplant state determinations of who is qualified to vote, or to dictate who gets a ballot or whose ballot gets segregated.
Democratic Party leadership and allied plaintiffs, via Yahoo
Clashes in California and Nevada Over Disputed Lists
In Nevada, the Department of Homeland Security initially claimed nearly 16,000 noncitizens were registered to vote before narrowing that figure to 185; state officials subsequently verified that all 185 appeared to be U.S. citizens.
The litigation stems from a series of federal probes and demands directed at state election administrators in the weeks leading up to the midterms (ABC News).
In California, the Justice Department sued state officials earlier in October, asking a federal judge to bar election boards from counting mail-in ballots cast by roughly 20,000 individuals flagged as likely noncitizens until their status is confirmed. Los Angeles County officials analyzed a subset of 200 records from the federal list and reported that nearly 40% of the individuals indicated they were born in the United States, while 71.2% had no voting history (ABC News).
Dean Logan, head of the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk’s office, stated that only about a third of the voters the Justice Department demanded it review—specifically 7,035 out of the 20,930 individuals—even possess addresses within L.A. County, with the remaining individuals residing elsewhere in California. Logan’s office added that an analysis of a subset of the list showed many were born in the United States, were not registered, or had never voted.
Intimidation Allegations and Individual Stakes for Voters
The lawsuit contends that administration officials subjected state and local election workers to a persistent stream of threats and intimidation
. The complaint highlights a post on Truth Social where President Trump asserted that Los Angeles County election officials would go to jail if they counted ballots from individuals flagged by federal agencies. Plaintiffs argue these warnings violate Section 11(b) of the Voting Rights Act.
California Secretary of State Shirley Weber and Dean Logan have accused the Trump administration of illegally interfering in state elections and attempting to purge voters right before an election using inaccurate data in violation of federal law.
Erick Jose Jimenez, a naturalized U.S. citizen, joined the lawsuit as an individual plaintiff. The complaint states that Jimenez fears being misidentified as a noncitizen and unlawfully disenfranchised during the November 3 election.
These statements are a clear attempt to stoke fear and undermine confidence in our elections.
Democratic lawsuit plaintiffs, via Yahoo
Administration Defense of Election Integrity Measures
Administration officials dismissed the legal challenge while defending their enforcement strategy. White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis stated that the administration is taking decisive, lawful action to protect elections and shield voters from fraud.
Justice Department representatives maintained that enforcing federal election law remains a top priority. DOJ spokesperson Kiersten Pels stated that ensuring only eligible citizens vote and that every lawful ballot is counted is a requirement of federal law.
Every action the Department has taken to protect the integrity of this year’s elections is grounded in the law and being litigated in open court.
Justice Department statement, via Yahoo