Federal Judge Orders DOJ to Cease Threats Against California Election Officials Over Ballot Counting

A U.S. District Judge issued a temporary restraining order preventing the federal government from demanding California election officials separate or not count certain ballots from alleged noncitizens and from threatening officials with criminal prosecution. The ruling, made late Friday, October 30, comes just days before the 2026 midterm elections and addresses a lawsuit accusing the Trump administration of intimidating election workers and interfering with election administration.