Judge orders DOJ to stop threatening election officials

newsOct 30, 2026162,579

U.S. District Judge Trina Thompson ordered the Justice Department to stop threatening or coercing state and local election officials over ballot handling and voter qualifications, enjoining threats of criminal prosecution and demands that local workers segregate ballots. Thompson’s temporary order bars DOJ from instructing officials to purge voters from rolls or halt ballot processing and requires the department to identify the states to which it sent such demands. The order also directs DOJ to notify the court of any pending search-warrant applications, grand-jury subpoenas, or other demands to access election materials or ballots tied to lists of allegedly ineligible voters. Thompson wrote that the public has a paramount interest in allowing election officials to carry out their duties in accordance with federal law and procedure. The injunction additionally requires DOJ to notify recipients who previously received such threatening communications that the court has enjoined those practices. The ruling grows out of litigation over the department’s outreach to local election workers and will limit DOJ’s ability to press local officials while the case proceeds.

Kyle Griffin

@kylegriffin1.bsky.social

BREAKING: A federal judge just ordered the Trump DOJ to stop threatening election officials with criminal prosecution over their handling of disputes about voter qualifications. Judge Trina Thompson also ordered the Trump admin to cease demanding that election workers remove voters from rolls.

16764h ago

YouDon'tWantToKnow23

What a shitshow this election season is turning out to be! Thanks to the judges who are holding the line 🙏

zobear.bsky.social11

SCOTUS cons: We made Trump king! Federal judges: Fuck that

lawmom2020.bsky.social9

For all of the people saying, "this is meaningless," please understand that this is not meaningless. It is written to be effective immediately and not to expire until the middle of November. The DOJ may appeal, but the first step is the Ninth Circuit which will agree with the Order.

Laura Kinsale8

this is THE MOST impeachable of offenses, election interference by Rump. congress better throw the bum out ASAP.

eunanmcd.bsky.social4

Great but do we think meaningless? Do what they want then defend after Tuesday

ART3

"Stop being a fascist prick you prick."

Quoting this

BeSmart 🦋🇺🇸🧢2

Again, another woman spanking the naught petulant man-child in the Oval Office

Kyle Cheney

@kyledcheney.bsky.social

NEW: A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to stop issuing threats of prosecution to election workers and making last-mitnue demands forhtem to alter voter lists or segregate ballots. w/ @joshgerstein.bsky.social www.politico.com/news/2026/10...

5814h ago

steve jlord8

Plaintiffs are SEIU AFL-CIO LULAC NAACP Defendants: US DOJ/Blanche DHS/Mullin Here's the link: s3.documentcloud.org/documents/28...

jackson henry1

the president is a traitor openly trying to destroy American democracy what the hell timeline is this

Snuskebill1

Even newer: Trump administration have no fucks to give about this.

Quoting this

Jon4

Sit with that for a second. Because in the other, more sane timeline, this isn't even a thing.

Josh Gerstein

@joshgerstein.bsky.social

JUST IN: Judge Trina Thompson (Biden/CAND) orders Trump admin to stop threats of prosecution aimed at state/local election officials, halt demands to segregate ballots & notify recipients of previous threats that court has enjoined them. w/@kyledcheney www.politico.com/news/2026/10...

1064h ago

Raw Story

@rawstory.com

The Trump administration asked a federal judge Friday to halt an order requiring disclosure of a 20,000-person list, arguing that releasing it could compromise law enforcement investigations.

353h ago

13wolph.bsky.social1

That is some crazy sh*t, right there. The old “we’re going remove 20,000 make believe people from the voting rolls and yell, SEE I TOLD YOU” routine. Well, your honor we have a list we can’t give to you unless you make us. And if you make us you can’t call any of them to check if we’re right. JFC

Sarah1

What a herd of buffoons this regime is

tomwellborn3rd

@wellborn.net

The DOJ wants to toss 20,000 Californians' ballots but won't let anyone see who's on the list. Remember Nevada's 16,000 noncitizens that turned out to be zero? They know exactly what happens when someone checks their work. Secret voter purge lists are what banana republics run.

364h ago

Gabriel Malor

@gabrielmalor.bsky.social

To be honest, I'm not sure that some of this TRO is really something a judge can order.

473h ago

Gabriel Malor32

Out the gate, I'm not sure courts in equity have authority to force the executive to " inform the Court of any pending search warrant applications, grand jury subpoenas, or other demands to access election materials or ballots pertaining to any list of individuals alleged to be ineligible to vote."

Cathy Gellis1

I think Carter might, though. He basically did, orally, during the ballot segregation hearing.

Heidi Li Feldman

@heidilifeldman.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy

Note how comprehensive the TRO is. It itemizes every aspect of the Trump DoJ’s scheme to threaten poll workers and election administrators, and forbids each one. Courts are wise to the Trump regime’s lawlessness and bad faith. The judge is being super clear about what is prohibited. 2/

Six item list of conduct the Court tells Trump DoJ to stop.

153h ago

Do Not Obey. We are Democracy.

@zangerliberia.bsky.social

Thanks for the courts holding these criminals and cheaters accountable. Disbar them. We are Democracy and will vote blue in numbers too big to deny. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

143h ago

Inner City Press

@innercitypress.bsky.social

Elections dockets: NDCA Judge Trina Thompson "ORDERS DOJ to inform the Court of any pending search warrant applications, grand jury subpoenas, or demands to access election materials or ballots pertaining to any list of individuals alleged to be ineligible to vote

194h ago

MrPassportKing

@mrpassportking.bsky.social

A federal judge has ordered that Trump's DOJ cannot demand election officials in ANY state segregate ballots, purge voters from voter rolls, or halt ballot processing.

153h ago

Aleianjack

@aleianjack.bsky.social

Federal judge orders misconduct inquiry into Trump admin actions in case over D.C. golf course open.substack.com/pub/chrisgei...

84h ago

The TrumpRussiaGuide 🇺🇸🇺🇦

@trumprussiaties.bsky.social

BOOM!🎯🍎💯 Judge orders DOJ to stop threatening to prosecute election officials www.politico.com/news/2026/10...

74h ago

IanSeine™️

@ianseine.bsky.social

This is craziness! The Justice Department sends letters to election workers in all 50 States threatening possible prosecutions if they didn’t preserve election records. #Blues #VoteBlue

53h ago

Bernadette

@insolentpheasant.bsky.social

“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 balance of the equities and public interest weigh in Plaintiffs’ favor,” Thompson wrote.

72h ago

Econ Analytica

@econanalytica.bsky.social

Judge orders DOJ to identify the states it sent election demands

34h ago

3 sources

politico.comJudge orders DOJ to stop threatening to prosecute election officials npr.orgJudge orders an inquiry into potential DOJ misconduct in Trump's golf course case pbs.orgJudge orders 3 taxpayer-funded Trump administration ads to be pulled from TV, social media

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Judge orders DOJ to stop threatening election officials

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