A federal judge on Monday rejected a request by Democratic lawmakers and party organizations to stop the Trump administration from pressuring states to screen incoming ballots ahead of the midterm elections.
Judge James E. Boasberg of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia said California, Nevada, Washington and Pennsylvania had largely pushed back against the administration’s efforts. The states challenged claims in letters from the Department of Homeland Security that noncitizens had been allowed to register to vote, asking for clearer evidence and declining to automatically remove voters identified by the federal government.
Boasberg said the groups suing had not demonstrated direct harm that the court could address, noting that the states had used their constitutional authority to contest the administration’s claims. He added that there was not yet evidence that state officials would give in to the administration’s requests simply because they had been threatened.
During court proceedings last week, the Justice Department said states could ignore the DHS letters.
Sources: The New York Times Politics.