US judge blocks threats to prosecute election officials

· Politics · United States

A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to cease threats to prosecute election officials, days before the midterm elections that will determine control of Congress. The ruling came as the administration accelerated a criminal investigation into Alaska's pivotal Senate race and said it would likely take its fight over thousands of California mail-in ballots to the Supreme Court. Legal filings have also questioned administration claims of non-citizen voting in California, with data scientists finding many of those flagged were erroneously identified. Election administration in the US is run by the states under the constitution.

Why it matters：Court intervention just before the vote signals that legal fights over election administration could shape how ballots are counted and certified, with implications for confidence in US elections.

Key points

  • The judge ordered the administration to stop threatening to prosecute election officials.
  • The administration is pursuing a criminal probe into Alaska's Senate race and may go to the Supreme Court on California ballots.
  • Data scientists found many 'likely non-citizens' flagged in California were erroneously identified.

Sources (original reporting)

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