A federal judge barred the Department of Justice (DOJ) from threatening state and local election officials with criminal prosecution for counting ballots cast by individuals it deemed ineligible to vote.
U.S. District Judge Trina Thompson issued a temporary restraining order on Friday after Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and other groups filed a lawsuit, accusing the Trump administration of trying to intimidate election workers and interfere with state administration of the upcoming midterm elections.
In an eight-page ruling, Thompson said the DOJ and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) likely violated Section 11(b) of the Voting Rights Act, which prohibits intimidation and coercion in the voting process….