On Oct. 30, 2026, a federal judge in Washington, D.C. prohibited the Department of Justice from pursuing a plan that would separate ballots for the upcoming U.S. midterm elections, a move that challenges the administration’s proposed influence over vote counting.
The lawsuit that led to the decision was filed by the Trump campaign and other plaintiffs, who argued that the DOJ’s proposal to assign ballots to specific precincts could tilt outcomes in tight races. The judge warned that the plan would effectively give the federal government a way to influence how votes were distributed across states, violating local control over election administration.
The court found that the proposal would have given the DOJ a tool to determine voter thresholds and potential weightings for ballots, a power the judge said could distort election results. The decision halts the DOJ’s plan for the 2026 cycle, and the agency has announced it will appeal the ruling.
