In brief
A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has ruled that the Department of Justice cannot pursue a proposal to separate ballots by precinct for the 2026 midterm elections. The decision, based on a lawsuit filed by the Trump campaign and other plaintiffs, stops the agency from assigning ballots that could tilt counts in close states. The DOJ plans to appeal, adding a new legal battle to the election season.
On October 30, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., issued an order preventing the Department of Justice from separating ballots for the 2026 midterm elections, halting a plan the Biden administration had been considering.
The judge’s ruling followed a lawsuit filed by the Trump campaign and other plaintiffs who argued that the DOJ’s proposal would allow the federal government to assign ballots to specific precincts, a move that could influence voter thresholds and weighting in states where the outcome is close.
State and local election officials say that ballot separation is a matter of local control, and the judge agreed, noting that the proposal would “effectively give the federal government a way to tilt the distribution of votes.”
The judge described the DOJ plan as a potential threat to election integrity and reinforced the principle that election procedures should remain under state and local jurisdiction.
Following the ruling, the Justice Department said it would file an appeal, and the case is expected to be reviewed by higher courts before November’s election.
The decision marks a significant check on executive influence over how ballots are counted and underscores the judiciary’s role in safeguarding local control during the election season.