Democrats Sue Trump Administration Over Election Administration and Voter Rolls

Democratic Party leaders sued in federal court on Tuesday to block President Donald Trump's administration from taking over state election administration and from pressuring state and local officials ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections, the Associated Press reported.

The lawsuit, filed in Washington, seeks a court order barring the administration from purging legally registered voters from statewide registration lists or denying ballots to legally registered voters. The plaintiffs also ask for a ruling that the administration illegally threatened state election officials with prosecution.

Who filed, and who is named

The plaintiffs include Senate leader Chuck Schumer and House leader Hakeem Jeffries, along with the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the Democratic Governors Association. The named defendants are Trump, the Justice Department, Attorney General Todd Blanche, the Department of Homeland Security and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.

The case was assigned to Chief Judge James Boasberg. The Hill reported the complaint runs 44 pages and was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

The complaint says the executive branch has no authority to run state voter list maintenance, to replace state decisions on who is qualified to vote, or to dictate who gets a ballot or whose ballot is set aside. It accuses the Justice Department and Homeland Security of directing states to remove suspected noncitizens from their rolls and of threatening officials with criminal prosecution if they refuse.

The California fight at the center

The lawsuit cites the Justice Department's recent actions in California. The department sued to block state officials from counting mail ballots cast by people the federal government identified as likely noncitizens until their immigration status can be confirmed.

The Hill reported the legal challenge cites an Oct. 13 demand that California withhold or set aside ballots from more than 20,000 registered voters suspected of being noncitizens. The plaintiffs argue the administration relied on lists that put eligible Americans at risk of being denied ballots or having their votes go uncounted, and they allege a violation of the Voting Rights Act through threats against election officials.

In the complaint, the plaintiffs say Trump has for over a decade spread claims about elections and voter fraud that have been debunked, and they accuse him of using those claims as a pretext to seize control over elections.

What the administration says

The Justice Department said in a statement that election integrity is a top priority for the administration and that its actions are grounded in law and are being litigated in open court. Spokeswoman Kiersten Pels told The Washington Post that ensuring only eligible citizens vote and that every lawful ballot is counted is a requirement of federal law, The Hill reported.

A White House spokeswoman told the Post the administration was seeking accountability in elections and accused Democrats of interfering with common sense election security measures.

The lawsuit lands two weeks before voters decide control of Congress in the Nov. 3 midterms, in a fight over who runs American elections: the states, which have traditionally administered them, or the federal government.