DOJ action could stall midterm election results; Todd Blanche won’t rule it out

Blanche leaves intervention possible

Blanche told reporters that improper interference with elections or state certification was never the Justice Department’s intention. But he declined to say there were no circumstances in which the department might act to stop certification.

California voter data lawsuit

Government attorneys sued California, seeking to require officials to review whether 18,000 registered voters had fraudulently cast ballots. California is one of eight states that automatically send ballots to registered voters’ homes.

Trump also votes by mail. He voted that way twice in 2026 and is expected to cast a ballot in Florida’s general elections this fall.

Judge blocks field operations

A federal judge in California on Wednesday barred the Department of Homeland Security from conducting field operations aimed at uncovering voter fraud in nine states. The operations were part of the Trump administration’s “Unlawful Voter Initiative,” which links its immigration campaign with election integrity.

Court documents showed that agents were told to focus on California, Connecticut, Georgia, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington and Wisconsin. Judge Martínez-Olguin wrote that concerns about potential voter intimidation or suppression, and the public interest in safe elections, outweighed the administration’s stated interest in investigating unlawful voting by non-U.S. citizens.

Criticism and agency response

David Becker, founder and executive director of the nonpartisan Center for Election and Innovation Research, criticized officials for not ruling out actions he described as unconstitutional and illegal. He said the department’s public messaging, alongside its lack of successful litigation, suggested it was being used for political propaganda.