Two days out, Trump’s DOJ appeals order blocking threats and eyes Supreme Court over 20,000 ballots

On Saturday, Trump’s Justice Department appealed a judge’s order that stopped it from threatening or coercing election officials. The order is temporary and runs to Nov. 16.

Call it what it is: pressure on the people who count your vote. Yesterday we reported that a federal judge put that pressure on hold. Now the Justice Department is trying to get it back.

Judge Trina Thompson’s order barred the Justice Department and Homeland Security from pressuring local officials to set aside ballots, purge voter rolls, or halt processing based only on claims that some voters might be ineligible. California’s governor then wrote federal judges warning he fears agents could seek search warrants to seize ballots before results are certified, and he urged them to resist any such attempt. He also said he knew of no pending request. The department says its push is about stopping noncitizen voting and protecting election integrity.

The administration took the count fight to court.

After a 2–1 Ninth Circuit ruling rejecting an emergency bid to force California to set aside more than 20,000 ballots, the administration said it would likely ask the Supreme Court to step in before Tuesday. That means lawsuits and possible warrant fights right as workers are counting your votes.

You don’t have to be a Democrat to see the danger here. Ballot counting belongs to voters and the local officials we trust, not to threats or last-minute court moves.

Two days left. Choose officials who protect the count, not ones who try to control it with threats and last-minute court moves.

• Share this with one person who thinks ballot counting can’t be gamed in court
• Ask your local election office how they’re protecting workers from pressure and how the count is secured
• Mark a reminder to vote in 2026 for leaders who keep counting in the hands of trusted local officials
• Check your voter registration at Vote.gov

Countdown

The 2026 midterms are in 1 days.

References

UPDATE: DOJ appeals order barring threats to election officials; Newsom warns judges of possible ballot seizures. Oct 31, 2026
UPDATE: DOJ appeals order barring threats to election officials; Newsom warns judges of possible ballot seizures. Nov 1, 2026