Take Care LedgerA dated, sourced record of the second Trump administration

Federal Actions on Election Administration

Updated2026-11-09 Covers2025-02-05 to 2026-11-09

Summary

Between February 2025 and the Nov 3, 2026 midterms, the President and federal agencies acted on voter registration, mail ballots, voter rolls and ballot counting. The Constitution’s Elections Clause (Art. I, § 4)65 gives these subjects to the states and Congress. Trump issued two executive orders (EOs) on voting.1,2 An executive order is a written order from the President to the agencies he runs; it is not a law passed by Congress. The Justice Department (DOJ) demanded state voter rolls, sued states that refused and shared the data with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).3,4 Removals left the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) unable to take actions that need a commission vote.5,6 The FBI seized Fulton County, Georgia’s 2020 ballots under a warrant issued by a court.7 DOJ sued to have about 20,000 California mail ballots segregated, or kept apart,8 and to have Alaska’s Senate result set aside if Sen. Dan Sullivan lost.9 Courts blocked, dismissed or denied most of these measures, including 27 voter-roll suits. Voting on Nov 3 went ahead without major reported incidents (The 2026 Midterms).10,11,12,13,94 As of Nov 8, DOJ holds Fulton’s ballots. It has appeals pending in the voter-roll, Fulton subpoena and Alaska cases.14,15,95,102

Background

The Elections Clause (Art. I, § 4, cl. 1) gives states, and Congress, power over the “Times, Places and Manner” of congressional elections.16 It gives the President no role. The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) bars organized programs to remove voters within 90 days of a federal election (52 U.S.C. § 20507(c)(2)(A)).17,67 A federal law makes it a crime for federal officers to bring troops or armed men to polling places (18 U.S.C. § 592).18,68 Voting Rights Act (VRA) § 11(b) (52 U.S.C. § 10307(b)) bars intimidating voters.18,70 Help America Vote Act (HAVA) § 303(a) (52 U.S.C. § 21083) requires each state to keep a computerized statewide voter list. It also requires new registrants to give a driver’s-license number or partial Social Security number, if they have one.88 The FEC needs four of its six votes to bring enforcement actions, issue advisory opinions or make rules (52 U.S.C. § 30106(c)).5,71 HAVA created the EAC72. The EAC certifies voting systems and keeps the national mail-voter registration form.6 The Supreme Court’s decision in Humphrey’s Executor (1935)73 let Congress require a good reason, called cause, before members of multimember commissions are removed. Trump v. Slaughter (Jun 29, 2026) overruled it. The Court held that Congress cannot require cause for removing officials who wield executive power.63,74

Since 2020 Trump has said that mail voting and voting machines enable fraud. He has also said that large numbers of noncitizens vote.20,21

What happened

Election agencies

On Feb 5, 2025, her first day in office, Attorney General Pam Bondi broke up the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force.120 The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) cut its election-security work. By CyberScoop’s tally, it lost roughly a third of its staff; by CBS’s, it lost 17 election-security staff and ~$10M a year.22,23 Trump claimed to remove FEC Commissioner Ellen Weintraub by a letter dated Jan 31. She made the letter public on Feb 6, 2025. She wrote that there is a legal way to replace an FEC commissioner and “this isn’t it,” and the FEC lost its quorum on May 1, 2025. A quorum is the number of members needed to act.19,5 The Democratic National Committee (DNC), the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) sued on Feb 28, 2025. They argued that EO 14215 (Feb 18, 2025) unlawfully claimed control over the FEC under the Federal Election Campaign Act. That order puts independent agencies’ proposed rules under White House review.71,121 The suit was dismissed on Jun 3, 2025. The court found the plaintiffs lacked standing, the right to sue, and that the dispute was not ripe, meaning not yet ready for a court.96,122 EAC Commissioner Donald Palmer (R) left on Apr 30, 2026.97,123 Then the White House removed the two Democratic commissioners on Jul 9, 2026, citing Trump v. Slaughter. The remaining Republican resigned.6

Executive orders and legislation

EO 14248 (Mar 25, 2025) ordered proof of citizenship on the federal registration form. It also required mail ballots to arrive by Election Day.1 Judge John Chun (W.D. Wash.) held that five of its provisions broke the separation of powers, the Constitution’s division of power among the branches. He permanently blocked them (Jan 9, 2026).24 The House passed the SAVE Act (Apr 10, 2025) and voted to advance the SAVE America Act (Feb 11, 2026). Neither passed the Senate.26,25 Trump posted that he would lead a movement to get rid of mail-in ballots and voting machines (Aug 18, 2025). He also posted that Republicans should “nationalize the voting” (Feb 2, 2026).20,16 A U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) policy took effect Aug 29, 2025. It barred nonprofits from helping new citizens register at naturalization ceremonies. The National Council of Jewish Women (Greater New Orleans) sued on Nov 7, 2025 and the League of Women Voters and seven of its chapters on Nov 18. Among other claims, they alleged that it was a binding rule issued without the public notice and comment that the Administrative Procedure Act requires.91,124,125 A court blocked the policy (Aug 3, 2026).126 It then cancelled it by a judgment both sides agreed to (Oct 15, 2026), bringing back the 2017 policy.90,127

Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly sits on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (D.D.C.). She ruled that § 2(a) of EO 14248, the order to the EAC to require proof of citizenship, was unconstitutional (Oct 31, 2025).128 On Jan 30, 2026 she barred agencies from checking citizenship before giving registration forms to people enrolling in public assistance. She wrote that “our Constitution does not allow the President to impose unilateral changes to federal election procedures.”129 A final judgment declared §§ 2(d) and 3(d) unconstitutional. The government and the Republican National Committee (RNC) are appealing (D.C. Cir. Nos. 26-5099 and 26-5102), per the Just Security tracker.111 On Mar 24, 2026 Trump voted by mail in a Florida special election, per Palm Beach County records. The day before, he had said that “mail-in voting means mail-in cheating.” A spokeswoman said he “primarily lives at the White House.”112,130 On Mar 31, 2026 he ordered federal lists of eligible voters. The order also called for ballots to be delivered only by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), and only to verified voters.2 Democratic Party committees and congressional leaders sued over the order on Apr 1.131 So did 23 state attorneys general and Pennsylvania’s governor, on Apr 3.112,113 On Jun 24, 2026 Judge Denise Casper (D. Mass.) permanently blocked most of EO 14248, holding that the Constitution “does not grant the President any specific powers over elections.”25 On Jun 29, 2026 the Supreme Court ruled 5–4 in Watson v. RNC75. It held that federal Election Day laws allow counting ballots postmarked by Election Day and received afterward.27

The USPS mail-ballot rule

The USPS rule required states to upload every mail voter to a federal portal. It let mail carriers reject envelopes that did not match. USPS said it would not check eligibility.28 On Jul 1, 2026 Judge Sullivan (D.D.C.) held in NAACP v. USPS that the proposed standards would break a 2020 settlement. That settlement requires timely delivery of election mail. The D.C. Circuit cancelled that ruling and dismissed the appeal as moot, meaning no longer a live dispute, on Oct 1.99,132 On Aug 24 the Supreme Court lifted an injunction against the EO because the states had sued before the policy was final.28,29 Then 23 states sued over the final rule.177 The next day Judge Indira Talwani found that USPS had violated her Aug 11 injunction by sending the rule to the Federal Register. She ordered no remedy.98,133 Holding that Congress gave USPS power “to move mail,” Judge Carl Nichols blocked the rule on Sept 13.30 On Sept 14 the Supreme Court acted on the government’s third emergency request. It left Talwani’s injunction in place, finding the government “unlikely to succeed on the merits” (Justice Kavanaugh concurring on timing; Justices Alito and Thomas dissenting).10 Trump then wrote that justices he had appointed were “merely a shell of their original selves” (Sept 15). He urged supporters to vote “by mail” (Oct 3).31,32 On Sept 4 the Postal Service’s inspector general reported that USPS had handled 2026 primary mail mostly on time. It found lapses in postmarking and in daily checks for left-behind mail. In Harrisburg, Pa., at least 56 ballots were stamped with the wrong date. The report did not review USPS’s plan for the Mar 31 order.183

Voter-roll demands and suits

On May 27, 2025 DOJ sued North Carolina under HAVA § 303(a) over registrations missing a driver’s-license or partial Social Security number. A Sept 8 consent order, an agreement approved by the court, has the state board contact about 100,000 such voters. They vote provisionally, meaning their ballots are checked before counting, until their records are complete. They are not removed for that reason alone. The Brennan Center said the deal “will force nearly 100,000 registered voters to re-prove their eligibility.”87,134 On Jun 25, 2025 DOJ sued the registrar of Orange County, California, for full, unredacted records of voters removed as noncitizens. The case is paused.89 By Nov 18, 2025 DOJ had demanded voter files with sensitive identifying numbers from at least 48 states and DC.3 Five suits were filed on Feb 26, 2026 (Utah, Oklahoma, Kentucky, West Virginia and New Jersey). They cited only the Civil Rights Act of 1960, and they brought DOJ’s total to 29 states and DC. Utah’s Republican Lieutenant Governor Deidre Henderson said DOJ had turned down the state’s public list.114 At least 16 states gave complete lists. Texas (Dec 9, 2025) and Alaska (Dec 22) also signed an agreement. Per a later complaint, it commits a state to “clean” its rolls within 45 days of issues DOJ flags.135,136 DOJ’s acting Voting Section chief told a Rhode Island federal court on Mar 26, 2026 that the data would be run “against DHS’S SAVE” database. SAVE is DHS’s system for checking immigration status.92,93,137 Alaska voters sued under state law over that agreement. The state asked the court to dismiss the suit on Jun 8,138 but the suit survived on Oct 16, 2026.93,139

Judge Susan Brnovich’s Apr 28, 2026 dismissal in Arizona was the sixth. She held that federal law does not require Arizona to provide its full registration list.115 On Jun 24 the Sixth Circuit, the first appeals court to rule, upheld the Michigan dismissal by a 2–1 vote. It held that a voter file the state itself creates is not a record DOJ can demand under Title III of the Civil Rights Act of 196077. Title III is the part that lets the Attorney General demand federal election records. The court also rejected an opinion from the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC), the Justice Department office that advises the executive branch, issued the day before argument. Judge Andre Mathis wrote that “the government invokes Title III for an inverse purpose.”94 On Aug 14 the Sixth Circuit refused DOJ’s request to rehear the case. A UW–Madison tracker says a Supreme Court petition would be due Nov 12, 2026 under the Court’s normal rules.184 On Sept 10, 2026 DOJ sent litigation-hold letters, which tell the receiver to keep records, to the states it was suing. The letters warned of “spoliation of evidence,” meaning destroying it, with civil and criminal penalties. They also claimed NVRA and HAVA investigations.34 On Oct 9 Judge Sparkle Sooknanan (D.D.C.) ruled in Common Cause v. DOJ.85 She cancelled DOJ’s “Voter List Maintenance Policy” of collecting state rolls and running them through SAVE. She found that the policy went beyond the authority Congress gave DOJ and was arbitrary and capricious, meaning not reasonably explained. She also found it broke the Privacy Act, which limits how the government may share personal records it holds. And she found it broke the Paperwork Reduction Act,86 which sets rules for how agencies collect information from the public. She wrote that “Congress has left that authority where our Constitution has always placed it: with the states.”64 On Nov 2 she denied DOJ’s request to pause her ruling while it appeals.182 Judge David Barlow, a Trump appointee, dismissed the Utah suit on Oct 23. By Democracy Docket’s count, it was DOJ’s 27th loss in a row.11,140 District courts dismissed the suits in 24 states between Jan 15 and Oct 23, 2026, and three more are listed as on appeal. Oklahoma settled on Mar 24 by providing its data. DOJ appealed nearly every dismissal.95,144 By date, per Democracy Docket’s case list, the dismissals came in California (Jan 15),141 Oregon (Jan 26)142 and Michigan (Feb 10, Chief Judge Hala Jarbou).143 Next came Massachusetts (Apr 9),145 Rhode Island (Apr 17),146 Arizona (Apr 28),115 Maine and Wisconsin (May 21)147,148 and Maryland (Jun 18).149 Then came New Hampshire (Jun 29),150 New York (Jul 10),151 West Virginia (Jul 13),152 Virginia (Jul 14),153 Connecticut (Jul 17)154 and Kentucky (Jul 23).155 They were followed by New Jersey (Jul 29),156 Illinois (Jul 31),157 Colorado (Aug 3),158 Nevada (Aug 14)159 and Minnesota (Aug 17).160 The last were Vermont (Sept 17),161 Washington (Sept 22),162 Georgia (Sept 30)163 and Utah (Oct 23).140 On Oct 30 DOJ appealed the Georgia, Vermont and Washington dismissals. The UW–Madison tracker counts 27 of DOJ’s 31 suits dismissed on the merits and says no court has ruled for DOJ.185

Citizenship checks and DHS data

Antonio Gracias, a worker on loan to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), said on Apr 2, 2025 that DOGE had found “thousands” of noncitizens on voter rolls.176 NPR reported that the Social Security chart he had shown at a Mar 30 rally showed a program for lawfully admitted immigrants.35 NPR reported on Jun 29, 2025 that DHS had rebuilt its SAVE database to check citizenship in bulk against Social Security records. It did so without the system-of-records notice the Privacy Act requires, which is a public notice describing a new set of personal records.33,76 A Jan 16, 2026 DOJ filing disclosed talks between two DOGE staffers at the Social Security Administration and an advocacy group. They discussed matching Social Security data to state rolls to “find evidence of voter fraud and to overturn election results in certain States.” Both were referred for possible violations of the Hatch Act, a law that limits political activity by federal employees on the job.36,78 On Jan 24, 2026 Bondi asked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to repeal sanctuary policies. She also asked him to give DOJ the state’s voter rolls and its Medicaid and SNAP (food aid) records.37 In April 2026 DHS administrative subpoenas, which are legal orders to hand over documents, reached Brazos and Montgomery counties in Texas. They sought voters’ registration applications, signatures and voting history without naming any voter. Lubbock was told that “all 254 counties will be contacted,” and DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.116 On Jul 16, during Trump’s primetime address on elections, a White House fact sheet said more than 250,000 noncitizens were registered in four states. It gave no method.21

On Sept 25 the Supreme Court let SAVE checks resume. It stayed, or paused, a June ruling that the system broke federal privacy law. Justice Jackson dissented.17 On Oct 23 the State Department published a Privacy Act notice that would let passport records be used to check whether people can vote. Comments are due Nov 23, 2026, and the new sharing rules take effect that day unless revised.186 Records released under the Freedom of Information Act79, which lets the public request government records, came out on Oct 7. They showed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had compiled ~100 million voter records, 50.6 million of them from DOJ.38 In Nevada, DHS’s count of 16,000 noncitizen voters fell to 185, all of whom Nevada says are citizens. It then fell to zero, according to the Democrats’ complaint.54 On Oct 21 Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín blocked DHS’s “Unlawful Voter Initiative” field interviews in nine states. She found “ongoing intimidation,” and a coalition represented by the ACLU later sued over the program on Oct 28.39,110,170

Criminal investigations

Kurt Olsen, the White House Director of Election Security and Integrity, made the referral behind the Fulton investigation. Olsen was a 2020 “Stop the Steal” lawyer. The Arizona Supreme Court had sanctioned him over false claims about the 2022 election.40 DOJ sued for the ballots on Dec 12, 2025.41 Paul Brown, the FBI’s Atlanta special agent in charge, was forced out in January 2026 after objecting to the probe and refusing to carry out the searches, MS NOW reported.100 On Jan 28, 2026 the FBI seized more than 600 boxes of 2020 records under a magistrate judge’s warrant. Judge J.P. Boulee ordered the affidavit, the sworn statement behind the warrant, unsealed (Feb 7). It was made public Feb 10. NPR reported that it relies on “misleading claims of wrongdoing that were already investigated in detail by state law enforcement.”7,164 Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard testified that Trump asked her to observe the search.42 The FBI also subpoenaed data from Arizona’s 2020 review (Mar 9).43 It extended investigations to Maricopa, Wayne County (Mich.), Milwaukee and Puerto Rico (Feb–May 2026).44 Boulee refused to return the Fulton ballots on May 6.14,165 On Jun 11 agents searched the Cleveland office of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative, a voter-registration group. DOJ called it a fraud-related investigation. A board member said “over 125 agents” visited the homes of staff and volunteers. A DOJ official called such comments “unfounded speculation,” and no charges had been filed by Nov 8.103 On Jul 7 the court quashed, or cancelled, an Apr 17 grand-jury subpoena for the names and contact information of Fulton’s 2020 election workers.14,102,166 A grand jury is a group of citizens who decide whether there is enough evidence to charge someone with a crime. DOJ appealed to the Eleventh Circuit on Aug 6.167 The NAACP filed a motion on Feb 15 to bar other uses of the seized records, such as national voter databases. It was dismissed on Aug 19.101,168,169

Ballot segregation, certification and poll monitors

On Oct 15, 2026 DOJ sued to make California segregate ~20,000 mail ballots of voters DHS had flagged as “likely” noncitizens. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli wrote on X that “knowingly processing noncitizen ballots is a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. §§ 611 and 2”. § 611 penalizes voting by noncitizens. The other law he cited, on principals, makes anyone who helps commit a federal crime punishable as if they committed it.8,45,80,81 Los Angeles County found that one in four sampled voters on the list were U.S.-born.48 Judge David Carter denied a temporary restraining order (TRO) on Oct 28. A TRO is a short-term order that stops something while a judge looks at the case.46 On Oct 30 Judge Trina Thompson (N.D. Cal.) ruled in a suit by election-worker unions.105 She barred DOJ and DHS from pressing officials to segregate flagged ballots or threatening prosecution for lawful counting.179 A DOJ lawyer told her it was “fair” to say the list had a high error rate.180 On Nov 3 a limited en banc Ninth Circuit, a larger-than-usual panel of that appeals court, voted 6–5 to stay her order.181 On Nov 2 the Supreme Court denied DOJ’s emergency request.12 The same day Judge Tanya Chutkan ruled in League of Women Voters v. DHS. She blocked a DOJ and DHS policy and also paused it under the APA section on relief pending review107. Under that policy, officials who register voters, count ballots or certify results got information identifying people as potential or confirmed noncitizen voters. Her order left individual SAVE verification requests and prosecutions in place. Also that day, Chief Judge James Boasberg barred further federal demands that California officials segregate ballots. He held that § 611 “does not regulate how ballots are counted.”106 On Nov 5 Judge Jamal Whitehead issued a 14-day TRO. It bars DOJ from making Washington set aside ~400 listed voters’ ballots or threatening officials who count them. He wrote that “a threat of prosecution made for that purpose is not legal advice.”51 DOJ dropped the California suit on Nov 6.47

On Oct 22 DOJ sued to have Alaska’s Senate result set aside if Sen. Sullivan lost. It cited possible voter confusion with a second candidate, Daniel J. Sullivan. Trump said, “I’m the one that said ‘do it.’”9 Judge Sharon Gleason dismissed it on Nov 1 (see Why it matters). DOJ appealed to the Ninth Circuit. There, the last briefs are due several weeks after Alaska’s Nov 25 target date for certifying results. DOJ had not said whether it would ask the court to speed up the case.58 With about 75% counted, Democrat Mary Peltola led Sen. Sullivan by about 637 first-choice votes. Daniel J. Sullivan had about 3,600, more than the margin. That is the situation the suit had addressed. The ranked-choice count is set for Nov 18.58,119 On Nov 5 Trump posted on Truth Social that the namesake’s votes should go to the senator. Alaska’s ranked-choice law, however, moves a ballot only according to the voter’s own next choice.59 On Nov 7 Trump posted that “The Alaska Race is OVER.” He added the votes of Daniel J. Sullivan and of another candidate, Gerald Heikes, to the senator’s total. He wrote that Heikes “was also fraudulently put into the Race.” The Daily Beast reported that he gave no evidence.187 On Nov 9 voters and civic groups that had joined the case asked the Ninth Circuit to uphold the dismissal without full briefing. They also asked it to make DOJ’s lawyers explain why they should not be punished for a frivolous appeal, meaning one with no real legal basis. NBC reported that DOJ had filed only its notice of appeal and had not asked to speed up the case.188

DOJ had sent monitors to five California counties and one New Jersey county for the Nov 4, 2025 elections.49 On Oct 28, 2026 it told the court in NAACP v. Blanche84 that no FBI or ICE employees would serve as monitors.50 A court-ordered review found sworn ATF officers and U.S. Marshals on the roster. On Nov 2–3 Judge Reggie Walton barred any officer with arrest power from serving.178 Separate suits sought to keep armed federal agents away from polls. They followed DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s Sept 1 statement that ICE could make arrests there. A civil-rights group and the City of Denver sued on Sept 10. The NAACP and a coalition of civil-rights groups sued on Sept 18. The DSCC, DCCC, Democratic Governors Association, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries sued on Sept 23. Arlington County, Virginia, sued on Oct 20. No ruling in these suits had been reported by Election Day.18,171,172,173,174,60 About 1,000 monitors then worked in all 50 states on Nov 3.13

Key dates

Why it matters

Elections Clause (Art. I, § 4, cl. 1) and Article II. The Elections Clause gives state legislatures power over the “Times, Places and Manner” of congressional elections, subject to Congress. Article II, which sets out the President’s powers, lists no power over elections.16,66 The legal question is whether the President can set rules for registration, ballot receipt or mail delivery by executive order or agency rule. The record does not include the administration’s stated legal basis for either order. Justice Kavanaugh wrote that USPS might have authority but lacked “sufficient time to reasonably implement the rule.”10 Judges Chun and Casper held that parts of EO 14248 went beyond the President’s power. Judge Nichols held that central parts of the USPS rule went beyond the authority Congress gave the Postal Service.24,25,30

NVRA, HAVA, Title III of the Civil Rights Act of 1960 and the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. § 552a). For the voter-roll demands, DOJ relied on the NVRA (52 U.S.C. § 20507), HAVA and Title III (52 U.S.C. §§ 20701–20706).34 Courts held that the NVRA and HAVA do not authorize a “fishing expedition” (Rhode Island).53,146 They held that Title III does not reach a voter file the state itself keeps (Sixth Circuit; Utah).94,143,11,140 They also held that Title III does not authorize the demands (Arizona).4,115 Common Cause cancelled the underlying policy under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), the Privacy Act and the Paperwork Reduction Act.64 North Carolina’s HAVA consent order requires the state to seek the missing ID numbers. But it says the process will not by itself remove any voter.87 Under the Privacy Act, the Supreme Court paused a ruling against the expanded SAVE system. It cited the federal government’s “obligation to respond to requests from state and local election officials.” Votebeat and NBC News reported that the NVRA’s 90-day bar limited the practical effect before Nov 3.33,17 Meanwhile, Judge Chutkan found DHS’s sharing of noncitizen lists likely unlawful. She reasoned that § 611 authorizes no such transmission and that no system-of-records notice was published.106 Votebeat did not identify the authority for DHS’s Texas county subpoenas. DHS’s subpoena powers under federal law reach matters “material and relevant to the enforcement” of the immigration laws (8 U.S.C. § 1225(d)(4))117. They also reach customs inquiries (19 U.S.C. § 1509).118 No court in the record has decided whether they reach county election files.116

NVRA 90-day rule, Elections Clause and Article III (ballot segregation and certification). DOJ argued that once California ballots were mixed together “there is no way to get the challenged ballots back,”12 and that Alaska’s same-name candidate could confuse voters.9 Judge Carter held that segregation would work as a removal of voters, which the NVRA’s 90-day rule bars. He wrote that “California and its people are sovereign, too.”46 Boasberg held that federal segregation demands likely broke the Elections Clause.106 Judge Sharon Gleason dismissed the Alaska suit on Nov 1 for lack of Article III82 redressability. Article III limits federal courts to real cases. Redressability means a court order could actually fix the claimed harm. She wrote that “time, place and manner” matters such as certification and ballot handling are the state’s responsibility rather than the federal executive’s. She also cited the Purcell principle, which warns against changing election rules close to an election.52 On Oct 27 Judge Matthew Seabright ruled that Essayli was serving unlawfully after his interim term expired (28 U.S.C. § 546). That law limits how long an interim U.S. Attorney may serve. The order was stayed.61,83

18 U.S.C. §§ 592–593 and VRA § 11(b). These statutes69 cover armed federal officers at polls and the intimidation of voters.18 DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said on Sept 1, 2026 that ICE could make arrests at polling places when serving warrants.18 The Ninth Circuit’s pause of Judge Thompson’s TRO turned on whether § 11(b) lets private plaintiffs sue.181 The Democrats’ Oct 20 § 11(b) suit alleges that, “thwarted in Congress and the courts,” the administration “fashioned its own cudgels,” in the suit’s words.54 In that suit, Boasberg denied early relief on Nov 2 because the plaintiffs lacked standing. He wrote that the plaintiffs “offer no evidence that any state election official has segregated” ballots. He also wrote that their reading of Bost v. Illinois State Board of Elections (2026)109 would give candidates “standing to challenge every Tweet, Truth Social post, or campaign speech.”108

Removal power (Humphrey’s Executor; Trump v. Slaughter). This is the President’s power to fire officials. The FEC needs four votes to act and the EAC needs three.5,6 Weintraub wrote that her removal was not the legal way to replace a commissioner.19 The Democratic challenge to EO 14215 ended without a ruling on the merits.96 The White House relied on Trump v. Slaughter for the EAC removals.6,63 Neither of Trump’s two FEC nominees, Ashley Stow and Andrew Woodson (nominated Feb 11, 2026), was confirmed before Nov 3.5,175

Justice Manual 9-85.500 (election-year investigations). A magistrate judge issued the Fulton warrant, and Judge Boulee let DOJ keep the ballots. The court did quash the election-worker subpoena.7,14,102 The Justice Manual is DOJ’s internal rulebook. It bars choosing the timing of any investigative step “for the purpose of affecting any election.”104 The record does not include the administration’s stated legal basis for the Fulton suit and investigation. The Ohio warrant affidavit is sealed.103

Outcome

Where things stand

As of Nov 9, 2026, courts had stopped most of the federal measures before the midterms. DOJ is appealing most of those rulings.13,95 Several things remain in place. The FEC and EAC cannot act by commission vote. DOJ holds Fulton’s ballots. SAVE checks continue. At least 16 states have given DOJ complete lists. DOJ voter records have gone to DHS for immigration enforcement.5,6,14,17,92,4,38 In Alaska, the written arguments in DOJ’s Ninth Circuit appeal run past the Nov 25 certification (Newsweek).58 The ranked-choice count is set for Nov 18,119 and on Nov 5 Trump demanded that the second Sullivan’s votes go to the senator. Alaska’s ranked-choice law, however, moves votes only by voters’ own rankings.59 On Nov 9 voters and groups asked the appeals court to uphold the dismissal without full briefing.188 The same day Trump posted that the midterm results were not “honest” and blamed voting “machines,” without offering evidence.189

Related: Justice Department and FBI Personnel Changes, Federal Data Sharing and Surveillance, Musk, DOGE and Conflict-of-Interest Questions, Conflicts Between the Executive and the Courts, Mid-Decade Redistricting and Pardons and Clemency. That last article covers Tina Peters’s Dec 11, 2025 federal “pardon,” which does not reach her state conviction. It also covers her and Cleta Mitchell’s Oct 5, 2026 request that Commerce regulate voting machines.55,56

Status

Item Status Latest development (date) What would change it
EO 14248 Blocked (Casper; Kollar-Kotelly) Permanently blocked (Jun 24, 2026); D.D.C. final judgment appealed25,111 D.C. Circuit rulings, Nos. 26-5099 and 26-5102111
Mar 31, 2026 order and USPS rule Blocked (Talwani; Nichols) Blocked for the midterms (Sept 14, 2026)10,30 Rulings on the main claims (none scheduled)
USCIS ceremony policy Concluded Cancelled by a judgment both sides agreed to (Oct 15, 2026)90,127 —
FEC and EAC vacancies In force No FEC quorum since May 2025; no EAC commissioners since Jul 9, 20265,6 Senate confirmation of new commissioners, including the two FEC nominees5,175
DOJ voter-roll suits Pending (appeals courts) 27th dismissal (Oct 23, 2026); Michigan dismissal upheld and rehearing refused (Aug 14); Georgia, Vermont and Washington appeals filed (Oct 30, 2026); Oklahoma settled (Mar 24)11,140,94,95,144,184,185 Rulings on DOJ’s appeals; any Supreme Court petition in the Michigan case (due Nov 12)95,184
DOJ voter-list policy (Common Cause) Blocked (cancelled by Sooknanan, Oct 9) DOJ’s request to pause the ruling during appeal denied (Nov 2, 2026)182 DOJ’s appeal182
Alaska’s DOJ data agreement Pending (Alaska state-law suit) State’s request to dismiss denied (Oct 16, 2026)93,139 A ruling in that suit93
North Carolina consent order In force Runs through June 202787,134 Its end in June 202787
Orange County suit Pending Paused89 The case restarting
SAVE citizenship checks In force Resumed (Sept 25, 2026); State Department notice would let passport records be used for voter checks (Oct 23, 2026)17,57,186 End of the notice’s comment period (Nov 23, 2026)186
DHS noncitizen lists Blocked (Chutkan) Blocked and paused (Nov 2, 2026)106 A ruling on deleting the data collected106
DHS voter interviews Blocked (Martínez-Olguín, nine states) New suit (Oct 28, 2026)39,110,170 A ruling in that suit
DHS Texas county subpoenas Unresolved No reported resolution (April 2026)116 —
Fulton 2020 ballots In force NAACP motion dismissed (Aug 19, 2026)14,101,169 —
Fulton election-worker subpoena Blocked (quashed Jul 7) DOJ’s Eleventh Circuit appeal (Aug 6) and first brief (Oct 5, 2026)102,167 An Eleventh Circuit ruling102
FBI 2020 and Ohio probes Unresolved No charges in Ohio (Nov 8, 2026)103 Charges or public findings
California ballot segregation Concluded DOJ suit dropped (Nov 6, 2026)12,106,47 —
Thompson TRO (N.D. Cal.) Pending (Ninth Circuit) Paused by a 6–5 vote (in effect Nov 4, 2026)181 A Ninth Circuit ruling181
Washington ballot set-aside Blocked (Whitehead) 14-day TRO (Nov 5, 2026)51 Hearing on a longer-lasting order, Nov 1851
Alaska Senate suit Pending (Ninth Circuit) Dismissed (Nov 1, 2026); DOJ appealed; written arguments run past the Nov 25 certification target; voters and groups asked the court to uphold the dismissal without full briefing and to consider penalties (Nov 9, 2026); ranked-choice count Nov 1852,58,119,188 A Ninth Circuit ruling; any DOJ request to speed up the case; Alaska certification (Nov 25)58,119
Armed officers as DOJ monitors Blocked (Walton) Officers with arrest power barred (Nov 3, 2026)178 —
Armed-agent suits (Denver, NAACP, Democratic committees, Arlington County) Pending No ruling by Election Day (Nov 3, 2026)60,171,172,173,174 Rulings in the suits
Democrats’ § 11(b) suit Pending (D.D.C.) Early relief denied for lack of standing (Nov 2, 2026); no further ruling reported108 A further ruling

Who is affected

The measures reach registered voters whose records the Justice Department (DOJ) collected and shared with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). They reach voters whose ballots DOJ sought to have segregated or set aside in California, Washington and Alaska.38,8,51,9 North Carolina registrants missing ID numbers fall under a Help America Vote Act (HAVA) consent order.87 State and county election offices received voter-roll suits, subpoenas, letters telling them to keep records, and prosecution warnings. Election workers and a voter-registration group were drawn into criminal investigations.95,116,34,45,102,103 DHS interviewed voters in the field, and federal monitors worked at polls. The Federal Election Commission (FEC) and Election Assistance Commission (EAC) lost the members they need to act.39,13,5,6 Courts stopped most measures before the midterms.13,95

Key players

Chronology

Gaps: The extract does not give the substance of the Mar 31, 2026 order beyond the voter list and USPS provisions, or the court and judge in the USCIS naturalization-ceremony case. Still open: the voter-roll and Fulton subpoena appeals, the armed-agent suits, the Alaska appeal, and any findings from the Fulton, Maricopa, Wayne, Milwaukee and Ohio probes, none of which have been made public.

Sources

  1. EO 14248 text (American Presidency Project) · NPR: Trump voting citizenship executive order · Timeline 2025-03-25 → ledger ↩↩↩

  2. NPR: Trump signs new voting EO, experts say lacks authority · Timeline 2026-03-31 → ledger ↩↩↩

  3. NPR: DOJ voter-data lawsuits · Brennan Center: DOJ voter-info request tracker · Timeline 2025-11-18 → ledger ↩↩↩

  4. Brennan Center: Tracker of Justice Department requests for voter information · Timeline 2026-(summer) → ledger ↩↩↩

  5. FEC: All commissioners · NOTUS (via Washington Sun): Trump nominates two Republicans to FEC · Timeline 2025-04-30 → ledger ↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩

  6. NPR: Trump cleans house at the bipartisan Election Assistance Commission · Guardian: Trump fires last members of election commission · Timeline 2026-07-09 → ledger ↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩

  7. NPR: relies on debunked claims · NBC News: driven by Trump appointee · Timeline 2026-01-28 → ledger ↩↩↩↩

  8. PBS: DOJ sues California over mail ballots · Timeline 2026-10-15 → ledger ↩↩↩↩↩

  9. AP: administration sues to block possible Democratic win in Alaska · Democracy Docket: Trump ‘I’m the one that said do it’ · Timeline 2026-10-22 to 23 → ledger ↩↩↩↩↩

  10. SCOTUSblog: Court denies request to implement USPS rule · Timeline 2026-09-14 → ledger ↩↩↩↩

  11. Democracy Docket: 27th straight loss · Timeline 2026-09-10 → ledger ↩↩↩↩↩

  12. CNBC: Supreme Court rejects DOJ’s bid to block California from counting disputed ballots · CNN: Supreme Court rejects Trump’s attempt to segregate ballots in California · Timeline 2026-11-02 → ledger ↩↩↩↩↩

  13. DOJ: Justice Department to monitor elections in all 50 states · U.S. News: A remarkably normal Election Day · Timeline 2026-11-03 → ledger ↩↩↩↩↩↩

  14. NBC News: DOJ asks for 2020 election workers’ personal information · NBC News: judge says DOJ can keep seized ballots · Timeline 2026-04-17 → ledger ↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩

  15. CBS News: House results (AP count Nov 7) · Alaska’s News Source: Alaska Senate race remains undecided · Timeline 2026-11-07 → ledger ↩

  16. CBS News: Trump suggests Republicans should nationalize voting · Timeline 2026-02-02 → ledger ↩↩↩

  17. NBC News: SCOTUS allows expanded database · CNN: states can use citizenship tool · Timeline 2026-09-25 → ledger ↩↩↩↩↩

  18. The Hill: Democrats sue over polling agents · Timeline 2026-09-01 → ledger ↩↩↩↩↩

  19. NPR: Federal election commissioner says Trump is trying to improperly remove her · CBS News: Weeks before Election Day, the nation’s campaign finance regulator can’t enforce the law · Timeline 2025-02-06 → ledger ↩↩

  20. NPR: Trump announces on Truth Social mail-in/voting machine ban · Timeline 2025-08-18 → ledger ↩↩

  21. NPR: In primetime speech, Trump doesn’t provide evidence for illegal voting · Timeline 2026-07-16 → ledger ↩↩

  22. CBS News: Trump zeroes in on election security after cutting thousands of election-focused workers · Timeline 2025-02 to 2026-07-09 → ledger ↩

  23. CyberScoop: CISA personnel cuts analysis · Votebeat: CISA ends election security support · Timeline 2025-02-(early–Dec) → ledger ↩

  24. NPR: Trump voting executive order paused · Timeline 2025-04-24 → ledger ↩↩

  25. ABC7/AP: Federal judge bars Trump from implementing proof of citizenship requirement to vote · Timeline 2026-06-24 → ledger ↩↩↩↩

  26. House Clerk: Roll Call 102, H.R. 22 (220–208) · CNBC: SAVE Act: House advances Trump-backed voter ID bill · Timeline 2025-04-10 → ledger ↩

  27. NBC: Court allows states to count late-arriving mail ballots · Timeline 2026-06-29 → ledger ↩

  28. Supreme Court: Trump v. California, No. 26A124 (Aug 24, 2026) · CNBC: Federal judge lifts final block on Trump mail-in voting order · Timeline 2026-08-24 → ledger ↩↩

  29. Votebeat: Aug 24 order · Timeline 2026-09-14 → ledger ↩

  30. Axios: Second judge blocks USPS mail-ballot rules · Washington Examiner: Trump-nominated judge blocks USPS rule · Timeline 2026-09-13 → ledger ↩↩↩

  31. CNN: Trump unloads on justices · SCOTUSblog: Trump blasts Court on social media · Timeline 2026-09-15 → ledger ↩

  32. Democracy Docket: Trump begs Republicans to vote by mail · Timeline 2026-10-03 → ledger ↩

  33. NPR: citizenship data system for voting · Timeline 2025-06-29 → ledger ↩↩

  34. Democracy Docket: DOJ threatens charges against state officials · Timeline 2026-09-10 → ledger ↩↩↩

  35. NPR: How DOGE may have improperly used Social Security data to push voter-fraud narratives · Timeline 2025-03-30 → ledger ↩

  36. NPR: The Trump administration admits even more ways DOGE accessed sensitive personal data · Timeline 2026-01-16 → ledger ↩

  37. KSTP: Bondi letter requests voting and welfare records · The Hill: Bondi–Walz letter · Timeline 2026-01-24 → ledger ↩↩

  38. Democracy Docket: ICE amassed millions of voter records · Timeline 2026-10-07 → ledger ↩↩↩↩↩

  39. Democracy Docket: judge limits DHS voter intimidation in nine states · Timeline 2026-10-21 → ledger ↩↩↩↩

  40. CNN: Olsen and 2020 fraud · The Week: who is Kurt Olsen · Timeline 2025-10-(mid) → ledger ↩↩

  41. AJC: DOJ sues Fulton to obtain 2020 ballots · Timeline 2025-12-12 → ledger ↩

  42. Democracy Docket: Gabbard testimony Trump knew in advance · NYT: Trump FBI phone call, Gabbard · Timeline 2026-01-28 → ledger ↩

  43. WaPo: Trump Arizona election subpoena · Timeline 2026-03-09 → ledger ↩

  44. Votebeat: FBI’s 2020 election investigation expands · Timeline 2026-02-27 → ledger ↩

  45. Democracy Docket: DOJ threatens to prosecute CA officials · Timeline 2026-10-23 → ledger ↩↩↩

  46. ABC7: judge denies request to segregate 20,000 ballots · Timeline 2026-10-15 → ledger ↩↩

  47. CBS News: DOJ moves to drop its lawsuit · Timeline 2026-11-06 → ledger ↩↩↩

  48. Democracy Docket: LA County sample — 1 in 4 born in US · Timeline 2026-10-20 → ledger ↩↩

  49. PBS: why admin sending monitors · TIME: Trump election monitoring of CA/NJ · Timeline 2025-10-24 → ledger ↩

  50. MS NOW: DOJ says FBI or ICE agents will not serve as poll monitors · Timeline 2026-10-28 → ledger ↩

  51. Politico: Federal judge orders DOJ to stop threatening election officials in Washington state · Yakima Herald-Republic/Washington State Standard: Feds can’t force Washington to set aside alleged noncitizen ballots · Timeline 2026-11-05 → ledger ↩↩↩↩↩

  52. CNBC: Judge dismisses Alaska Senate election lawsuit; DOJ vows appeal · The Hill: Judge rejects DOJ bid to investigate Alaska Senate ballots · Timeline 2026-11-01 → ledger ↩↩↩↩

  53. Rhode Island Current: judge dismisses DOJ Rhode Island suit · Timeline 2025-11-18 → ledger ↩

  54. Democracy Docket: Democrats sue to block threats to midterms · WaPo: Democrats sue Trump, DOJ over voter-roll removals · Timeline 2026-10-20 → ledger ↩↩↩

  55. DOJ Pardon Attorney list · Timeline 2025-12-11 → ledger ↩

  56. Democracy Docket: Mitchell and Peters want Commerce to regulate voting machines · Timeline 2026-10-05 → ledger ↩

  57. Democracy Docket: passport data for voter citizenship checks · Timeline 2026-09-22 → ledger ↩

  58. Newsweek: Alaska Senate margin keeps Justice Department lawsuit alive · Timeline 2026-11-05 → ledger ↩↩↩↩↩↩

  59. Axios: Trump wants second Dan Sullivan’s votes given to the senator · Timeline 2026-11-05 → ledger ↩↩

  60. NationofChange: three lawsuits seek to bar armed federal agents from polling places · Timeline 2026-11-03 → ledger ↩↩

  61. Democracy Docket: Essayli disqualified, order stayed · Timeline 2026-10-27 → ledger ↩↩

  62. Guardian: DHS secretary doubles down on Trump’s baseless 2020 election claims · Timeline 2026-07-16 → ledger ↩

  63. Reuters: Court backs Trump’s firing of FTC member · Timeline 2026-06-29 → ledger ↩↩

  64. New York Post/Reuters: US judge rules DOJ using state voter rolls unconstitutional · CREW: Judge denies another Trump administration attempt to meddle with voter data · Just Security: Litigation Tracker (Common Cause v. DOJ, D.D.C. 1:26-cv-01352) · Timeline 2026-10-09 → ledger ↩↩↩

  65. Cornell LII: U.S. Constitution, Article I (§ 4, cl. 1, Elections Clause) legal authority ↩

  66. Cornell LII: U.S. Constitution, Article II legal authority ↩

  67. Cornell LII: 52 U.S.C. § 20507 (NVRA voter-list maintenance; 90-day rule at (c)(2)(A)) legal authority ↩

  68. Cornell LII: 18 U.S.C. § 592 (Troops at polls) legal authority ↩

  69. Cornell LII: 18 U.S.C. § 593 (Interference by armed forces) legal authority ↩

  70. Cornell LII: 52 U.S.C. § 10307 (VRA § 11, Prohibited acts) legal authority ↩

  71. Cornell LII: 52 U.S.C. § 30106 (FEC membership; four-vote requirement at (c)) legal authority ↩↩

  72. Cornell LII: 52 U.S.C. § 20921 (HAVA, Pub. L. 107-252 § 201, establishing the EAC) legal authority ↩

  73. Cornell LII: Humphrey’s Executor v. United States, 295 U.S. 602 (1935) legal authority ↩

  74. Supreme Court: Trump v. Slaughter, No. 25-332 (Jun 29, 2026) legal authority ↩

  75. Supreme Court: Watson v. Republican National Committee, No. 24-1260 (Jun 29, 2026) legal authority ↩

  76. Cornell LII: 5 U.S.C. § 552a (Privacy Act; system-of-records notices at (e)(4), (e)(11)) legal authority ↩

  77. Cornell LII: 52 U.S.C. § 20701 (Civil Rights Act of 1960, Pub. L. 86-449, title III; §§ 20701–20706) legal authority ↩

  78. Cornell LII: 5 U.S.C. ch. 73, subch. III, §§ 7321–7326 (Hatch Act) legal authority ↩

  79. Cornell LII: 5 U.S.C. § 552 (Freedom of Information Act) legal authority ↩

  80. Cornell LII: 18 U.S.C. § 611 (Voting by aliens) legal authority ↩

  81. Cornell LII: 18 U.S.C. § 2 (Principals) legal authority ↩

  82. Cornell LII: U.S. Constitution, Article III (§ 2, cl. 1, cases and controversies) legal authority ↩

  83. Cornell LII: 28 U.S.C. § 546 (U.S. Attorney vacancies; 120-day interim term) legal authority ↩

  84. NAACP LDF: lawsuit bars DOJ from deploying federal law enforcement agents to polls (NAACP v. Blanche) legal authority ↩

  85. D.D.C.: Common Cause v. DOJ, No. 1:26-cv-01352-SLS, Mem. Op. denying stay pending appeal (Nov 2, 2026), via CREW legal authority ↩

  86. Cornell LII: 44 U.S.C. § 3501 et seq. (Paperwork Reduction Act) legal authority ↩

  87. Carolina Journal: Judge accepts deal ending US Justice Department lawsuit against NC elections board · Brennan Center: NC voters, civil rights groups warn DOJ settlement will burden eligible voters · Timeline 2025-05-27 → ledger ↩↩↩↩↩↩↩

  88. Cornell LII: 52 U.S.C. § 21083 (HAVA § 303, computerized statewide voter registration list; identifying numbers at (a)(5)(A)) legal authority ↩

  89. DOJ: Justice Department files suit against Orange County, California registrar · Democracy Docket: California Orange County noncitizen voter records access challenge · Timeline 2025-06-25 → ledger ↩↩↩

  90. Democracy Docket: USCIS naturalization ceremony voter registration assistance ban challenge (LWV) · Democracy Docket: USCIS naturalization ceremony voter registration assistance ban challenge (NCJW) · Timeline 2025-08-29 → ledger ↩↩

  91. Cornell LII: 5 U.S.C. § 553 (APA rulemaking; notice and comment at (b)–(c)) legal authority ↩

  92. Brennan Center: Tracker of Justice Department requests for voter information · NBC News: Tracking DOJ’s effort to get U.S. voter registration data · Timeline 2025-11-18 → ledger ↩↩↩

  93. Democracy Docket: Alaska DOJ voter data sharing agreement challenge · Brennan Center: Tracker of Justice Department requests for voter information · Timeline 2026-04-22 → ledger ↩↩↩↩

  94. Democracy Docket: Trump DOJ suffers first appeals court loss in floundering voter roll crusade · NBC News: Tracking the DOJ’s effort to get U.S. voter registration data · Timeline 2026-06-24 → ledger ↩↩↩↩

  95. Democracy Docket: DOJ voter data access cases · NBC News: Tracking the DOJ’s effort · Timeline 2026-09-10 → ledger ↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩

  96. Federal Register: EO 14215 · Democracy Docket: Washington, D.C. FEC independence challenge · Timeline 2025-02-18 → ledger ↩↩

  97. EAC: Commissioner Donald Palmer is departing the agency · EAC: Commission Operations in the Absence of Commissioners (Aug 2026, PDF) · Timeline 2026-07-09 → ledger ↩

  98. Just Security: Litigation Tracker (LWV of Massachusetts v. Trump) · Timeline 2026-08-26 → ledger ↩

  99. Just Security: Litigation Tracker (NAACP v. USPS) · Timeline 2026-07-01 → ledger ↩

  100. MS NOW: Atlanta FBI boss ousted after balking at 2020 election probe · Timeline 2026-01-23 → ledger ↩↩

  101. PBS: NAACP asks judge to protect against misuse of voter data · Democracy Docket: Georgia Fulton County 2020 election records seizure challenge (Lawyers’ Committee) · Timeline 2026-01-28 → ledger ↩↩

  102. Democracy Docket: Georgia Fulton County 2020 election workers personal data subpoena challenge · Timeline 2026-04-17 → ledger ↩↩↩↩↩↩↩

  103. CBS News: FBI investigation of Ohio Organizing Collaborative · Protect Democracy: Retaliatory Actions Tracker · Timeline 2026-06-11 → ledger ↩↩↩↩↩

  104. DOJ: Justice Manual 9-85.500, Actions that May Have an Impact on an Election legal authority ↩

  105. States United: SEIU v. DOJ · Democracy Docket: Threatening California election workers challenge · Timeline 2026-10-29 → ledger ↩

  106. Newsweek: Trump’s DOJ blocked from sending ‘noncitizen’ voter lists · UCLA Voting Rights Project: CHIRLA and UCLA VRP secure preliminary injunction (plaintiffs’ release) · Just Security: Litigation Tracker (LWV v. DHS; Trujillo v. DHS; DSCC v. Trump) · Timeline 2026-11-02 → ledger ↩↩↩↩↩↩↩

  107. Cornell LII: 5 U.S.C. § 705 (APA, relief pending review) legal authority ↩

  108. Democracy Docket: Federal judge won’t bar Trump admin from threatening election officials · Timeline 2026-10-20 → ledger ↩↩

  109. Cornell LII: Bost v. Illinois State Board of Elections, No. 24-568 (Jan 14, 2026) legal authority ↩

  110. Democracy Docket: USCIS voter initiative challenge · Timeline 2026-10-21 → ledger ↩↩

  111. PBS NewsHour (AP): Judge blocks additional citizenship provisions in latest setback to Trump’s election executive order · NBC News: Federal judge rules Trump can’t require citizenship proof on the federal voting form (Oct 31, 2025) · Brennan Center: League of Women Voters v. Trump · Timeline 2025-04-24 → ledger ↩↩↩

  112. PBS NewsHour (AP): Trump casts Florida ballot by mail as he pushes Congress to severely limit that voting option · PBS NewsHour/AP: Democrats sue to block Trump’s executive order targeting mail ballots · Timeline 2026-03-31 → ledger ↩↩

  113. Brennan Center: League of Women Voters v. Trump · Timeline 2026-04-03 → ledger ↩

  114. DOJ Office of Public Affairs: Justice Department sues five additional states for failure to produce voter rolls · Timeline 2026-02-26 → ledger ↩↩

  115. Votebeat: Judge dismisses Trump administration lawsuit over Arizona’s voter rolls · Timeline 2026-04-28 → ledger ↩↩↩

  116. Votebeat: Texas counties subpoenaed by DHS for registration applications · Timeline 2026-04-10 → ledger ↩↩↩↩↩

  117. Cornell LII: 8 U.S.C. § 1225 (subpoena authority, subsec. (d)(4)) legal authority ↩

  118. Cornell LII: 19 U.S.C. § 1509 (examination of books and witnesses) legal authority ↩

  119. Alaska Public Media: Kreiss-Tomkins leads (RCV count Nov 18) · Alaska’s News Source: Alaska Senate race remains undecided · Timeline 2026-11-05 → ledger ↩↩↩↩↩

  120. NPR: new AG moves to align DOJ with Trump’s priorities · CBS News: Trump zeroes in on election security after cutting thousands of election-focused workers · Timeline 2025-02-05 → ledger ↩

  121. Democracy Docket: Washington, D.C. FEC independence challenge · Timeline 2025-02-28 → ledger ↩

  122. Democracy Docket: Washington, D.C. FEC independence challenge · Timeline 2025-06-03 → ledger ↩

  123. EAC: Commissioner Donald Palmer is departing the agency · Timeline 2026-04-30 → ledger ↩

  124. Democracy Docket: USCIS naturalization ceremony voter registration assistance ban challenge (NCJW) · Timeline 2025-11-07 → ledger ↩

  125. Democracy Docket: USCIS naturalization ceremony voter registration assistance ban challenge (LWV) · Timeline 2025-11-18 → ledger ↩

  126. Democracy Docket: USCIS naturalization ceremony voter registration assistance ban challenge (LWV) · Timeline 2026-08-03 → ledger ↩

  127. Democracy Docket: USCIS naturalization ceremony voter registration assistance ban challenge (LWV) · Timeline 2026-10-15 → ledger ↩↩

  128. NBC News: Federal judge rules Trump can’t require citizenship proof on the federal voting form (Oct 31, 2025) · Timeline 2025-10-31 → ledger ↩

  129. PBS NewsHour (AP): Judge blocks additional citizenship provisions in latest setback to Trump’s election executive order · CourtListener: LULAC v. EOP opinion · Timeline 2026-01-30 → ledger ↩

  130. PBS NewsHour (AP): Trump casts Florida ballot by mail as he pushes Congress to severely limit that voting option · Snopes: Did Trump vote by mail in Florida election? · Timeline 2026-03-24 → ledger ↩

  131. PBS NewsHour/AP: Democrats sue to block Trump’s executive order targeting mail ballots · Timeline 2026-04-01 → ledger ↩

  132. Just Security: Litigation Tracker (NAACP v. USPS) · Timeline 2026-10-01 → ledger ↩

  133. Just Security: Litigation Tracker (LWV of Massachusetts v. Trump) · Timeline 2026-08-25 → ledger ↩

  134. Carolina Journal: Judge accepts deal ending US Justice Department lawsuit against NC elections board · Brennan Center: NC voters, civil rights groups warn DOJ settlement will burden eligible voters · Timeline 2025-09-08 → ledger ↩↩↩

  135. Brennan Center: Tracker of Justice Department requests for voter information · Timeline 2025-12-09 → ledger ↩

  136. Brennan Center: Tracker of Justice Department requests for voter information · Democracy Docket: Alaska DOJ voter data sharing agreement challenge · Timeline 2025-12-22 → ledger ↩

  137. Rhode Island Current: judge dismisses DOJ Rhode Island suit · Timeline 2026-03-26 → ledger ↩

  138. Democracy Docket: Alaska DOJ voter data sharing agreement challenge · Timeline 2026-06-08 → ledger ↩

  139. Democracy Docket: Alaska DOJ voter data sharing agreement challenge · Timeline 2026-10-16 → ledger ↩↩

  140. Democracy Docket: 27th straight loss · Democracy Docket: DOJ voter data access cases, pp. 1–4 · Timeline 2026-10-23 → ledger ↩↩↩↩↩

  141. Democracy Docket: DOJ voter data access cases, pp. 1–4 · Timeline 2026-01-15 → ledger ↩

  142. Democracy Docket: DOJ voter data access cases, pp. 1–4 · Timeline 2026-01-26 → ledger ↩

  143. Michigan Public: Federal judge dismisses attempt to obtain Michigan voter data in latest rejection of DOJ (Feb 11, 2026) · Democracy Docket: DOJ voter data access cases, pp. 1–4 · Timeline 2026-02-10 → ledger ↩↩

  144. Democracy Docket: DOJ voter data access cases, pp. 1–4 · Timeline 2026-03-24 → ledger ↩↩↩

  145. Democracy Docket: DOJ voter data access cases, pp. 1–4 · Timeline 2026-04-09 → ledger ↩

  146. Democracy Docket: DOJ voter data access cases, pp. 1–4 · Timeline 2026-04-17 → ledger ↩↩

  147. Democracy Docket: DOJ voter data access cases, pp. 1–4 · Timeline 2026-05-21 → ledger ↩

  148. Democracy Docket: DOJ voter data access cases, pp. 1–4 · Timeline 2026-05-21 → ledger ↩

  149. Democracy Docket: DOJ voter data access cases, pp. 1–4 · Timeline 2026-06-18 → ledger ↩

  150. Democracy Docket: DOJ voter data access cases, pp. 1–4 · Timeline 2026-06-29 → ledger ↩

  151. Democracy Docket: DOJ voter data access cases, pp. 1–4 · Timeline 2026-07-10 → ledger ↩

  152. Democracy Docket: DOJ voter data access cases, pp. 1–4 · Timeline 2026-07-13 → ledger ↩

  153. Democracy Docket: DOJ voter data access cases, pp. 1–4 · Timeline 2026-07-14 → ledger ↩

  154. Democracy Docket: DOJ voter data access cases, pp. 1–4 · Timeline 2026-07-17 → ledger ↩

  155. Democracy Docket: DOJ voter data access cases, pp. 1–4 · Timeline 2026-07-23 → ledger ↩

  156. Democracy Docket: DOJ voter data access cases, pp. 1–4 · Timeline 2026-07-29 → ledger ↩

  157. Democracy Docket: DOJ voter data access cases, pp. 1–4 · Timeline 2026-07-31 → ledger ↩

  158. Democracy Docket: DOJ voter data access cases, pp. 1–4 · Timeline 2026-08-03 → ledger ↩

  159. Democracy Docket: DOJ voter data access cases, pp. 1–4 · Timeline 2026-08-14 → ledger ↩

  160. Democracy Docket: DOJ voter data access cases, pp. 1–4 · Timeline 2026-08-17 → ledger ↩

  161. Democracy Docket: DOJ voter data access cases, pp. 1–4 · Timeline 2026-09-17 → ledger ↩

  162. Democracy Docket: DOJ voter data access cases, pp. 1–4 · Timeline 2026-09-22 → ledger ↩

  163. Democracy Docket: DOJ voter data access cases, pp. 1–4 · Timeline 2026-09-30 → ledger ↩

  164. CNBC: judge orders docket unsealed · PBS NewsHour: FBI documents show what led to raid · Timeline 2026-02-07 → ledger ↩

  165. NBC News: Judge says Justice Department can keep the 2020 election ballots the FBI seized from Fulton County (May 6, 2026) · Timeline 2026-05-06 → ledger ↩↩

  166. Democracy Docket: Georgia Fulton County 2020 election workers personal data subpoena challenge · Timeline 2026-07-07 → ledger ↩↩

  167. Democracy Docket: Georgia Fulton County 2020 election workers personal data subpoena challenge · Timeline 2026-08-06 → ledger ↩↩↩

  168. PBS: NAACP asks judge to protect against misuse of voter data · Democracy Docket: Georgia Fulton County 2020 election records seizure challenge (Lawyers’ Committee) · Timeline 2026-02-15 → ledger ↩

  169. Democracy Docket: Georgia Fulton County 2020 election records seizure challenge (Lawyers’ Committee) · Timeline 2026-08-19 → ledger ↩↩

  170. Democracy Docket: USCIS voter initiative challenge · Timeline 2026-10-28 → ledger ↩↩

  171. Democracy Docket: Denver asks court to block armed agents · Timeline 2026-09-10 → ledger ↩↩

  172. UPI: NAACP sues Trump administration to bar agents from polling places · Timeline 2026-09-18 → ledger ↩↩

  173. Democracy Docket: Democrats sue to keep armed agents from polls · The Hill: Democrats sue over polling agents · Timeline 2026-09-23 → ledger ↩↩

  174. Democracy Docket: Arlington sues · Timeline 2026-10-20 → ledger ↩↩

  175. NOTUS (via Washington Sun): Trump nominates two Republicans to FEC · Campaigns & Elections: Former Republican FEC officials push Senate to confirm Trump’s nominees · Timeline 2026-02-11 → ledger ↩↩

  176. NPR: How DOGE may have improperly used Social Security data to push voter-fraud narratives · Timeline 2025-04-02 → ledger ↩

  177. Guardian live: Democratic states sue to block postal service from carrying out Trump’s mail-in voting order · CNBC: Federal judge lifts final block on Trump mail-in voting order · Timeline 2026-08-26 → ledger ↩

  178. NAACP LDF: lawsuit bars DOJ from deploying federal law enforcement agents to polls · NationofChange: three lawsuits seek to bar armed federal agents from polling places · Timeline 2026-11-03 → ledger ↩↩↩

  179. Democracy Docket: Threatening California election workers challenge · States United: SEIU v. DOJ · Timeline 2026-10-30 → ledger ↩

  180. Law Dork: DOJ lawyer tells judge it’s “fair” to say its “likely noncitizen” list has a high error rate · Timeline 2026-11-02 → ledger ↩

  181. Raw Story: “Flurry of late night” rulings · Democracy Docket: Threatening California election workers challenge · Timeline 2026-11-03 → ledger ↩↩↩↩

  182. CREW: Judge denies another Trump administration attempt to meddle with voter data · Timeline 2026-11-02 → ledger ↩↩↩

  183. USPS OIG: Processing of Election and Political Mail for the 2026 Primary Elections (Report 26-054-R26, PDF) · Timeline 2026-09-04 → ledger ↩

  184. UW–Madison State Democracy Research Initiative: Tracker of DOJ lawsuits seeking states’ sensitive voter data (updated Nov 4, 2026) · Timeline 2026-08-14 → ledger ↩↩↩

  185. UW–Madison State Democracy Research Initiative: Tracker of DOJ lawsuits seeking states’ sensitive voter data (updated Nov 4, 2026) · Timeline 2026-10-30 → ledger ↩↩

  186. Federal Register: Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records (State Dept., Oct 23, 2026) · Timeline 2026-10-23 → ledger ↩↩↩

  187. Mediaite via Yahoo: Trump claims ‘The Alaska Race is OVER’ · Daily Beast: Trump makes wild election claim as Stephen Miller takes the reins · Timeline 2026-11-07 → ledger ↩

  188. Democracy Docket: Trump’s Alaska appeal should be dismissed ASAP, voting advocates say · NBC News live blog (Nov 9): Alaska voters and groups ask appeals court to toss Trump administration election lawsuit · Timeline 2026-11-09 → ledger ↩↩↩

  189. CNBC: Trump questions midterm election results, revives voting-machine conspiracy · NBC News: Trump casts doubt on election results after saying he was ‘absolutely willing’ to accept them · Timeline 2026-11-09 → ledger ↩