Washington Federal Election Interference Challenge

A pro-voting lawsuit against the president and other federal officials to stop efforts to control election administration and threats against election officials.

Background

Civic engagement nonprofit organizations and unions sued President Donald Trump, Attorney General Todd Blanche, Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin, the Department of Homeland Security, and federal prosecutors over the administration’s attempts to force Washington election officials set aside ballots the administration claims were cast by noncitizens. The Department of Justice (DOJ) sent the Washington secretary of state a list of approximately 400 names it claimed were noncitizens who were illegally registered to vote, demanding any ballots they cast not be tabulated until their citizenship can be confirmed. The plaintiffs claim this letter and efforts to threaten election officials and voters violate the Voting Rights Act, the Administrative Procedure Act, and the U.S. Constitution. They ask the court to declare these efforts unlawful and block the Trump administration from interfering with the election process and threatening election officials.

Why it matters

The Trump administration has attempted to interfere with state election administration ahead of the 2026 midterms through claims of noncitizen voting and threats to prosecute election officials. The DOJ sent a similar letter to California and sued the state to make it set aside ballots cast by noncitizens.

Latest Updates

• Oct. 30, 2026: Plaintiffs filed their complaint.