Unions representing election workers in California have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice, challenging the agency’s recent efforts to influence the administration of the 2026 midterm elections in the state. The legal action, initiated on Friday, follows a series of subpoenas and warnings issued by the Justice Department to local election officials, which critics say have created undue pressure on election workers.
The lawsuit, brought by multiple unions including the Service Employees International Union, the A.F.L.-C.I.O., and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, seeks a temporary restraining order to prevent the Justice Department from urging officials to halt ballot counting or surrender voter data. The unions contend that the department’s actions, led by politically appointed officials tied to former President Donald Trump, threaten the lawful administration of elections.
In court documents, attorneys Stacey Leyton and Norman Eisen described the federal agency’s conduct as "unprecedented and unlawful threats" intended to intimidate state and local election personnel. They argue that the department's measures could disrupt the ongoing election processes in California, a state governed predominantly by Democrats and a frequent focus of election-related investigations under the Trump administration.
The Justice Department has advocated that its involvement is motivated by a commitment to election integrity, emphasizing efforts to confirm that all early ballots are lawful. Department officials have maintained that their initiatives are not politically driven, despite criticism that these efforts align with Trump’s unsubstantiated claims about widespread voting by undocumented immigrants. Studies have consistently found such occurrences to be exceedingly rare.
On Thursday, following unsuccessful attempts to substantiate allegations of noncitizen voters on California’s rolls, the Justice Department expanded its criminal inquiry by issuing grand jury subpoenas to local election officials. This move came a day after a federal judge rejected a request from the department to block the counting of approximately 20,000 ballots purportedly cast by noncitizens.
The lawsuit further accuses the Justice Department of relying on inaccurate and unreliable data provided by the Department of Homeland Security. According to the complaint, DHS obtained information from obscure and insecure sources, supplemented by commercially available artificial intelligence tools, which the plaintiffs argue lack credibility.
Despite the department’s aggressive approach, internal acknowledgments indicate that these actions are unlikely to prevent the counting and certification of California ballots for the midterms. Senior officials involved have not committed to continuing such legal campaigns beyond Election Day.
The plaintiffs, part of a broader coalition that includes civil rights groups such as the NAACP, have indicated readiness to counter further legal pressures from the Justice Department. The case illustrates heightened tensions between federal authorities and state election officials amid ongoing disputes over election security and voter eligibility ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.