With only a few days until the midterm election that will determine the balance of power in Washington during his last two years in office, Donald Trump’s administration is stepping up legal action against US states.
Citing a New York Times report that Democratic operatives recruited a spoiler candidate to divert votes from the Republican incumbent, the Justice Department filed an amended lawsuit in Alaska on Thursday in an attempt to prevent the certification of results in the event of a narrow Republican defeat in a highly consequential Senate race.
Quick Fact
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| What Happened | DOJ investigation in California and legal disputes over Alaska's Senate race. |
| Where | California and Alaska, United States. |
| When | October 2026, ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. |
| Who Is Involved | US Department of Justice, state election officials, and political campaigns. |
| Current Status | Federal subpoenas issued and Alaska legal dispute ongoing. |
| Early Voting | More than 44 million Americans had voted by Thursday evening. |
| Why It Matters | The disputes could affect election confidence and the balance of power in the US Senate. |
According to copies of papers seen by New, the DOJ is intensifying its pressure campaign on state election officials in California, issuing subpoenas as part of a criminal investigation into potential non-citizen voting.
When combined, the actions amount to an unprecedented federal meddling in state elections, which are conducted locally in accordance with the US Constitution. Election officials nationwide have informed Reuters that they are preparing for further legal challenges from Washington as November 3 draws closer.
Control of the Senate may be in doubt for weeks because to the conflict in Alaska, which is home to one of around ten fiercely contested Senate elections.
Trump and Harris Intensify Campaigning Ahead
Trump will campaign in Florida on Friday in an effort to rally his supporters in a state he easily won in 2024 but where early voting has favored Democrats.
After campaign appearances earlier this week in South Carolina and Mississippi, it will be his most recent visit to a state that Republicans typically anticipate winning.
According to the Republican National Committee, the president will take part in about 20 virtual campaign appearances before Tuesday in place of the scheduled weekend rallies in Kansas and Iowa.
Record Early Voting Amid Economic Concerns
“The last year and a half, it’s been difficult,” she said to the audience during a Macon, Georgia, event on Thursday. “Now we’re in the phase where we can do a whole lot.”
According to the University of Florida’s Election Lab, as of Thursday nite, over 44 million Americans had cast ballots, falling only two million short of the number from the 2022 midterm elections.
Election officer Antone White said that turnout was around twice as high than in 2022 at a voting station on Thursday in Columbus, Ohio, the site of fiercely contested Senate and governor’s elections.
Alaska Senate Candidate Controversy
A candidate with the same name as incumbent Dan Sullivan was recruited by the operatives, according to a fresh revelation on Wednesday.
In an interview with News Nation, Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy demanded a state probe, stating that any discovery of criminality “may in fact impact whether someone is seated in the US Senate.”
In a court filing on Thursday nite, Alaska election authorities referred to the modified case as “meritless” and said it had “cast a cloud over Alaska’s election that is contrary to the public interest.”
Although Peltola’s campaign has stated that it has responded to the updated complaint, it did not do so right away.
DOJ Investigates Alleged Noncitizen Voting
According to copies of the documents seen by Reuters on Thursday, the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder’s office in California got grand jury subpoenas last week as part of a DOJ investigation into possible non-citizen voting.
In a statement released on Thursday, Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder Dean Logan stated, “The US Department of Justice has taken a confrontational, adversarial approach at every step.” “Election officials are acting in accordance with state and federal law.”
While declining to comment on the subpoenas, a Justice Department representative stated that California and the federal authorities “agree that non-citizen voting is properly addressed through criminal law.”
