Appeals court lifts restrictions on Justice Department election warnings

A federal appeals court ruling on 3 November lifted restrictions on Justice Department warnings to election officials about possible prosecution over voting procedures.

CNN reported that an 11-judge Ninth Circuit panel ruled 6–5, reinstating an earlier decision that removed a temporary restraining order. The Guardian also reported that the court had cleared the administration to threaten election workers with criminal charges.

The Justice Department disputed that its letters amounted to threats, according to CNN. The procedural dispute is separate from the Supreme Court’s rejection on 2 November of an effort to set aside contested California ballots; that earlier action is not presented here as a new Election Day decision.