# The midterm legal fight is already here

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-midterm-legal-fight-is-already-here/
- Published: 2026-10-28T12:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-04T00:48:13+00:00
- Original publisher: The Hill (publisher lean: Centre)
- Original article: https://thehill.com/newsletters/the-gavel/6176585-midterm-election-lawsuits-california-alaska/
- Topics: Americas, Art, Culture, Elections, Government, Politics, World

## Key points

- Federal election lawsuits were under way before polling day.
- Courts rejected immediate requests concerning California ballots and Alaska’s Senate result.
- The cases raised questions about voter eligibility and federal power over state elections.

## Summary

The legal battle over the 2026 US midterm elections began before polling day, with the Trump administration bringing cases in California and Alaska over how votes should be handled. In California, the Justice Department asked officials to set aside postal ballots linked to more than 20,000 registered voters it described as likely non-citizens while their eligibility was checked. California disputed the request. In Alaska, the department sought to delay certification of the Senate result if Republican incumbent Dan S. Sullivan lost, arguing that votes for another candidate, Dan J. Sullivan, might reflect confusion between the two men.

Courts rejected the administration’s immediate requests before the 3 November election. A federal appeals court refused to require California to separate the disputed ballots, and the US Supreme Court declined an emergency application. A federal judge dismissed the Alaska case on 1 November; the government appealed. The rulings left the states’ existing election procedures in place for polling day, while the wider disputes over voter eligibility, ballot handling and federal authority remained live.

## Coverage

- [The Hill: The midterm legal fight is already here](https://thehill.com/newsletters/the-gavel/6176585-midterm-election-lawsuits-california-alaska/)
- [US Department of Justice: United States Sues California After Determining More Than 20,000 Likely Noncitizens Are Registered to Vote in the Golden State](https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/united-states-sues-california-after-determining-more-20000-likely-noncitizens-are)
- [American Civil Liberties Union: United States v. Alaska](https://www.aclu.org/cases/united-states-v-alaska)

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.