Federal judges on Thursday heard overlapping challenges to Justice Department and Homeland Security actions on voter lists, ballot handling and field operations ahead of next week’s U.S. midterm elections^1,2,3.

In Washington, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg ordered the Justice Department to identify by noon Friday every state where, since July 1, the administration has demanded that officials set aside or refuse ballots from some voters, or else file a notice that it will not take that step before the election^1,2,3.

The Associated Press reported that Boasberg said he intends to rule by Monday, the eve of Election Day, on a request by Democratic Party leaders who sued on Oct. 20, and that the government can end the dispute by stating it will not engage in the challenged conduct². Roll Call likewise reported a Saturday briefing deadline and the same option to moot the case³.

California and Washington have said they received letters seeking to segregate ballots, with lists of about 20,000 voters in California and about 400 in Washington^1,3. The department has sued California over compliance; as of Thursday it had not sued Washington¹.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic campaign groups asked Boasberg to bar the administration from removing legally registered voters or blocking ballots, according to the Associated Press and Roll Call^2,3.

In the Central District of California, U.S. District Judge David Carter denied a Justice Department request for a temporary order requiring officials to set aside ballots of those 20,000 voters unless they prove citizenship^1,3. The department filed a notice of appeal¹. Carter set a Nov. 13 hearing; California counties must certify results by Dec. 3¹.

Los Angeles County’s elections office said Thursday it received federal grand jury subpoenas last week for election-related records¹. Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs published a response stating that the federal list included names of U.S. citizens³.

A three-judge 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel heard the administration’s request to lift a lower-court limit on Homeland Security election-related field operations in nine states until polls close¹. The limit covers California, Connecticut, Georgia, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington and Wisconsin¹.

The Republican National Committee on Thursday sued a Black Hawk County, Iowa, election official over tabulator-security records, according to States Newsroom¹. In Alaska, the Justice Department last week sued over ranked-choice certification of the U.S. Senate result and on Thursday amended the complaint¹. Which other states received ballot-set-aside letters remains unknown pending Friday’s filing^1,2,3.