The Trump administration quietly removed public information meant to help U.S. citizens born and living abroad to vote. Rude! Don’t worry, we have the screenshots to prove it. The move is part of a sweeping attack by the administration on access to the ballot for Americans living overseas — driven by the belief that they’re more likely to vote Democratic.

Speaking of targeting Democrats, a New Jersey county official is attempting his own voter-purge scheme ahead of the midterms. The state’s ACLU is prepared to sue.

As usual, a lot more happened today. We sum it all up for you below.

Trump-pardoned New Jersey GOP operative allegedly schemed to purge Democratic voters ahead of midterms

• A local Republican official in New Jersey allegedly targeted Democratic and unaffiliated voters for eligibility challenges while leaving Republicans in the same situation untouched.
  
  
• The Ocean County Board of Elections then acted on that list, launching an eligibility review that could put those voters at risk just weeks before the midterm election.
  
  
• At the center of the controversy is George Gilmore, who was convicted on federal tax and bank-related charges in 2019 and sentenced to more than a year in prison. He later received a full pardon from President Donald Trump. In June, the county GOP unanimously reelected him as its chairman.

➤ More on this wild story

DOD tells senator it has ‘no plan’ for troops at polls. But she has ‘no idea what Trump will do’

• A Department of Defense official wrote in a letter there are no plans to deploy active-duty troops to the polls or "interfere" with election-related materials.
  
  
• But the response brings little comfort as top Trump administration officials have refused to rule out the option for the fall.

➤ Read the full story

Trump judge dismisses challenge to strict Florida voter registration law as ‘manufactured by meddlers’

• In a loss for voters, a federal judge dismissed a challenge to a Florida voter registration policy that civil rights groups say disproportionately impacts Black applicants and other people of color.

➤ The policy pro-voters argue bars nearly 80,000 eligible voters

Georgia election board asks DOJ to declare state’s voting machines unlawful

• The Republican-controlled Georgia State Election Board invited the DOJ to declare the state’s voting system unlawful before the upcoming midterm elections. Today’s letter asked the DOJ to “prohibit” the state’s use of voting machines previously certified by the federal government.

➤ More on the board’s demands

Meanwhile, Fulton County’s absentee ballot policy challenge dismissed as moot

• A Georgia court dismissed the RNC's lawsuit challenging Fulton County’s absentee ballot drop-off policy.
  
  
• The policy allowed voters to return absentee ballots at 22 advance voting locations, which Republicans argued unlawfully created additional ballot drop-off locations beyond those allowed under Georgia law. However, the court concluded it lacks jurisdiction to hear the case because the Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections has ended the policy.

➤ The latest in Fulton County

Why Ken Paxton could cause chaos if he loses his Senate race

• Texas’ top election denier, its GOP candidate for the U.S. Senate and its top law enforcement official are all the same person: Attorney General Ken Paxton (R).
  
  
• Paxton currently trails his Democratic opponent in recent polls. Democrats flipping reliably red Texas would be an earthquake in a year that’s trending toward a blue wave in Congress.
  
  
• As the state’s top attorney, Paxton is armed with a unique suite of powers to challenge the outcome if he loses.

➤ Here’s what the experts said

Today's newsletter was edited by Matthew Kupfer and Dave O’Brien, and produced by Leila Fusenig. Learn more about our staff here.