A federal judge on Monday blocked the Trump administration from requiring states and localities to adopt specific election administration changes in order to receive counterterrorism grant funding.

U.S. District Judge Amir Ali sided with local governments in Texas, Ohio, and Tennessee that challenged the policy. The ruling prevents the Federal Emergency Management Agency from conditioning approximately $1.1 billion in annual grants on requirements such as the use of hand-marked paper ballots and manual audits of at least 5 percent of ballots.

In his opinion, Ali determined that Congress did not authorize the grant programs for the purpose of imposing election reforms. The programs have existed for years without any focus on election security, and the judge noted they are intended to prepare for or respond to acts of terrorism.

The decision represents another legal setback for President Donald Trump’s efforts to expand federal oversight of elections ahead of the November 3 midterms. Republicans are seeking to maintain control of Congress in those contests.

A separate lawsuit filed by a coalition of mostly Democratic-led states challenging the same policy remains pending in federal court. The administration has defended the grant conditions as necessary measures to strengthen election integrity.

Local officials in the plaintiff jurisdictions argued that the conditions exceeded FEMA’s statutory authority and improperly pressured states on matters traditionally handled at the state and local level. The ruling applies to the specific grants at issue and does not address broader election policy debates.

The Trump administration has pursued multiple avenues to influence state election procedures since taking office, including executive orders on voter eligibility and mail voting. Several of those initiatives have faced court challenges from Democratic-led states and advocacy groups.