Democratic groups sued the Trump administration Tuesday, accusing it of using unfounded voter fraud claims to muscle its way into how states run elections.

Why it matters: The groups say the administration is issuing a stream of threats to intimidate and bully both voters and election officials.

They're asking a judge to declare the administration's actions unlawful and block further interference.

Driving the news: The lawsuit condemns the administration for targeting state voter rolls by insisting that local officials review federally compiled lists of alleged noncitizens on their voter rolls.

The suit also alleges that the administration is improperly demanding that states deny ballots to registered voters based on those federal lists.

The Democrat-aligned groups also claim the administration has attempted to intimidate state and local officials by threatening them with jail time or prosecution.

Case in point: The lawsuit cites a Department of Homeland Security claim that Nevada had nearly 16,000…