Justice Department files lawsuits against 6 additional states for voter registration lists

The U.S. Department of Justice has intensified its effort to obtain voter registration records from states, filing lawsuits against six additional states that have declined to provide full access to their voter data. This brings the total number of states facing DOJ action to twelve, following an initial set of lawsuits filed in September.

The legal actions primarily target Democratic-led states that have refused to hand over unredacted voter lists, which contain sensitive information such as drivers license numbers and partial Social Security numbers. While some states have supplied redacted versions, many have resisted providing the complete data.

The Trump administration has repeatedly insisted that these voter lists are necessary to maintain election integrity. Democratic election officials, however, have voiced strong concerns about privacy and the potential misuse of the information, particularly if it is shared with the Department of Homeland Security for a citizenship verification system.

The new lawsuits specifically name Delaware, Maryland, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. Previous suits involved California, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania.

U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi stated, Accurate voter rolls are the cornerstone of fair and free elections, and too many states have fallen into a pattern of noncompliance with basic voter roll maintenance. The Department of Justice will continue filing proactive election integrity litigation until states comply with basic election safeguards.

Rhode Island Secretary of State Gregg Amore offered the DOJ a free copy of the states publicly available voter list in September but refused to release confidential personal information without legal compulsion. Amore criticized the lawsuits, saying they represent unconstitutional interference in state election processes and affirmed his commitment to protecting voter privacy.

Author: Harper Simmons