Justice Department Sues States for Election Data
The Justice Department has initiated a lawsuit against five additional states, pushing for them to share election data with the Trump administration. This move aims to gain access to voter rolls in various states nationwide.
The lawsuit includes four states that Trump carried in the last three presidential elections—Utah, Oklahoma, Kentucky, and West Virginia—alongside New Jersey.
Currently, the Justice Department is pursuing legal action against over 20 states seeking election records, and many of these states are Democratic-led.
Harmeet Dhillon, the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, has indicated that state election officials appear to be “choosing to fight us in court rather than take credit” for providing access to voter rolls.
In a statement, Dhillon emphasized, “Regardless of party affiliation, we will not allow this to prevent us from fulfilling our important legal obligations regarding election integrity.”
He also noted that the Department of Justice will continue its oversight role in federal elections “faithfully, neutrally, and transparently.”
In recent months, the Trump administration has intensified its efforts related to elections, despite the fact that the U.S. Constitution grants states—not federal officials—the authority to oversee them. Typically, the secretary of state manages elections in most states.
Access to election information varies by state. Generally, election officials provide redacted versions of voter rolls to the public and government entities. However, the Justice Department is requesting that states submit unredacted files that include sensitive voter information like driver’s license numbers and the last four digits of Social Security numbers.
Attorney General Pam Bondi remarked, “Accurate and well-maintained voter rolls are crucial for the election integrity Americans deserve.” She described the latest wave of lawsuits as the Department of Justice’s commitment to transparency and securing elections nationwide.
Some state officials have criticized the Justice Department’s actions. Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson of Utah stated that “No state or federal law” grants the department the authority to collect personal information from law-abiding citizens. She assured that her office would adhere to the Constitution and protect voter rights.
Kentucky’s Secretary of State, Michael Adams, called the state’s election process a “national success story.” He stressed that existing laws safeguard voters’ personal information and expressed reluctance to risk a data breach by providing federal officials with citizens’ personal data without a court order.
In West Virginia, Secretary of State Chris Warner’s office indicated that no lawsuit has been initiated yet. A spokesperson remarked that as long as Warner holds office, there won’t be any access provided to the personal information of voters from that state.
Earlier this month, a significant event unfolded when the FBI executed a search warrant at an election office in Fulton County, Georgia, seizing materials related to the 2020 election.
Additionally, President Trump has pushed Congress to advance the SAVE America Act, which aims to confirm that only U.S. citizens are allowed to vote, necessitating voters to present a photo ID and other documents, like a passport or birth certificate.
