Justice Department sues six states for voter registration data

In Washington, the Justice Department filed lawsuits against California, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania, alleging that these states refused to comply with requests for their statewide voter registration lists. These lawsuits were announced on September 26, 2025, and the Justice Department stated that these states' actions violate federal law. The federal government seeks access to all voter information in registration rolls, including names and sensitive personal data like birth dates and Social Security numbers, to assess compliance with the Help America Vote Act. This comes in light of ongoing issues concerning voter registration accuracy and security. State officials from the targeted states have expressed significant concerns over the release of this private information. For instance, California Secretary of State Shirley Weber argued that the request undermines citizens' rights and emphasized the need for protecting sensitive data from being exploited for political purposes. In Minnesota, the secretary’s top lawyer indicated that the Justice Department had not provided a satisfactory legal basis for demanding the state's voter registration roll. New Hampshire's officials cited state law restrictions as a reason for not disclosing voter registration lists. The backdrop of these actions includes the Trump administration's history of questioning the integrity of voter registration practices across the country. Trump has claimed, without evidence, that voter rolls are inaccurate, alleging that they contain deceased individuals and non-citizens, calling into question the legitimacy of elections. Such accusations prompted a broader push for stricter election laws, including an executive order aimed at requiring proof of citizenship on voter registration forms. Critics view the federal lawsuits as part of an overarching strategy to exert control over state election processes and to delegitimize elections under the guise of enforcing compliance. Various civil rights groups and legal experts are now raising alarms about the implications of these lawsuits, suggesting that such actions could lead to voter suppression and intimidate state officials into acquiescing to federal demands. They argue that opening up such private voter data could compromise individual privacy and deter individuals from voting. Overall, this series of lawsuits from the DOJ signals a contentious battle between federal and state authority regarding how elections should be administered in the United States, highlighting ongoing tensions in the electoral landscape.