Justice Department may take voter roll fight to Supreme Court

Attorney General Todd Blanche, in a Sunday interview on NBC News' "Meet the Press," said the Justice Department may ask the Supreme Court to review 22 cases it has lost in lower courts regarding its efforts to obtain broad access to state voter rolls ahead of the November midterm elections. The federal government, under President Trump, has sought voter roll data from all 50 states and Washington, D.C., to investigate potential "deficiencies" or "anomalies," including whether noncitizens are registered to vote. While some states have voluntarily complied, the Justice Department has sued 30 states and D.C. for refusing. Federal judges in states like Oregon and Michigan have sided with at least 22 states that sought to block the federal government's access, citing the traditional state control of elections. Notably, some of the resisting states are led by Republicans, including Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Georgia, and Vermont. Blanche emphasized the administration's commitment to election integrity, stating, "We're not going to stop doing what I think every American should expect us to do, which is make sure that we have elections that are fair." He also addressed concerns about his independence from President Trump, asserting that he will act with integrity and that the president has never asked him to do anything unethical or illegal. The confirmation of Blanche as Attorney General came after a deal with key GOP senators, and he reiterated that a settlement with the president regarding the IRS lawsuit is "dead." House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries criticized the Justice Department under Blanche as a "wholly owned subsidiary of the Trump cartel," but Blanche defended his record. The potential Supreme Court appeal could have significant implications for the balance of power between federal and state election authorities.