Overview
- Two federal judges threw out Justice Department lawsuits over state voter rolls on May 21, 2026, rejecting DOJ claims against Maine and Wisconsin and marking the seventh and eighth court losses reported in this series.
- The department has sued roughly 30 states and the District of Columbia after many states refused to provide unredacted registration lists that include full birth dates, driver’s license numbers and partial Social Security numbers.
- Several judges concluded that the Civil Rights Act provision the DOJ relied on (Title III) does not require states to produce statewide voter-registration lists for federal inspection.
- State officials and advocacy groups argued that handing over unredacted rolls would violate state privacy laws, risk misuse or intimidation, and create a vulnerable national dataset when matched with other federal records.
- The Justice Department has appealed some dismissals and has sought to bolster its position with a nonbinding Office of Legal Counsel opinion, so multiple appeals and more litigation are expected and could shape federal enforcement of voting laws.