Overview
- Judge Leo T. Sorokin, who ruled Thursday, dismissed the case after finding the Justice Department failed to state the required factual “basis and purpose” for demanding the voter rolls.
- The department had sought an electronic copy of Massachusetts’ statewide voter list, including names, birth dates, addresses, driver’s license numbers and the last four digits of Social Security numbers.
- Justice Department lawyers said they wanted to assess compliance with federal voting laws and to check records against DHS’s SAVE database to verify citizenship.
- The decision is at least the fifth defeat for similar federal suits, and the department has appealed dismissals in California, Michigan and Oregon.
- At least 12 states have provided or promised their voter lists, while many others refused citing privacy laws, leaving a patchwork outcome as litigation continues.