Judge Blocks DOJ Request for Michigan Voter Registration Data
A federal judge dismissed a Justice Department lawsuit seeking unredacted voter rolls from Michigan, marking another judicial setback for the Trump administration's national voting database effort.
U.S. District Judge Hala Y. Jarbou dismissed a lawsuit filed by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) that sought unredacted voter registration data for over 8 million Michigan residents. The DOJ, acting under the Trump administration, requested sensitive electronic records including birth dates, addresses, and partial Social Security or driver's license numbers to ensure the removal of ineligible voters and prevent fraud.
Judge Jarbou ruled that the Help America Vote Act, the National Voter Registration Act, and the Civil Rights Act of 1960 do not authorize the federal government to obtain such lists. She warned that forcing the disclosure of this private information could impose an unconstitutional burden on the First Amendment right to vote. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Attorney General Dana Nessel argued that the demand violated privacy laws and expressed concerns that the data could be used to target noncitizens.
This ruling is part of a broader effort by the administration to establish a national voting database. The DOJ has sued approximately two dozen states and the District of Columbia; while at least 11 states have complied, judges in California, Oregon, and Georgia have similarly rejected these requests. In Georgia, the FBI reportedly seized voter information from Fulton County following a procedural dismissal. Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Secretary Benson condemned the push to nationalize elections, characterizing it as an unconstitutional attempt to undermine voting rights.
