Federal Judges Block DOJ Efforts to Seize Voter Data

Federal judges in Maine and Wisconsin dismissed lawsuits filed by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) seeking unredacted voter registration lists. The DOJ, under the administration of President Donald Trump, sought sensitive data—including Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers, and dates of birth—from at least 30 states and the District of Columbia to ensure compliance with federal laws and prevent noncitizen voting.

In Maine, Chief U.S. District Judge Lance Walker granted a motion to dismiss, describing the government's claim as "half-hearted" and ruling that the requests ignored traditional practices of federalism. Similarly, in Wisconsin, U.S. District Judge James Peterson dismissed the suit with prejudice, finding that voter registration lists are not records subject to production under the Civil Rights Act of 1960.

These rulings mark eight such dismissals on the merits, following similar defeats for the administration in Arizona, California, Massachusetts, Michigan, Oregon, and Rhode Island. Judge Walker noted that the DOJ's claims were undermined by an executive order from President Trump directing the Department of Homeland Security to create a federal state citizenship list.

State officials, including Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers, characterized the federal effort as an attempt to intimidate voters and overreach into state authority. Conversely, the DOJ and the Republican Party of Wisconsin maintained the requests were necessary to ensure election integrity and voter roll accuracy.