In major blow to Trump DOJ, court rejects demand for Arizona’s voter rolls

Key Points:

• A federal judge dismissed the Department of Justice’s lawsuit demanding Arizona’s unredacted voter rolls, ruling the DOJ lacks legal authority to obtain such records from states.
• The case involved DOJ’s attempt to compel Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes to release sensitive voter information, which Fontes refused, citing state and federal privacy laws.
• Judge Susan Brnovich ruled that the Civil Rights Act of 1960 does not entitle the DOJ to statewide voter registration lists, as the law applies only to voter-submitted documents, not databases maintained by election officials.
• The ruling is a significant defeat for the DOJ, marking zero wins in six lawsuits aimed at accessing states’ voter rolls and setting a legal precedent limiting DOJ’s ability to demand such data.
• This decision aligns with prior dismissals in other states and highlights conflicts between DOJ’s demands and federal election laws that require states to update and maintain voter rolls regularly.