Judges in Maine and Wisconsin dismiss Justice Department's attempts to force turnover of voter rolls
Yahoo • • nation
Key Points:
- Federal judges in Maine and Wisconsin dismissed DOJ lawsuits seeking detailed voter registration data, ruling states are not required to provide such information under the Civil Rights Act of 1960.
- The rulings continue a pattern of judicial defeats for the Trump administration, which has sued at least 30 states and D.C. to obtain sensitive voter information including birth dates, addresses, and partial Social Security numbers.
- State officials and voting rights advocates hailed the decisions as victories for voter privacy and state control over elections, criticizing the DOJ's efforts as federal overreach and potential election manipulation.
- Judge Lance Walker, a Trump appointee, emphasized that states hold primary authority over election administration unless Congress legislates otherwise, while Judge James Pederson, appointed by Obama, agreed the DOJ's requests were legally unfounded.
- The DOJ has not commented on the rulings or indicated if it will appeal, while similar lawsuits have been dismissed or refilled in other states across the country.