The U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday filed federal lawsuits against five additional states — Utah, Oklahoma, Kentucky, West Virginia, and New Jersey — demanding full access to their unredacted voter registration lists as part of the Trump administration’s intensified push for nationwide oversight of election data.
The latest suits bring the total number of jurisdictions sued for voter roll information to at least 29 states and the District of Columbia, signaling an escalation in legal pressure on state election officials who have resisted providing voter files that contain full names, addresses, driver’s license numbers, and the last four digits of Social Security numbers.
In a Justice Department press release, Attorney General Pam Bondi said accurate, complete voter rolls are essential to ensuring “transparency, voter roll maintenance, and secure elections across the country.”
The department argued its authority to request and inspect voter registration lists is grounded in the Civil Rights Act of 1960, which empowers the attorney general to demand election records from states.
Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet K. Dhillon reiterated that the DOJ will pursue its legal duties “regardless of party affiliation,” contending that some states are choosing to “fight us in court rather than show their work” in providing voter roll access; “We will not be deterred,” Dhillon said.
The actions target four states President Donald Trump carried in recent elections — Utah, Oklahoma, Kentucky and West Virginia — along with New Jersey. Federal officials say the demands are part of broader efforts to enforce federal election laws by reviewing how states maintain accurate voter registration lists.
State officials have pushed back, with Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson saying neither federal nor state law entitles the DOJ to collect private voter data and affirming her office’s commitment to constitutional and legal safeguards for voter privacy. Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams called his state’s election system “a national success story” and stated he would not voluntarily expose personal information to the federal government without a court order. West Virginia officials have similarly indicated resistance to handing over sensitive voter details.
Access to full voter lists varies by state. Many officials already provide redacted versions of the voter rolls, but the DOJ says unredacted lists are necessary for compliance reviews under statutes such as the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) and the Help America Vote Act (HAVA).
Opponents argue the administration’s demands overreach and risk exposing private data.
More over at Fox News:
DOJ sues 5 more states, demanding access to voter rolls: 'We will not be deterred' https://t.co/zreAeeD8fJ
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