“Arizona acted correctly in refusing this request, and today’s ruling vindicates that decision,” Fontes and Mayes said in a statement. “Our offices will continue to defend the privacy of Arizona voters against federal overreach.”
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed against Arizona by the Justice Department, which had demanded that the state share its voter records with the Trump administration.
According to CBS News, U.S. District Judge Susan Brnovich ruled firmly in favor of Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes. In her decision, Brnovich said that Title III of the Civil Rights Act of 1960 does not give the Justice Department the unilateral authority necessary to demand that a state divulge voter registration lists.
“This case presents a legal question: is the Attorney General entitled to the SVRL under Title III,” Brnovich wrote. “It does not present a political question: should the Attorney General be entitled to the SVRL.”
Fontes and Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes have since praised the decision, saying the state won its fight to protect residents’ privacy.
“Arizona acted correctly in refusing this request, and today’s ruling vindicates that decision,” Fontes and Mayes said in a statement. “Our offices will continue to defend the privacy of Arizona voters against federal overreach.”
The Trump administration has filed lawsuits against a series of states, in each case demanding that they immediately produce voter registration lists. At least 13 states have cooperated, handing the information over voluntarily or promising to do so in the near future.
The Justice Department has sued dozens of other states for non-compliance, but has so far lost almost of all the cases it has taken to court, with judges siding with the states in claims involving Rhode Island, Massachusetts, California, Michigan, and Oregon. A federal judge also dismissed a recently-filed lawsuit against Georgia, ruling not on its merit but on the fact that it had been lodged in the wrong city.
“This moment is a win for voter privacy,” Fontes said. “This is now the sixth federal court to reach the same conclusion. Our offices will continue to defend the privacy of Arizona voters against federal overreach.”
The Guardian notes that, since the lawsuit was first filed, Fontes has taken an aggressive stand against the Justice Department’s requests for voter data. In one interaction, the Justice Department announced on social media that it was suing Arizona; in response, Fontes told the government to “pound sand.”
Many of the lawsuits appear driven by baseless conspiracy theories about voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election. Last month, the Trump administration acknowledged in a separate lawsuit over Rhode Island’s voter list that it planned to run all obtained names through a Department of Homeland Security database to assess citizenship.
Sources
Judge thwarts Trump administration’s attempt to access Arizona voter rolls
Judge tosses out Trump administration lawsuit seeking access to Arizona voter data
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