The Justice Department filed suit after state officials said they would only share data that has already been made public and does not include any sensitive personal information.
A federal judge has dismissed a Trump administration lawsuit seeking Michigan’s voter records.
According to NBC News, U.S. District Judge Hala Jarbou’s decision marks the third time in recent months that a federal judge has firmly rejected the administration’s attempts to access state-operated voter databases. In her decision, Jarbou granted Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s request for a blanket dismissal.
Jarbou, the chief judge for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, noted that the federal voting laws cited by the Department of Justice do not require any state to hand over voter information upon request.
“As explained below, the Court concludes that (1) [the Help America Vote Act] does not require the disclosure of any records, (2) [the National Voter Registration Act] does not require the disclosure of voter registration lists because they are not records concerning the implementation of list maintenance procedures, and (3) the [Civil Rights Act] does not require the disclosure of voter registration lists because they are not documents that come into the possession of election officials,” Jarbou wrote in her 23-page order.
Federal judges in other states have, in recent months, dismissed similar lawsuits filed against the states of Oregon and California. However, the dismissals have done little to deter the Trump administration. In July, the U.S. Department of Justice sent a letter demanding that Michigan divulge the full names, birth dates, addresses, and driver’s license numbers for all of its registered voters, as well as partial Social Security numbers.
The Justice Department filed suit after state officials said they would only share data that has already been made public and does not include any sensitive personal information.
In total, the Trump administration has sued 23 states, plus the District of Columbia, for access to voter records.
NBC News notes that, even as the White House’s agenda keeps hitting legal obstacles, President Donald Trump has reignited his call to “nationalize elections.” Article 1 of the U.S. Constitution, though, states that “the times, places, and manner of holding elections for senators and representatives, shall be prescribed in each state by the legislature thereof.” Congress is entitled to pass regulations, but it cannot typically claim unrestrained authority over state-run elections.
Some congressional Republicans, few in number, have pointed out the relative hypocrisy of the administration’s demands.
“When Democrats attempted to advance sweeping election reform legislation in 2021, Republicans were unanimous in opposition because it would have federalized elections, something we have long opposed,” conservative Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski wrote in a social media post.
Sources
Federal judge dismisses attempt to obtain Michigan voter data in latest rejection of DOJ
Judge dismisses DOJ lawsuit seeking Michigan’s voter roll data
Join the conversation!