“Voter list maintenance is a responsibility entrusted to the states,” the attorney general said, “and I remain confident in the steps we take here in Rhode Island to keep our list as accurate as possible.”
A federal judge has dismissed a Trump administration lawsuit demanding that Rhode Island share detailed voter data with the federal government.
According to The Associated Press, U.S. District Court Judge Mary McElroy on Friday sided with the Rhode Island election officials and civil rights advocates who filed the suit, finding that federal law does not permit the Justice Department to “conduct the kind of fishing expedition it seeks here.”
McElroy’s decision is not without precedent. The Trump administration has been aggressive in sending requests for voter data to different states. Those that refused to comply have, more often than not, been taken to court. In most cases, though, the states have won.
The federal government maintains that it needs voter data to ensure election security—a claim predicated on repeatedly disproven theories of interference in the 2020 and 2024 presidential elections. Democratic officials, along with some Republicans, have criticized the effort as violative of state and federal privacy laws.
“The executive branch seems to have no problem taking actions that are clear Constitutional overreaches, regularly meddling in responsibilities that are the rights of the states,” Rhode Island Secretary of State Gregg M. Amore said in a statement. “But the power of our democratic republic, built on three, coequal branches of government, is clearer than ever before.”
PBS notes that election officials and activists have repeatedly raised concerns that the Trump administration plans to use any obtained data for other purposes, like trying to locate non-citizens. These fears were effectively confirmed when the U.S. Department of Justice acknowledged in the Rhode Island case that it planned to share obtained voter rolls with the Department of Homeland Security.
At least 12 states so far have shared or promised to provide voter data to the Justice Department. These states include Alaska, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Wyoming.
More than 30 states—along with the District of Columbia—have, in contrast, refused the administration’s directive. Federal judges have sided with the states in lawsuits filed against California, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Oregon. A court in Georgia also recently dismissed a Justice Department-led lawsuit because it had been filed in the wrong city.
McElroy’s decision, writes The Associated Press, is similar to that of the judge in the Oregon case. In that ruling, a judge found that the federal government is not entitled to unredacted voter registration lists, adding that the Justice Department failed to articulate a reasonable and legal basis for requesting such records.
“Absent from the demand are any factual allegations suggesting that Rhode Island may be violating the list maintenance requirements,” McElroy wrote.
She also cited an April 9 decision in the Massachusetts case, explaining that the lawsuit would be meritless even if its factual allegations had been corroborated.
“But even were the Demand Letter [for voter lists] to contain a factual basis, it would still fail to state a claim […] because it lacks a legally sufficient purpose,” McElroy said.
In a statement issued Friday, Amore’s office said that McElroy’s decision vindicates Rhode Island.
“Today’s decision affirms our position: the United States Department of Justice has no legal right to—or need for—the personally-identifiable information in our voter file,” Amore said.
“Voter list maintenance is a responsibility entrusted to the states,” the attorney general said, “and I remain confident in the steps we take here in Rhode Island to keep our list as accurate as possible.”
Sources
Federal judge dismisses DOJ lawsuit seeking personal details about Rhode Island voters
Federal judge rejects DOJ lawsuit against Rhode Island over voter rolls
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