Federal judge: DOJ cannot request states’ voter lists for eligibility database
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Federal Judge Blocks DOJ Voter-List Program
Provpnadvice.com – A federal judge has stopped the Justice Department from pursuing a nationwide program that sought state voter-registration records to identify people suspected of not being U.S. citizens. The ruling prevents the Trump administration from continuing the policy, including in states that had agreed to cooperate.
U.S. District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan, based in Washington, issued the 78-page decision Friday. She found that the department exceeded its legal authority and violated federal privacy protections by seeking sensitive voter information and sharing it with other agencies for citizenship checks.
Why the voter-list policy was blocked
The decision invalidates the Justice Department’s voter-roll maintenance policy nationwide. Several states had already won challenges against the policy within their borders, but this ruling extends the prohibition across the country.
“DOJ cannot run roughshod over longstanding laws that were carefully crafted to protect the rights of American people,” Sooknanan wrote.
The initiative followed an executive order issued by President Trump last year that directed federal officials to work with states on possible election-law violations. The Justice Department subsequently requested unredacted voter-registration lists containing information such as names, home addresses and partial Social Security numbers.
At least 18 states provided records, which the department shared with the Department of Homeland Security. The agencies used the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, or SAVE, database to review citizenship status. Participating states also agreed to remove a voter deemed ineligible within 45 days of receiving notice.
Privacy and accuracy concerns
Common Cause and four voters filed the lawsuit in April, arguing that the policy could create a sweeping surveillance and voter-removal system ahead of November’s midterm elections. They warned that inaccurate data matches could lead to eligible Americans being wrongly removed from voter rolls.
The federal judge concluded that the Justice Department had not adequately addressed the possibility of errors in citizenship records. The opinion noted that federal databases can contain inaccurate or outdated information, creating serious risks when the data is used in decisions affecting voting rights.
Sooknanan cited a 2006 Social Security Administration audit that found roughly 3.3 million U.S. citizens had been incorrectly identified as noncitizens. That finding illustrated how a mistaken database entry or record mismatch could affect an eligible voter.
“The Court vacates a policy that has removed United States citizens from the voter rolls in their home states and risks disenfranchising many more,” Sooknanan wrote.
The ruling does not end states’ responsibility to maintain accurate voter rolls, and it does not say citizenship verification is always prohibited. Instead, it rejects this federal approach to collecting state voter data, sharing it among agencies and potentially removing voters based on resulting matches.
What the decision means for voters and states
States that participated in the program cannot continue implementing it, while other states are barred from joining it. The nationwide order also limits the Justice Department’s ability to revive the same policy elsewhere.
Voters should review their registration status well before an election, especially after moving or changing personal information. Anyone who believes a registration record is wrong should contact their state or local election office promptly and keep relevant registration or citizenship documents.
FAQ for U.S. voters
Does the ruling remove anyone from voter rolls? No. The decision blocks the Justice Department policy that could have led to removals based on federal citizenship-data checks.
Can states still update voter rolls? Yes. States may continue routine maintenance, including processing address changes, duplicate records and death records, subject to applicable federal and state law.
What should I do if my voter registration is inaccurate? Contact your local or state election office as soon as possible to verify your status and learn what documentation may be needed to correct the record.
