US Justice Department sues 5 additional states over voter roll production News
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US Justice Department sues 5 additional states over voter roll production

The US Department of Justice stated on Thursday that it has filed lawsuits against Utah, Oklahoma, Kentucky, West Virginia, and New Jersey for not providing voter registration records. The department has previously sued 24 states and the District of Columbia for allegedly refusing to cooperate with such record production.

US Attorney General Pamela Bondi stated, “Accurate, well-maintained voter rolls are a requisite for the election integrity that the American people deserve … This latest series of litigation underscores that this Department of Justice is fulfilling its duty to ensure transparency, voter roll maintenance, and secure elections across the country.”

The lawsuits contend that the attorney general is authorized to request election records under the Civil Rights Act (CRA) of 1960. The DOJ said that the statute permits her “to demand the production, inspection, and analysis of statewide voter registration lists that can be cross-checked effectively for improper registrations.”

The lawsuits are part of President Donald Trump’s Executive Order No. 14248, issued on March 25, 2025, which aimed to address federal guidelines, testing, and certification of voting systems in the US. The order required voting systems to “provide a voter-verifiable paper record to prevent fraud or mistake” and requested that all states help determine whether individuals are eligible to register to vote. The DOJ was charged with taking “appropriate action” against states that failed to comply.

The DOJ maintains that the CRA entitles the department to access the unredacted voter information of West Virginia citizens, but the West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office has rejected two requests from the DOJ for voter registration data. The more recent refusal was in a February 11 letter from David Cook, general counsel for the Secretary of State’s Office, who said that “West Virginia law protects the sensitive personally identifiable information of its voters, and the Secretary of State takes seriously his responsibility to safeguard such information from unauthorized disclosure.”

The lawsuits argue Congress charges the Attorney General’s Office with enforcing the National Voter Registration Act, which sets voter registration rules including registration at motor vehicle agencies and access to mail voting, and the Help America Vote Act, which creates a federal election-assistance agency, funds for improving election systems, and standards for election administration.

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