The Justice Department has recently filed federal lawsuits against five additional states for refusing to provide complete voter registration lists, bringing the total to 29 states plus the District of Columbia.
The actions target Utah, Oklahoma, Kentucky, West Virginia, and New Jersey, with demands for unredacted records, including voters’ driver’s license numbers and the last four digits of Social Security numbers.
The department cites authority under the Civil Rights Act of 1960, which empowers the attorney general to inspect and analyze such lists for potential improper registrations.
“Accurate, well-maintained voter rolls are a requisite for the election integrity that the American people deserve,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “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.”
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon for the Civil Rights Division emphasized impartiality. “The Justice Department will continue to fulfill its oversight role dutifully, neutrally, and transparently wherever Americans vote in federal elections,” she said.
“Many state election officials, however, are choosing to fight us in court rather than show their work. We will not be deterred, regardless of party affiliation, from carrying out critical election integrity legal duties,” Dhillon added.
While U.S. elections, including federal ones, are run by state and local authorities, the administration has intensified efforts to centralize oversight. In President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, he urged passage of the GOP-backed SAVE America Act, which mandates proof of citizenship for voter registration. He pledged to enforce voter ID rules for the November midterms.
