DOJ loses bid for voter data in New Jersey, Illinois

The U.S. Department of Justice filed lawsuits in New Jersey and Illinois seeking the states’ complete voter registration lists, including sensitive identifiers such as driver’s‑license numbers and the final four digits of Social Security numbers. In New Jersey, U.S. District Judge Zahid Quraishi dismissed the request, noting that the government lacks legal authority and that the decision aligns with at least sixteen other courts. The judge also highlighted a software glitch that added thousands of non‑citizens to the rolls, some of whom voted.

In Illinois, U.S. District Judge Colleen Lawless ruled that Title III of the Civil Rights Act of 1960 does not permit the Attorney General to compel the state to turn over its live voter database. She wrote, “The Board possesses the list by its own creation,” and barred the DOJ from obtaining the unredacted data. Both rulings block the DOJ’s nationwide effort to acquire state voter databases and represent the 19th consecutive loss for the department’s voter‑roll litigation. The Justice Department has said it will appeal the decisions.