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US federal court rulings on DOJ voter roll access

Updated 1 time since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-10-09 22:21 UTC → 2026-10-10 01:18 UTC · added removed

Federal courts have issued rulings blocking the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) from accessing or cross-checking state voter registration data. In September 2026, a federal judge dismissed a DOJ lawsuit seeking unredacted information from Vermont’s statewide voter registration database. The court ruled that the Civil Rights Act did not authorize the request and noted the government failed to allege a basis involving racial discrimination. The judge described the voter rolls as a “dynamic” repository rather than a “static document” subject to disclosure. In October 2026, a different U.S. District Judge ruled that struck down the DOJ’s attempt to cross-check administration’s policy of using state voter rolls to cross-check against the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) immigration database was unlawful. database. In a 78-page ruling, Judge Sparkle Sooknanan determined the DOJ lacked statutory authority to implement the nationwide Voter List Maintenance Policy, stating the federal government cannot “run roughshod over longstanding laws” designed to protect voter rights. The court found that the administration understated the risk of wrongly removing disenfranchising eligible citizens from voter rolls due to database inaccuracies. inaccuracies in the SAVE database. The ruling stated, “The challenged policy represents emphasized that while the federal government’s attempt government has roles in election oversight, Congress has left the authority to decide who gets voter eligibility to vote,” asserting that authority over election administration remains delegated individual states. The decision vacates the policy, applying to both voter files already obtained by the states. DOJ and those currently being litigated. The Justice Department has indicated it is reviewing the decision.

Versions

  1. 2026-10-10 01:18 UTC US federal court rulings on DOJ voter roll access
  2. 2026-10-09 22:21 UTC US federal court rulings on DOJ voter roll access

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