DOJ appeals dismissal of lawsuit seeking Arizona's voter data

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has appealed a federal judge’s decision to dismiss a lawsuit demanding Arizona release its voter rolls to the Trump administration. Judge Susan Brnovich, appointed by former President Donald Trump in 2018, ruled in April that the DOJ’s request for sensitive voter data—including Social Security numbers—went beyond federal authority under the National Voter Registration Act. The DOJ argues it needs the data to build a federal citizenship verification database, part of broader lawsuits filed against 30 states. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes and Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, both Democrats, opposed the request, stating the information is protected by state and federal privacy laws. Fontes called the appeal ‘legally futile,’ emphasizing the DOJ seeks non-public records. Brnovich’s ruling aligns with similar rejections in Maine, Wisconsin, California, Massachusetts, Michigan, Oregon, and Rhode Island. The DOJ’s appeal, filed with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, marks the latest step in a dispute over voter data access, with Arizona officials insisting compliance would violate privacy and taxpayer interests. The case stems from the Trump administration’s push to compile voter rolls for a federal database, a move critics argue is politically motivated. Arizona’s officials have denied withholding publicly available data, while the DOJ maintains its legal right to obtain the records for verification purposes.