Judges in Maine and Wisconsin dismiss Justice Department's attempts to force turnover of voter rolls

Federal judges in Maine and Wisconsin dismissed lawsuits filed by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) on Thursday, blocking efforts to force states to hand over detailed voter registration data. U.S. District Judge James Pederson in Wisconsin ruled that the state’s voter rolls are not subject to the Civil Rights Act of 1960, while Chief U.S. District Judge Lance Walker in Maine called the DOJ’s claim ‘half-hearted’ and granted a motion to dismiss. The rulings mark the latest setback for the DOJ, which has sued at least 30 states and the District of Columbia to obtain voter data, including dates of birth, addresses, driver’s license numbers, and partial Social Security numbers. Similar lawsuits have been rejected in Arizona, California, Massachusetts, Michigan, Oregon, and Rhode Island, with Georgia’s case dismissed due to procedural errors. In Maine, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, a Democrat and opponent of former President Donald Trump, stated that the ruling confirms states—not the federal government—control elections. ‘Trump and the DOJ may continue to try to interfere with free and fair elections run by the states,’ she said. ‘We will not let them.’ Wisconsin’s ruling involved interventions from groups like Common Cause Wisconsin and Law Forward, which argued the DOJ’s actions were an attempt to manipulate elections. Judge Walker, a Trump appointee, emphasized that states manage federal elections under the Constitution unless Congress acts otherwise. Wisconsin’s Judge Pederson, an Obama appointee, agreed that voter rolls are not covered by the Civil Rights Act. The DOJ did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the rulings or potential appeals. The decisions follow broader legal challenges to the administration’s efforts to access voter data, which critics say could be used for intimidation or hacking.