Judge dismisses Justice Department suit seeking California voter data

A federal judge on Thursday dismissed a Justice Department lawsuit that sought access to the names and personal information of California’s roughly 23 million voters, the ruling said. Judge David O. Carter of the U.S. District Court in Santa Ana wrote the 33-page decision in the case filed last year.

Judge Carter said releasing voters’ personal information would violate a range of federal and state privacy laws and that the Justice Department was trying to use civil rights legislation to “amass and retain an unprecedented amount of confidential voter data.” The ruling was described as thwarting federal efforts to comb through the election rolls in the nation’s most populous state to potentially challenge voters’ eligibility.

The Justice Department has sued about two dozen states as part of an effort to build a national voter roll, the article said. Many Democratic-led states have argued that releasing sensitive details, such as driver’s license numbers and partial Social Security numbers, would be unconstitutional and have a chilling effect on elections.

The piece also said President Trump and his allies have continued to spread false claims about voter fraud and states’ allowing noncitizens to cast ballots. It was not immediately clear if the administration planned to appeal; the White House referred questions to the Justice Department, which did not immediately respond.

Key Topics

Politics, Justice Department, California, David O. Carter, Voter Data, Trump Administration