US Justice Department sues 3 states, District of Columbia for voter data
[December 19, 2025]
By SCOTT BAUER
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The U.S. Justice Department sued three states and
the District of Columbia on Thursday for not turning over requested
voter information to the Trump administration.
The latest lawsuits were filed against Wisconsin, Illinois, Georgia and
the District of Columbia. The Justice Department has now filed 22
lawsuits seeking voter information as part of its effort to collect
detailed voting data and other election information across the country.
“We shared our nation-leading list maintenance practices and public
voter roll data with the DOJ December 8 at their request, and we look
forward to working together to eliminate the federal barriers that
prevent even cleaner voter rolls,” Georgia Secretary of State Brad
Raffensperger said in a statement. “Hardworking Georgians can rest easy
knowing this data was shared strictly in accordance with state law that
protect voters’ privacy.”
The latest round comes one week after the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections
Commission voted against the Justice Department's request for the data.
Both Republican and Democratic commissioners voiced concerns about the
request last week, saying it would be illegal under Wisconsin law to
provide the voter roll information that includes the full names, dates
of birth, residential addresses and driver’s license numbers of voters.
Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul said the Justice Department should
be “serving the interests of the American people, not chasing conspiracy
theories.”
"As has been demonstrated over and over and over again, Wisconsin’s
elections are fair and conducted with integrity,” Kaul said.
The Illinois State Board of Elections declined to comment.
An Associated Press tally found that the Justice Department has asked at
least 26 states for voter registration rolls in recent months, and in
many cases asked states for information on how they maintain their voter
rolls. Other states being sued by the Justice Department include
California, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania,
Delaware, Maryland, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.
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Election workers process ballots for the 2024 General Election, Nov.
5, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File)
Last week, the Justice Department sued Colorado, Hawaii,
Massachusetts and Nevada.
The Justice Department said 10 states are either in full compliance
or working toward it.
The Trump administration has characterized the lawsuits as part of
an effort to ensure the security of elections, and the Justice
Department says the states are violating federal law by refusing to
provide the voter lists and information about ineligible voters.
The lawsuits have raised concerns among some Democratic officials
and others who question exactly how the data will be used, and
whether the department will follow privacy laws to protect the
information. Some of the data sought includes names, dates of birth,
residential addresses, driver’s license numbers and partial Social
Security numbers.
“The law is clear: states need to give us this information, so we
can do our duty to protect American citizens from vote dilution,”
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said in a statement.
“Today’s filings show that regardless of which party is in charge of
a particular state, the Department of Justice will firmly stand on
the side of election integrity and transparency.”
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Associated Press writers Kate Brumback in Atlanta and John O’Connor
in Springfield, Illinois, contributed to this report.
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