WASHINGTON, DC – The Justice Department filed lawsuits Thursday against six states, accusing them of failing to provide complete voter registration records as required under federal election laws.
The suits target California, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania, alleging that officials in those states did not produce their statewide voter registration lists when requested by federal authorities.
“Clean voter rolls are the foundation of free and fair elections,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said. “Every state has a responsibility to ensure that voter registration records are accurate, accessible, and secure — states that don’t fulfill that obligation will see this Department of Justice in court.”
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division said compliance is essential to protecting the integrity of elections. “Clean voter rolls protect American citizens from voting fraud and abuse, and restore their confidence that their states’ elections are conducted properly, with integrity, and in compliance with the law,” Dhillon said.
The Justice Department cited its authority under the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), and the Civil Rights Act of 1960 (CRA) to demand voter list production, inspection, and analysis.
The lawsuits were filed Sept. 25 in the federal districts of the six states named.
Key Points
- DOJ sued California, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania for failing to provide voter rolls.
- Officials say voter registration records must be maintained under NVRA, HAVA, and CRA.
- Attorney General Pamela Bondi emphasized that “no state is above the law” on election compliance.
The fight over voter rolls is now headed to federal courtrooms in six states.
