6th Circuit Blocks DOJ Access to Michigan Voter Rolls

A federal appeals court has upheld a lower court ruling that blocks the U.S. Department of Justice from obtaining Michigan’s unredacted voter registration list, delivering a significant legal defeat to the Trump administration’s nationwide effort to gather confidential voter data. The 2-1 decision from the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, issued on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, found the government lacked statutory authority to compel the state to turn over sensitive information like partial Social Security numbers and driver’s license numbers.

The Justice Department sued Michigan and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson in September 2025, alleging violations of federal laws including the Civil Rights Act of 1960, the National Voter Registration Act, and the Help America Vote Act. The department argued it needed the full voter rolls to investigate whether states were properly maintaining their lists and removing ineligible voters. Michigan provided a public version of its voter list but refused to hand over the unredacted file, leading to the lawsuit.

In February 2026, U.S. District Judge Hala J. Jarbou dismissed the case, ruling the statutes cited did not authorize the federal...