Michigan Judge Dismisses DOJ Voter Data Suit

A federal judge in Michigan dismissed a U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit on Tuesday that sought detailed voter registration information from state officials, ruling that federal laws do not require such disclosures.

U.S. District Judge Hala Jarbou, chief judge for the Western District of Michigan, issued a 23-page opinion rejecting the department's claims. The Justice Department had requested electronic copies of Michigan's voter rolls, including full names, birth dates, addresses, driver's license numbers or partial Social Security numbers for approximately 8 million registered voters. Officials said the data was needed to verify voter eligibility and prevent fraud in upcoming elections.

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and other state officials refused the request in September, offering only publicly available information that excludes personal identifiers. The state argued the demand violated privacy protections under state and federal law. In response, the Justice Department filed suit in July, citing the Help America Vote Act, the National Voter Registration Act and the Civil Rights Act of 1960 as authorizing access to the records.