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Federal Judge Dismisses Justice Department Lawsuit Against Arizona Over Voter Data Access
A federal judge dismissed a U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit seeking detailed voter records from Arizona, ruling that federal law does not entitle the department to the information. The decision aligns with similar rulings in other states and follows Arizona's refusal to provide the data citing privacy concerns. Officials in Arizona welcomed the ruling as a protection against federal overreach.
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A federal judge in Arizona dismissed a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice seeking access to the state's detailed voter registration list. The ruling, issued on Tuesday, found that Title III of the Civil Rights Act of 1960 does not grant the Justice Department authority to demand the statewide voter registration list.
This marks the latest setback in a series of similar lawsuits by the department against multiple states. U.S. District Judge Susan Brnovich, in her decision, stated that the case was a legal question rather than a political one. She emphasized that the Attorney General is not entitled to the voter list under the cited federal law.
The lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled without significant changes.
Secretary of State Adrian Fontes declined the Justice Department's request last summer, citing state and federal privacy laws. The department had sought voters' full names, dates of birth, home addresses, and either driver's license numbers or partial Social Security numbers.
Fontes argued that releasing such sensitive information would violate privacy protections. Following the ruling, Fontes and Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes issued a joint statement praising the decision. They described the requested data as containing sensitive personal information of millions of Arizona voters.
“Arizona acted correctly in refusing this request, and today's ruling vindicates that decision. A department official stated last month that the government aimed to conduct an individualized assessment of the voter registration data. In a related case involving Rhode Island, the federal government acknowledged plans to cross-reference voter data with a Homeland Security database to verify citizenship status. CBS News reported on a deal between the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security to use voter registration data for immigration and criminal investigations. Similar lawsuits have been dismissed in California, Oregon, Michigan, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. At least 13 states have provided or promised to provide their voter data to the department, including Alaska, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Wyoming.”
