Justice Dept Sues Oregon and Maine for Voter Data Access

Legal Action Against States Over Voter Registration Data

The U.S. Justice Department has taken legal action against the states of Oregon and Maine, accusing them of failing to provide their voter registration lists. This marks the first time the department has filed lawsuits against states as part of its broader initiative to obtain detailed voter data. The department claims that both states are violating federal law by refusing to supply electronic copies of their voter registration rolls and information about ineligible voters.

Additionally, the Justice Department pointed out that Oregon did not provide details on how it maintains its voter list. According to an Associated Press tally, Oregon and Maine are among at least 26 states that have been requested to provide voter registration rolls in recent months.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division stated in a news release, “States simply cannot pick and choose which federal laws they will comply with, including our voting laws, which ensure that all American citizens have equal access to the ballot in federal elections.”

Spokespeople for the secretary of state’s offices in Oregon and Maine said they had not yet received notice of the lawsuit. A message left with the Justice Department requesting a copy of the court filing was not immediately returned.

Some states have declined or hesitated to provide the requested voter registration data, citing their own state laws or the Justice Department’s failure to meet federal Privacy Act obligations. In response, federal officials have sent additional letters demanding the data with short deadlines.

Several states have provided redacted versions of their voter lists that are available to the public. However, the Justice Department has repeatedly asked for copies containing personally identifiable information, such as voter names, birth dates, addresses, and driver’s license numbers or partial Social Security numbers.

The department has also threatened to sue Minnesota and California. Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows has been one of the most vocal officials to refuse sharing the information. After she initially declined the request, the Justice Department issued a second request for the state’s voter data in August. Bellows stated, “Maine has some of the best elections in the nation. It is absurd that the Department of Justice is targeting our state when Republican and Democratic Secretaries all across the country are fighting back against this federal abuse of power just like we are.”

Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read echoed similar sentiments, saying, “If the President wants to use the DOJ to go after his political opponents and undermine our elections, I look forward to seeing them in court. I stand by my oath to the people of Oregon, and I will protect their rights and privacy.”

The Justice Department’s actions have raised concerns among some election officials, who argue that the agency does not have the constitutional authority to manage elections. That responsibility lies with the states and Congress. Federal law also protects the sharing of individual data with the federal government.

The department claims it needs access to detailed voter data to ensure that election officials are following federal election laws. However, election officials dispute this, expressing concerns that federal officials might be using the sensitive data for other purposes, such as identifying potential noncitizens on the rolls.

In a separate request, the Justice Department asked for access to voting machines used in the 2020 election in Missouri. It is unclear why the department made this inquiry, but it occurred just two months after President Donald Trump called for a special prosecutor to investigate that year’s election, which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.