US EditionJudge dismisses Trump administration lawsuit seeking detailed voter information from California
Judge David O. Carter ruled the DOJ's demand for sensitive California voter data unlawful, warning it could deter registration and threaten voting rights in 23 states sued.
- U.S. District Judge David O. Carter in Santa Ana dismissed the United States Department of Justice's lawsuit on January 15, 2026, calling the request for California's unredacted voter file covering 23 million registered voters `unprecedented and illegal`.
- Amid refusals from state officials, the United States Department of Justice shifted to rely on the 1960 Civil Rights Act records-inspection provision, suing 23 states and the District of Columbia after dropping NVRA and HAVA claims.
- DOJ's filing sought unredacted voter fields including date of birth, driver’s license numbers, last four SSN digits, plus duplicate and cancellation lists, while U.S. District Judge David O. Carter warned `The foundation upon which American democracy has been built is the right to vote...`
- So far, no court has granted immediate production and a fast‑track hearing this month proceeds while other federal judges follow standard procedures; Carter's ruling may be appealed to the Supreme Court.
- With a slimmed DOJ voting staff, cooperation has been uneven as voter advocates warn sharing sensitive data risks sloppy purges while at least eight Republican states provide full lists.
54 Articles
54 Articles
Federal Judge Blocks DOJ’s Demand For California Voter Secrets
A major effort by the Department of Justice to acquire the unredacted personal data of nearly 23 million California voters was struck down in federal court Thursday, with a judge characterizing the government’s request as an illegal “fishing expedition” that threatened the foundation of American democracy. U.S. District Judge David O. Carter granted a motion […] Federal Judge Blocks DOJ’s Demand For California Voter Secrets
Federal court dismisses Trump DOJ lawsuit seeking California voter data
A federal court has thrown out a lawsuit brought by the Trump administration attempting to force the state of California to turn over sensitive voter data. The decision, issued by the U.S. Central District Court of Southern California, is a major setback to the federal government’s massive data collection effort on American voters, and its argument that existing civil rights laws permit it to demand that information from states in the name of el…
Federal Judge Denies DOJ Bid to Access California Voter Registration Rolls
A federal judge on Jan. 15 dismissed the Department of Justice’s (DOJ’s) bid to access California’s voter registration databases, ruling that the demand for voter data from California Secretary of State Shirley Weber was “unprecedented and illegal.” In a 33-page decision, U.S. District Judge David O. Carter sided with California, saying the DOJ cannot use civil rights legislation “as a tool to forsake the privacy rights of millions of Americans,…
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