Judge dismisses Trump administration lawsuit seeking detailed voter information from California
SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday dismissed a U.S. Justice Department lawsuit against California seeking detailed voting records and personal data of 23 million people. registered votersIt concluded that the government’s request was “unprecedented and illegal.”
Trump administration lawsuit filed last yearHe argued that California and other states were illegally blocking the federal government’s access. comprehensive effort to examine detailed voter data that states say is private and protected.
U.S. District Judge David O. Carter in Santa Ana said in his 33-page ruling that the administration “cannot unilaterally usurp authority over elections.”
Additionally, the judge ruled that any attempt to collect and centralize personal information would have a chilling effect on voter registration and threaten “the right to vote, which is a cornerstone of American democracy.”
“The unfettered concentration of all electoral power in the executive branch would not be possible without the action of Congress,” Carter said. “This is against the promise of fair and free elections,” he said.
The Justice Department did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
He accused states of failing to adequately respond to questions about the procedures they follow to maintain voter lists. The Ministry filed a lawsuit 23 statesMuch of it is controlled by Democrats and the District of Columbia for detailed voter data that includes names, dates of birth, residential addresses, driver’s license numbers and partial Social Security numbers.
State election officials questioned what the Justice Department planned to do with the information. Last fall, 10 Democratic secretaries of state wrote to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem express concern Reports that the Department of Justice shared state voter data with the Department of Homeland Security.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, part of DHS, operates a program that checks citizenship status.
California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, the state’s chief elections official, said in a statement that California “will continue to oppose this administration’s disregard for the rule of law and our right to vote.”
