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A federal judge on Thursday dismissed a Justice Department lawsuit seeking extensive voting records and personal data on California’s 23 million registered voters, ruling that the Trump administration’s demand was “unprecedented and illegal.”
U.S. District Judge David O. Carter said the federal government lacked authority to compel states to turn over sensitive voter information and warned that the effort threatened the foundations of democratic participation.
“The administration may not unilaterally usurp the authority over elections,” Carter wrote in a 33-page opinion. “There cannot be unbridled consolidation of all elections power in the executive branch without action from Congress.”
The judge added that centralizing detailed voter data would likely chill voter registration and undermine “the right to vote which is the cornerstone of American democracy.”
“This is antithetical to the promise of fair and free elections,” Carter wrote.
Lawsuit Part of Broader Federal Push
The lawsuit, filed last year, accused California and other states of illegally obstructing a federal effort to scrutinize voter rolls. The Justice Department argued that states were failing to adequately respond to questions about how they maintain and update voter registration databases.
California and other states countered that the requested information — including names, dates of birth, residential addresses, driver’s license numbers and partial Social Security numbers — is protected under state and federal law.
The Justice Department has filed similar lawsuits against 23 states, most of them led by Democrats, as well as the District of Columbia. The department did not immediately respond Thursday to a request for comment.
Concerns Over Use of Voter Data
State election officials have questioned how the federal government intends to use the data and whether it could be shared across agencies.
Last fall, 10 Democratic secretaries of state sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem raising concerns that voter data obtained by the Justice Department could be shared with the Department of Homeland Security.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which operates under DHS, runs a program used to verify citizenship status, heightening concerns among state officials about voter intimidation or misuse of personal data.
California Welcomes Ruling
California Secretary of State Shirley Weber praised the ruling, calling it a defense of voter rights and state authority over elections.
“California will continue to challenge this administration’s disregard for the rule of law and our right to vote,” Weber said in a statement.
Carter’s ruling deals a significant setback to the Trump administration’s broader effort to expand federal oversight of state-run elections — an effort that has drawn sharp resistance from state officials and voting rights advocates.
