DOJ Lawsuits Over State Voter Data Face Dismissals

Why it matters locally: While Illinois was not explicitly named in the article as a state sued by the Trump administration for voter data, the precedent set by these dismissals could influence future federal requests or challenges to Illinois's voter privacy policies and election administration, overseen by the Illinois State Board of Elections.

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Federal courts have dismissed a majority of the 31 lawsuits the Trump administration filed against various states to acquire voter data. The Justice Department, under the Trump administration, initiated these legal actions as part of an effort to obtain information from state voter registration rolls. Most recently, a U.S. District Judge dismissed a lawsuit against Colorado concerning its voter rolls. The judge's ruling, issued "with prejudice," prevents the Justice Department from refiling the same case. This dismissal represents the twentieth such rejection for the Trump Justice Department in these voter data cases. States, including Washington, have publicly defended their voter privacy policies and opposed the federal requests for data. The lawsuits typically sought voter registration records, including names, addresses, birth dates, and voting history. State election officials have frequently cited privacy concerns and state laws protecting voter information as reasons for resisting the requests.