Voter Roll Lawsuit: DOJ Sues California & States
- Justice department sued California Secretary of State shirley Weber on Thursday,[Insert Date],for failing to hand over the state's voter rolls.
- Attorney General Pam Bondi (Note: Update if a different AG is currently in office) stated, "Clean voter rolls are the foundation of free and fair elections.
- The Justice Department argues its authority to access voter rolls stems from the national Voter Registration Act (NVRA), also known as the "Motor Voter" law.
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Justice Department sues Multiple States Over Voter Roll Access
Table of Contents
What Happened: The Lawsuits
The U.S. Justice department sued California Secretary of State shirley Weber on Thursday,[Insert Date],for failing to hand over the state’s voter rolls. The DOJ alleges Weber is unlawfully preventing federal authorities from ensuring state compliance with federal voting regulations and safeguarding federal elections against fraud. Similar lawsuits were filed against officials in Michigan, Minnesota, New York, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania, all of whom have declined the DOJ’s requests for their states’ voter rolls.
Attorney General Pam Bondi (Note: Update if a different AG is currently in office) stated, “Clean voter rolls are the foundation of free and fair elections. Every state has a obligation to ensure that voter registration records are accurate, accessible, and secure – states that don’t fulfill that obligation will see this Department of justice in court.”
The DOJ’s Legal Argument
The Justice Department argues its authority to access voter rolls stems from the national Voter Registration Act (NVRA), also known as the “Motor Voter” law. The NVRA, passed in 1993, aims to increase voter registration opportunities. The DOJ contends that ensuring states properly maintain voter lists – removing ineligible voters and updating records – is a key component of NVRA compliance. They assert they need access to the rolls to verify this compliance.
Specifically, the lawsuit against Weber argues the DOJ is charged with ensuring proper voter registration protocols and accurate, up-to-date rolls. Therefore, access to state voter rolls is necessary to fulfill this duty.
The DOJ has demanded specific data, including:
- A current electronic copy of California’s statewide voter registration list.
- Lists of all duplicate registration records in specific counties (Imperial, Los Angeles, Napa, Nevada, San Bernardino, Siskiyou, and Stanislaus).
- A list of duplicate registrants removed from the list and the dates of removal.
- A list of registrations canceled due to voter death.
- An clarification for a recent decline in the number of ”inactive” voters.
- A list of all registrations, including date of birth, driver’s license number (where available), and address history.