The Trump administration filed lawsuits Thursday against six states for refusing to provide voter registration records to the federal government.
The Justice Department claims Michigan, California, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Minnesota, and New York have failed to comply with federal law requiring clean and accurate voter rolls.
“Clean voter rolls are the foundation of free and fair elections,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said. “Every state has a responsibility 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 lawsuits allege violations of the National Voter Registration Act and the Help America Vote Act. These laws give the attorney general authority to inspect states’ voter rolls to ensure compliance with federal standards.
As part of the lawsuits, the DOJ is seeking voter information including driver’s license numbers and the last four digits of Social Security numbers to verify eligibility.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the DOJ Civil Rights Division said the action is crucial to election integrity.
“States are required to safeguard American elections by complying with our federal elections laws,” Dhillon said. “Clean voter rolls protect American citizens from voting fraud and abuse, and restore their confidence that their states’ elections are conducted properly, with integrity, and in compliance with the law.”
The lawsuits mark one of the most aggressive moves by the Trump administration to challenge state-level election practices.
The department says federal oversight is necessary to ensure that only eligible voters remain on the rolls, the Daily Wire reported.
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat, pushed back immediately. She cited state law prohibiting the disclosure of personally identifiable voter information to federal authorities.
“States can and must hold the line. Only state and local election officials — not the president, the DOJ, or any other federal agency — have the right to people’s private voter information,” Benson said. “The people of Michigan have entrusted this department with their personal data, and I will stand up to this illegal and unconstitutional power grab.”
Other states named in the suits have made similar arguments, asserting that federal demands violate privacy and state authority.
The Justice Department, however, insists that compliance with the law is non-negotiable.
Officials say withholding voter data undermines transparency and public confidence in election outcomes.
Republican National Committee Chair Joe Gruters praised the lawsuits, calling them a “critical step toward restoring confidence in our elections.”
“Voters deserve to know that their states are removing ineligible individuals — including the deceased, criminals, out-of-state movers, and non-citizens — from the rolls,” Gruters said.
The case is likely to ignite intense political debate, with Democrats framing it as federal overreach and Republicans portraying it as essential for election security.
The lawsuits are expected to move quickly through federal courts as both sides prepare to make their case. The outcome could set a major precedent for the balance of power between state and federal control over elections.
The Trump administration says the effort is not partisan. Bondi emphasized that the DOJ’s goal is to protect voters and ensure every vote counts in a secure and legal manner.
