Court Rejects Massachusetts Voter Roll Case: Trump DOJ Now 0 for 4

A Massachusetts federal judge has dismissed the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) lawsuit seeking unredacted voter registration rolls. This ruling marks the fourth consecutive defeat for the DOJ in similar cases, leaving the agency without any wins across its 30 active lawsuits.

Court Rejects DOJ’s Request for Voter Rolls

Since President Trump’s administration, the DOJ has relentlessly pursued access to voter registration data from every state. This effort aligns with the administration’s heightened focus on immigration enforcement. While 17 Republican-led states have complied with these requests, many others have resisted, prompting the DOJ to initiate legal actions against 29 states and Washington, D.C.

Massachusetts Case Details

In Massachusetts, the DOJ’s demand for voter data included sensitive personal information, such as Social Security numbers and birth dates. However, District Court Judge Leo Sorokin pointed out that the DOJ failed to comply with the requirements outlined in the 1960 Civil Rights Act (CRA). According to Judge Sorokin, the DOJ did not adequately justify its request.

• The court noted: “The United States’ complaint fails for the simple reason that the Attorney General’s demand did not comply with Title III of the Civil Rights Act.”
• Judge Sorokin emphasized that the DOJ must provide a clear “basis” and “purpose” for such demands.

Previous Legal Challenges

Similar cases in California and Oregon have resulted in losses for the DOJ due to inadequate justification. Additionally, a Trump-appointed judge in Michigan ruled against the DOJ’s requests for different legal reasons. The DOJ’s lawsuit in Georgia was also dismissed, albeit without prejudice, due to being filed in the incorrect court.

Judge Sorokin, appointed during the Obama administration, highlighted the importance of the Attorney General stating a “basis” for requests, labeling this requirement as mandatory. He further noted that the DOJ’s communications did not point to any specific anomalies in Massachusetts’s voter registration data.

The ongoing legal battles concerning voter registration data will continue to unfold, as the DOJ refiles certain lawsuits, including the one in Georgia.