Judge Rejects DOJ Bid for New Hampshire Voter Rolls

A federal judge dismissed a Justice Department lawsuit seeking New Hampshire’s voter registration list, saying the request did not meet requirements under the Civil Rights Act of 1960 and that the government failed to allege a specific violation under the Help

For New Hampshire, the question was simple: hand over the voter rolls—or don’t. On Monday, a federal judge answered that fight with a dismissal, dealing the Trump administration another setback in its push for detailed information about Americans’ voter records.

U.S. District Judge Joseph LaPlante ruled in a lawsuit brought by the Justice Department aimed at compelling New Hampshire to turn over its voter registration list. LaPlante found that the request did not comply with a section of the Civil Rights Act of 1960 dealing with federal election records. The judge also found that the Justice Department failed to allege any violation under the Help America Vote Act of 2002. which sets standards for state voting systems and voter registration lists.

In explaining the decision. LaPlante said the ruling prevents “allowing the Attorney General unrestricted access to New Hampshire’s (voter list) to conduct a line-by-line audit to assess a ‘possible’ violation of a federal statute.” The judge’s wording went to the heart of what was at stake: whether federal officials could demand an intrusive. unbounded review without a properly pleaded. specific legal basis.

New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan, a Republican, welcomed the outcome. “I am committed to protecting the private information of New Hampshire voters to the fullest extent required by law,” he said in a statement.

The loss in New Hampshire brings to 10 the number of states where the Justice Department has lost similar cases. The department had sued in 30 states and the District of Columbia, seeking detailed state voter data. That data includes dates of birth. addresses. driver’s license numbers and partial Social Security numbers—information state officials have long maintained should be handled under state privacy and election procedures.

Judges rejected the Justice Department’s attempts in Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Oregon, Rhode Island and Wisconsin. In Georgia, a judge dismissed the Justice Department lawsuit because it was filed in the wrong city, prompting the government to refile elsewhere.

Federal officials have argued that they need the voter data to ensure states are complying with federal election laws related to maintaining voter registration lists. even though states already have detailed processes to meet those standards. In the case involving Rhode Island. a Justice Department attorney acknowledged that the department was seeking unredacted voter roll information so it could be shared with the Department of Homeland Security to check citizenship status.

That federal rationale has met sharp resistance from Democratic officials and some Republicans. They argue the demands violate state and federal privacy laws.

The administration’s efforts still have produced some compliance elsewhere. At least 13 states have either provided or promised to provide their voter registration lists to the department. according to Brennan Center for Justice and Associated Press reporting: Alaska. Arkansas. Indiana. Louisiana. Mississippi. Nebraska. Ohio. Oklahoma. South Carolina. South Dakota. Tennessee. Texas and Wyoming.

Taken together, Monday’s ruling shows how quickly the Justice Department’s broad approach is colliding with specific legal limits. While the department continues pressing its case in multiple states. the New Hampshire decision underscores how courts are drawing bright lines around what federal officials can demand—and under which statutes they can do it.

New Hampshire voter rolls Justice Department lawsuit Joseph LaPlante David Scanlan Civil Rights Act of 1960 Help America Vote Act voter privacy