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2026-08-24

This month

U.S. Election Security Developments and Court Rulings on Voting Administration

The Department of Justice is currently suing 29 states and the District of Columbia to compel turnover of complete, unredacted voter registration lists. Federal district courts have dismissed DOJ laws…

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RESEARCH: U.S. Election Security Developments and Court Rulings on Voting Administration

Summary

The Department of Justice is currently suing 29 states and the District of Columbia to compel turnover of complete, unredacted voter registration lists. Federal district courts have dismissed DOJ lawsuits against California, Michigan, and Oregon, holding that federal law does not require states to disclose sensitive voter data; the California court additionally found the demands violate federal privacy laws, and DOJ has appealed all three decisions. An executive order on election integrity has generated legal challenges that are the subject of ongoing Congressional Research Service analysis.

Key Developments

  • 2026-03-06 — The Justice Department is suing 29 states and the District of Columbia for sensitive voter data; federal district courts dismissed DOJ lawsuits against California, Michigan, and Oregon, holding federal law does not require states to turn over their sensitive voter data, with the California court also finding the demands violate federal privacy laws; DOJ has appealed all three decisions State Democracy Research Initiative – University of Wisconsin Law School
  • 2026-03-06 — As of this update, the Justice Department has indicated that only 10 states—including Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Wyoming—have either provided their full voter registration lists or indicated they plan to do so; the DOJ has filed lawsuits against 24 states plus D.C., and is also pursuing a case against Orange County, California State Democracy Research Initiative – University of Wisconsin Law School
  • 2025-12-19 — A report from the State Democracy Research Initiative examines the legal questions raised by DOJ demands for complete voter registration lists from at least 40 states, including sensitive data like Social Security numbers and driver's license numbers, noting states have mostly declined to provide full unredacted lists citing privacy laws State Democracy Research Initiative – University of Wisconsin Law School
  • 2025-10 — Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson released a video message stating the Justice Department was "unlawfully demanding" private voter information, asserting "Nobody—not the president, the DOJ or any other federal agency has the right to your sensitive, private voter information" State Democracy Research Initiative – University of Wisconsin Law School
  • 2025-03 — President Trump issued an executive order that included a provision seeking to require documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections, a requirement that has since been blocked by a federal court State Democracy Research Initiative – University of Wisconsin Law School
  • Undated — The White House released declassified documents regarding election integrity, including intelligence assessments that "U.S. adversaries, including at a minimum Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea, as well as non-state groups, have the capability to compromise U.S. election infrastructure" and allegations of China's acquisition of 220 million U.S. voter files Election Integrity – The White House
  • Undated — The White House released documents concerning an FBI investigation into alleged fraud by a voter registration operation in Michigan, with statements that some canvassers admitted to signing voter registration forms in other people's names and submitting fraudulent registrations Election Integrity – The White House
  • Undated — The White House released documents alleging a data breach of Maricopa County, Arizona election data involving 633,000 voter registration files, described as the most flagged security incident in a cyberintrusion log around the November 3, 2020 election Election Integrity – The White House
  • Undated — A Congressional Research Service product provides legal background on the executive order on elections and documents court challenges to it Executive Order on Elections: Legal Background and Court Challenges | Congress.gov | Library of Congress
  • Undated — A Congressional Research Service product covers recent court rulings on voting and counting ballots related to the 2024 election Election 2024: Recent Court Rulings on Voting and Counting Ballots | Congress.gov | Library of Congress

Sources