The Department of Justice announced Friday that it has filed lawsuits against five additional states for failing to produce voter registration lists.
The DOJ's Civil Rights Division added Kentucky, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Utah, and West Virginia in the latest wave of legal action as the Trump administration continues its nationwide push for election integrity.
All but New Jersey supported President Donald Trump in the 2024 election, amid criticism that the effort targets only Democrat-led states.
"The Justice Department will continue to fulfill its oversight role dutifully, neutrally, and transparently wherever Americans vote in federal elections," Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, who leads the DOJ's Civil Rights Division, said in a statement.
"Many state election officials, however, are choosing to fight us in court rather than show their work," she continued.
"We will not be deterred, regardless of party affiliation, from carrying out critical election integrity legal duties."
As with previous lawsuits, the DOJ argues the Civil Rights Act of 1960 allows the attorney general to demand the production, inspection, and analysis of statewide voter registration lists so they can be cross-checked for improper registrations.
"The integrity of our elections is foundational to our republic, and efforts to identify and eliminate voter fraud are both appropriate and necessary," Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, a Republican, said in a statement.
"The U.S. Department of Justice is currently examining election systems and data across the country to ensure compliance with federal law and safeguard public confidence in the electoral process. Oklahoma shares that commitment," he continued.
"The state of Oklahoma will fully cooperate with any lawful federal requests related to the investigation of voter fraud," Drummond said.
"Oklahomans should have confidence that their state remains firmly committed to both election integrity and the protection of personal information."
But New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport, a Democrat, struck a less conciliatory tone.
"As several courts have already held, the Department of Justice's request for voters' personal information, including their driver's license numbers and Social Security numbers, is baseless," she said in a statement posted on X.
"We are committed to protecting the privacy of our state's residents, and we will defend against this lawsuit in court."
Several federal courts have dismissed or rejected similar DOJ lawsuits seeking access to statewide voter registration data.
For example, a federal judge in California dismissed the department's bid for unredacted voter rolls containing sensitive personal identifiers, saying the legal basis for the DOJ's demand was flawed.
Multiple rulings and a national tracker of these cases show courts have either questioned the department's statutory authority or rejected suits on procedural grounds, while litigation remains ongoing in other states.
"Accurate, well-maintained voter rolls are a requisite for the election integrity that the American people deserve," Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement.
"This latest series of litigation underscores that. This Department of Justice is fulfilling its duty to ensure transparency, voter roll maintenance, and secure elections across the country."
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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