A federal judge has ruled that the US Justice Department is not entitled to sensitive information on California voters, describing the Trump administration's efforts to obtain the data as a threat to democracy. The ruling, issued on Thursday by US District Judge David Carter, dismisses the Justice Department's lawsuit against California, which sought a list of all voters including dates of birth and the last four digits of social security numbers.
The Justice Department had argued the information was needed to ensure the state was complying with the National Voter Registration Act by removing ineligible voters from its rolls. California's secretary of state offered a redacted version of the voter list but refused to hand over the full data, prompting the lawsuit. Similar suits have been filed in 23 other states and the District of Columbia.
Judge Carter wrote that centralising voter information with the federal government would have a chilling effect on voter registration and turnout, as voters fear their information could be used for inappropriate purposes. He also noted evidence that the government intended to compare the data with Department of Homeland Security records for immigration enforcement, contradicting its stated purpose.
The ruling is a setback for the Trump administration's controversial efforts to gather voter data, which voting rights activists argue are based on weak legal grounds and could sow doubt about election integrity. A federal judge in Oregon has also indicated he will block a similar request there.
