Federal Judges In Maine And Wisconsin Toss DOJ Voter-Roll Lawsuits
Two federal judges on Thursday, May 21, 2026, dismissed Justice Department lawsuits seeking unredacted statewide voter-registration lists from Maine and Wisconsin.[1]
Chief U.S. District Judge Lance Walker dismissed the suit over Maine.[1] He said the Civil Rights Act, the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) and the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) do not authorize the Justice Department to demand complete computerized voter lists for line-by-line federal audits.[1] U.S. District Judge James Peterson dismissed a parallel suit seeking Wisconsin's voter-registration database, finding such lists are not covered records under the Civil Rights Act.[1]
The department has filed similar lawsuits against 30 states and the District of Columbia after officials refused to share unredacted voter data.[1] The rulings are the Justice Department's seventh and eighth losses in its campaign to force states to turn over voter rolls.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- On Thursday, May 21, 2026, Chief U.S. District Judge Lance Walker dismissed DOJ’s lawsuit seeking Maine’s unredacted statewide voter-registration list.
- Walker held that the Civil Rights Act, HAVA and NVRA do not authorize DOJ to demand complete computerized voter lists for line-by-line federal audits.
- U.S. District Judge James Peterson the same day dismissed a parallel DOJ suit to obtain Wisconsin’s voter-registration database, finding such lists are not covered records under the Civil Rights Act.
- The rulings are the seventh and eighth losses for DOJ in its campaign to force states to turn over voter rolls, following defeats in at least six other states.
- The Justice Department has filed similar lawsuits against 30 states and the District of Columbia after officials refused to share unredacted voter data.
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