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Federal judge blocks Trump bid for full Minnesota voter rolls

A federal judge in Minnesota dismissed a Justice Department lawsuit that sought the state's full voter registration list, blocking federal access to private voter data.[1]

The judge found no legal basis under the Civil Rights Act of 1960 or the Help America Vote Act for demanding unredacted voter rolls and called the effort a "fishing expedition." FOX 9 As a result, Minnesota officials will not have to turn over private voter information.[1] The ruling follows similar Justice Department suits that have failed in at least 23 states and the District of Columbia.[1] Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon and Attorney General Keith Ellison praised the decision as a win for voter privacy and election security.[1]

The Justice Department had sued Minnesota seeking the state's entire voter registration list under those federal statutes, a move the court rejected as legally unjustified.[1] The case was decided in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, which dismissed the suit and left state voter records protected from federal disclosure.[1]

  1. FOX 9
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📌 Key Facts

  • The U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota dismissed a Trump administration lawsuit seeking Minnesota’s entire voter registration list.
  • The judge found no legal basis in the Civil Rights Act of 1960 or Help America Vote Act for the federal government to demand unredacted voter rolls, calling the effort a “fishing expedition.”
  • Minnesota officials will not have to turn over private voter information, and similar DOJ suits in at least 23 other states and D.C. have all failed.
  • Secretary of State Steve Simon and Attorney General Keith Ellison publicly praised the ruling as a win for voter privacy and election security.

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August 17, 2026