Election Law and Voter Data

A federal judge, David O. Carter, dismissed the Justice Department’s bid to obtain California’s full, unredacted voter file for some 23 million voters—including names, driver’s‑license numbers and partial Social Security numbers—calling the request “unprecedented and illegal” and saying the administration may not unilaterally usurp authority over elections. Carter framed the lawsuit as part of a broader effort to build a national voter roll through similar suits in roughly two dozen states, warned that erosion of privacy and voting rights must be addressed by Congress not the executive, and California officials vowed to continue defending voters amid concerns about sharing data with DHS/USCIS.