Key facts
- A federal judge rejected the Justice Department's demand for unredacted New Jersey voter rolls.
A federal judge has ruled against the Justice Department's attempt to obtain unredacted New Jersey voter rolls, citing similar decisions in over a dozen other states. The DOJ plans to appeal the ruling.
The ruling is significant as it upholds state control over voter roll data against federal demands, potentially impacting the Trump administration's broader efforts to scrutinize election processes and evidence of voter fraud claims.
A federal judge has rejected the Justice Department's attempt to compel New Jersey to release unredacted voter rolls, ruling on several grounds against the federal agency. The decision aligns with similar rulings in at least sixteen other federal courts across the country.
The Justice Department stated it disagrees with the court's decision and plans to appeal.
The status of New Jersey's voter rolls became a national issue recently when thousands of citizens were erroneously registered to vote due to a Motor Vehicle Commission error between June 2023 and June 2024. Approximately 400 of these noncitizens cast ballots in subsequent elections, according to officials.
The Trump administration has pursued similar lawsuits against state election administrators nationwide, with the DOJ demanding information on the noncitizens added to the rolls. New Jersey formally rejected this request.
In a separate legal battle, a different district judge recently rebuffed an attempt by the Republican National Committee to access state voter roll data.