A federal judge blocked the Trump administration's attempt to force Michigan to hand over its full, unredacted voter registration rolls.
The judge ruled that federal law does not require the state to disclose voters' private information.
U.S. District Judge Hala Jarbou of the Western District of Michigan dismissed a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice after Michigan refused to provide a complete voter list containing personally identifiable details.
Jarbou, who was appointed by President Donald Trump during his first term, granted the state's request to toss out the case.
The dispute began last year as the Justice Department sought voter registration data from nearly every state as part of a broader effort to identify and prevent noncitizen voting.
In July, federal officials requested Michigan's full voter roll along with detailed information about the state's voter registration procedures.
Michigan officials responded in September by providing a redacted version of the voter list, withholding sensitive personal information such as birth dates and driver's license numbers.
State officials argued that releasing unredacted data would violate state and federal privacy protections. Unsatisfied, the Justice Department sued later that month, demanding full access.
In a 23-page ruling, Jarbou concluded that none of the federal statutes cited by the Justice Department — including the Help America Vote Act, the National Voter Registration Act, and the Civil Rights Act — give the federal government the authority to compel states to turn over private voter data.
She also warned that forcing disclosure of confidential registration information could place an unconstitutional burden on Americans' right to vote under the First Amendment.
According to the Brennan Center for Justice, the Justice Department has sought full voter rolls from nearly every state and Washington, D.C., since May.
At least 11 states have either complied or indicated they plan to do so.
Over the past year, the department has sued 24 states and the District of Columbia over access to voter data.
Federal judges in Oregon and California also rejected similar efforts, dealing additional setbacks to the administration's nationwide push for unredacted voter records.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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