DOJ Request for Voter Rolls Sparks Privacy Concerns Among California Residents
DOJ Request for Voter Rolls Sparks Privacy Concerns Among California Residents
https://davisvanguard.org/2026/04/doj-demands-california-voter-data/
Publish Date: 2026-04-29 16:00:00
Source Domain: davisvanguard.org
WASHINGTON — A coalition of voting rights groups has filed a brief urging a federal appeals court to block the U.S. Department of Justice’s demand for California voters’ private data, warning that the request exceeds federal authority and threatens voter privacy, according to the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law.
The groups argue the Justice Department’s pursuit of California’s voter rolls puts sensitive personal information at risk. According to the Brennan Center, the lawsuit against California is one of 31 cases filed nationwide seeking access to voter rolls that contain driver’s license numbers, partial Social Security numbers and other private information.
On April 24, the League of United Latin American Citizens filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in United States v. Weber, the Justice Department’s lawsuit demanding California’s complete voter files. The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law, Campaign Legal Center and Democracy Forward Foundation are representing the League.
The brief urges the court to uphold the January dismissal of the lawsuit, in which a federal judge rejected the department’s claims that it was entitled to the complete voter files. The Brennan Center noted that U.S. v. Weber is one of 31 lawsuits the Justice Department has filed nationwide seeking access to state voter files containing the personal information of millions of Americans.
The filing argues that forcing states to provide the data to the federal government could chill voter registration and participation, particularly among Latino voters, according to the Brennan Center.
The Brennan Center said the brief also contends that the Justice Department’s legal rationale for collecting private voter data is spurious. The department claims it needs the information to verify states’ compliance with federal laws related to voter list maintenance,…
