The Department of Justice on Monday filed an emergency motion in Michigan seeking to secure access to state voter registration records before the November midterm elections, after a federal judge rejected the government’s request for disclosure.
In its filing, the DOJ urged the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit to expedite the appeal, arguing the case presents “an issue of urgency with regard to the security of elections in the United States,” and warning that “the security and sanctity of elections in Michigan would be questioned absent an immediate ruling on this issue.” It marks the first time in the Michigan case, or in any of the roughly 30 voter roll lawsuits filed nationwide, that the federal government has formally asserted that immediate action is necessary.
The department is asking the Sixth Circuit to issue a decision well before the November midterm elections, stating that Michigan voters “need to know that its elections are secure and that noncitizens, deceased, and voters with multiple records are not registered to vote in its elections.” The filing references longstanding claims that noncitizens cast ballots in significant numbers.
The emergency motion requests that briefing conclude by April and waives oral argument in an effort to secure a swift decision.
