The Justice Department on Thursday filed federal lawsuits against Utah, Oklahoma, Kentucky, West Virginia, and New Jersey for failing to provide complete voter registration lists upon request, bringing the nationwide total to 29 states plus the District of Columbia.
The department also appealed rulings in California, Oregon, and Michigan, where judges had previously blocked DOJ requests for full voter registration lists.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division said, “Many state election officials… are choosing to fight us in court rather than show their work. We will not be deterred, regardless of party affiliation, from carrying out critical election integrity legal duties.”
The lawsuits cite the Civil Rights Act of 1960, which grants the Attorney General broad authority to request election records and inspect statewide voter registration lists to identify improper registrations.
