The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against the State of North Carolina and the North Carolina State Board of Elections, accusing them of violating the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) by failing to maintain accurate voter registration rolls.
According to the complaint, North Carolina used a voter registration form that did not require applicants to provide key identifying information—such as a driver’s license number or the last four digits of a Social Security number—as mandated by federal law. Despite lacking this required information, the state allegedly added those individuals to its voter rolls, where many remain.
The lawsuit follows President Trump’s March 25 signing of Executive Order 14248, titled “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections,” which directs federal agencies to ensure elections comply with laws designed to prevent fraud and uphold voting rights.
“Accurate voter registration rolls are critical to ensure that elections in North Carolina are conducted fairly, accurately, and without fraud,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division. “The Department of Justice will not hesitate to file suit against jurisdictions that maintain inaccurate voter registration rolls in violation of federal voting laws.”
The Voting Section of the Civil Rights Division oversees enforcement of multiple federal laws designed to protect election integrity, including the Voting Rights Act, the National Voter Registration Act, HAVA, and the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.
