A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed the Justice Department’s lawsuit seeking voter registration lists from Michigan, granting a request from Michigan officials, including Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, ruling that federal voting laws do not require disclosure of the state’s voter information.
In her 23-page order, U.S. District Judge Hala Jarbou wrote that the Help America Vote Act, National Voter Registration Act, and Civil Rights Act do not compel the state to hand over voter rolls, noting the requested lists are not covered under the statutes.
Michigan is one of 23 states, plus D.C., that the Justice Department has sued for access to voter rolls, arguing the records are needed to verify accurate voter registration and prevent fraud in federal elections. Courts in Oregon and California recently rejected similar DOJ lawsuits.
