Trump administration loses latest battle over voter registration records

Federal judges in Maine and Wisconsin have dismissed lawsuits brought by the United States Department of Justice seeking to force the states to hand over detailed voter registration data.

In Wisconsin, US District Judge James Pederson ruled that the state’s voter registration list could not be requested under the Civil Rights Act of 1960, rejecting arguments made by the administration of Donald Trump.

In Maine, Chief US District Judge Lance Walker described the government ’s case as “half-hearted” while granting the state’s request to dismiss the lawsuit.

The rulings mark the latest setback for the Trump administration, which has filed lawsuits against at least 30 states and Washington, DC, seeking access to voter information including dates of birth, addresses, driving licence numbers and partial Social Security numbers.

Bianca Shaw of Common Cause Wisconsin called the decision “a massive victory for voter privacy and a rejection of federal overreach.”

Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said: “Let me be clear — Trump and the DOJ may continue to try to interfere with free and fair elections run by the states. We will not let them.”