DOJ sues six states for refusing to turn over voter registration rolls, warns ‘open defiance’ of federal law

The Justice Department filed lawsuits Tuesday against six blue states: Delaware, Maryland, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington, accusing them of violating federal law by refusing to provide statewide voter registration rolls upon request.

The complaints, filed by the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, argue the states failed to meet their legal obligations under the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), and the Civil Rights Act of 1960, three federal statutes that require states to maintain accurate voter rolls and make those records available for inspection.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said state refusals to disclose the lists undermine the transparency and accountability those laws were designed to guarantee.

“Accurate voter rolls are the cornerstone of fair and free elections, and too many states have fallen into a pattern of noncompliance with basic voter roll maintenance,” Bondi said in a statement announcing the lawsuits. “The Department of Justice will continue filing proactive election integrity litigation until states comply with basic election safeguards.”

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The Department of Justice announced a new suit against six blue states Tuesday over access to voter roll data. (Getty Images)

According to the DOJ, the agency formally requested each state’s current, statewide voter registration roll and did not receive the required records. In each lawsuit, the department argues that Congress gave the attorney general clear authority to demand the production, inspection, and analysis of voter registration data to ensure compliance with federal law.

Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon, who leads the Civil Rights Division, said the department is escalating enforcement efforts ahead of the 2026 election cycle.

“Our federal elections laws ensure every American citizen may vote freely and fairly,” Dhillon said. “States that continue to defy federal voting laws interfere with our mission of ensuring that Americans have accurate voter lists as they go to the polls, that every vote counts equally, and that all voters have confidence in election results. At this Department of Justice, we will not stand for this open defiance of federal civil rights laws.”

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Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon arrives for a news conference at the Justice Department on September 29, 2025 in Washington, DC (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

The DOJ says the lawsuits are part of a broader effort to enforce voter-registration transparency requirements that Congress put in place to ensure public confidence in election administration. NVRA requires states to maintain accurate voter lists and produce them upon request; HAVA mandates states modernize and safeguard voter registration systems; and the Civil Rights Act of 1960 authorizes the government to inspect and copy certain election records, including voter rolls.

Fox News Digital has reached out to elections officials in all six states for comment.

The Justice Department filed lawsuits against six blue states: Delaware, Maryland, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington, accusing them of violating federal law by refusing to provide statewide voter registration rolls upon request. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)

Federal officials have increasingly pressed states on voter roll compliance issues in recent years, arguing that transparency around registration lists is essential to maintaining accurate records, preventing administrative errors and ensuring voters have confidence in election outcomes. The DOJ says the six states named in these new suits have repeatedly failed to meet the department’s requests.

The cases will now move forward in federal court, where judges could order the states to turn over the voter lists, impose compliance deadlines, or issue injunctions requiring adherence to federal law.

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Election law disputes over voter roll access and maintenance have escalated nationwide as states prepare for the 2026 midterms and the DOJ’s latest actions show an aggressive legal posture toward states that fail to meet federal disclosure rules.

The department says it will “continue filing proactive election integrity litigation until states comply,” and has left open the possibility of additional lawsuits.