The United States Department of Justice has filed lawsuits against five states — including West Virginia and Kentucky — after officials declined to provide unredacted voter registration records, according to a department press release.
West Virginia and Kentucky join Oklahoma, Utah and New Jersey in the latest round of litigation. The department said its total number of voter roll-related lawsuits now approaches 30 states, along with the District of Columbia.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement that accurate and well-maintained voter rolls are essential to election integrity. She said the lawsuits reflect the department’s efforts to ensure transparency and proper voter roll maintenance nationwide.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said the agency would continue its oversight role in federal elections, adding that some state officials have opted to challenge the requests in court rather than comply.
According to the DOJ, nearly all states were asked to provide election records and data, including voter registration lists containing driver’s license numbers, dates of birth, addresses and Social Security numbers. The department contends that the attorney general has authority under the Civil Rights Act of 1960 to request such information to verify the accuracy of voter rolls.
Earlier this month, Kris Warner, West Virginia’s secretary of state, denied the request, citing privacy protections under state law.
In a Feb. 11 statement, Warner said West Virginians entrust his office with sensitive personal information and that state law permits voter lists to be released only in redacted form. He said his office would not turn over protected information to the federal government.
Warner’s response came one day after a federal judge dismissed a similar lawsuit in Michigan, ruling that compelling disclosure of sensitive voter information could impose an unconstitutional burden on the right to vote under the First Amendment.
The cases are expected to proceed in federal court.