A federal appeals court ruled Wednesday that Michigan can withhold sensitive voter information from the Trump administration, dealing another legal setback to the government’s efforts to obtain such data from multiple states. The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court’s decision in a 2-1 ruling, stating that a 1960 civil rights law does not entitle the Justice Department to Michigan’s unredacted voter registration list, which includes birth dates, driver’s license numbers, and partial Social Security numbers.
Immediate Action & Core Facts
The ruling marks the first time an appeals court has weighed in on the Trump administration’s push for voter data. The Justice Department had sought the information to ensure compliance with federal election laws, citing anomalies and complaints. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat, argued the government lacked authority to demand confidential voter information and provided only the public version of the state’s voter registration list.
Deeper Dive & Context
The Justice Department initially requested voter registration lists from nearly every state and the District of Columbia last summer, citing the Help America Vote Act and the National Voter Registration Act. So far, nine district courts have rejected the administration’s efforts in states including Maryland, Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin. In Georgia, a judge dismissed a lawsuit due to improper filing, prompting the government to refile elsewhere.
At least 13 states have either provided or promised to hand over their voter registration lists to the government, according to the Brennan Center for Justice and Associated Press reporting. These states include Alaska, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Wyoming.
Opposing Perspectives
The Trump administration maintains that the data is necessary to ensure compliance with federal election laws. However, attorneys for Michigan and other states have suggested the government’s goals may include creating a national voter file and sharing information with the Department of Homeland Security to identify noncitizens who may have registered to vote.
The ruling was split, with Judge Andre Mathis writing that the 1960 law was intended to protect voting rights, not restrict them. He was joined by Judge Guy Cole Jr., while Judge John Nalbandian dissented.