A federal judge has blocked the Department of Justice (DOJ) from obtaining Georgia’s unredacted statewide voter registration list, marking the 26th consecutive legal defeat for the Trump administration in its nationwide effort to secure detailed voter records from multiple states.
U.S. District Judge Victoria Marie Calvert, an appointee of President Joe Biden, ruled on Wednesday that federal laws do not override Georgia’s voter privacy protections. The DOJ had sought full birthdates, driver’s license numbers, and partial Social Security numbers as part of its investigation into state election compliance. Georgia argued that state privacy laws prohibit the disclosure of such sensitive personal data, offering only a publicly available voter list in response.
The DOJ confirmed in a statement that it is reviewing the ruling and will likely appeal, asserting that the requested records are necessary to assess compliance with federal election laws, including the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), and the Civil Rights Act (CRA).
Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, had opposed the DOJ’s request, stating that the state’s privacy protections align with existing law. The DOJ’s broader campaign, initiated in January, has targeted 30 states in an effort to obtain unredacted voter rolls, arguing that such records are essential to prevent vote dilution—a claim disputed by several states.
Judge Calvert’s decision underscores the legal and jurisdictional tensions between federal oversight and state autonomy in election administration. The ruling follows a pattern of courtroom setbacks for the DOJ, which has faced repeated rejections in its attempts to compel states to share voter data.