Story perspectives

Court Bars DOJ Access to Voter Rolls Ahead of Election

7/7/2026

Summary

Story summary

Judges ruled state voter rolls are not records the Justice Department can compel under Title III.
The department appealed defeats in three states while the First Circuit set a briefing schedule that may run past the 90-day quiet period before the November 3 election.
State officials and voting-rights groups say the demand for unredacted data—including birth dates, addresses, driver’s license and Social Security numbers—threatens voter privacy and could enable late-stage purges.

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Story summary

Judges ruled state voter rolls are not records the Justice Department can compel under Title III.
The department appealed defeats in three states while the First Circuit set a briefing schedule that may run past the 90-day quiet period before the November 3 election.
State officials and voting-rights groups say the demand for unredacted data—including birth dates, addresses, driver’s license and Social Security numbers—threatens voter privacy and could enable late-stage purges.