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 three federal statutes that require states to maintain accurate voter rolls and make those records available for inspection Attorney General Pam Bondi noted 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 various states have fallen into a pattern of noncompliance with basic voter roll maintenance Bondi announced in a announcement announcing the lawsuits The Department of Justice will continue filing proactive polling integrity litigation until states comply with basic vote safeguards NEWSOM'S FIERY CLAIM DOJ HAS 'NO BUSINESS' MONITORING CA ELECTORAL PROCESS BLASTED BY TRUMP OFFICIAL 'CALM DOWN BRO'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 material to ensure compliance with federal law Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon who leads the Civil Rights Division explained the department is escalating enforcement efforts ahead of the voting cycle Our federal elections laws ensure every American citizen may vote freely and fairly Dhillon disclosed 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 voting process results At this Department of Justice we will not stand for this open defiance of federal civil rights laws FIRST TIME VOTING HERE IS THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO BALLOT BOXES CRITICAL ISSUES ON POLL DAYThe DOJ says the lawsuits are part of a broader effort to enforce voter-registration transparency requirements that Congress put in place to ensure society confidence in electoral contest 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 authorizes the establishment to inspect and copy certain polling records including voter rolls Fox News Digital has reached out to elections personnel in all six states for comment Federal agents have increasingly pressed states on voter roll compliance issues in fresh years arguing that transparency around registration lists is essential to maintaining accurate records preventing administrative errors and ensuring voters have confidence in polling 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 Referendum law disputes over voter roll access and maintenance have escalated nationwide as states prepare for the 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 balloting integrity litigation until states comply and has left open the possibility of additional lawsuits