Judge Blocks DOJ Bid for Maryland Voter Rolls, Dealing Trump 9th Court Loss
Updated
Updated · thebanner.com · Jun 22
Judge Blocks DOJ Bid for Maryland Voter Rolls, Dealing Trump 9th Court Loss
3 articles · Updated · thebanner.com · Jun 22
Summary
Hours before Maryland’s gubernatorial primary, U.S. District Judge Stephanie Gallagher dismissed the Justice Department’s suit on the merits, barring access to the state’s voter rolls.
Gallagher rejected the DOJ’s claim that federal law compels disclosure, writing the court would not read voting statutes “contrary to [their] text” just because the administration had adopted that interpretation.
Maryland argued its database includes sensitive data — birth dates, driver’s license numbers and partial Social Security numbers — while DOJ lawyers would not detail planned uses and said there were “no limits” on what the government could do.
The ruling marks the department’s ninth loss in similar voter-roll cases, with judges in states including Michigan, California and Oregon also rejecting what critics say is an attempted national voter database tied in part to immigration enforcement.
At least 16 states have voluntarily shared voter files, but the case underscores the broader clash between Trump’s push for more federal control over elections and states’ constitutional authority to run them.