US Justice Department sues 3 states, District of Columbia for voter data

MADISON, Wis. — The U.S. Justice Department sued three states and the District of Columbia on Thursday for not turning over requested voter information to the Trump administration.

The latest lawsuits were filed against Wisconsin, Illinois, Georgia and the District of Columbia. The Justice Department has now filed 22 lawsuits seeking voter information as part of its effort to collect detailed voting data and other election information across the country.

''We shared our nation-leading list maintenance practices and public voter roll data with the DOJ December 8 at their request, and we look forward to working together to eliminate the federal barriers that prevent even cleaner voter rolls,'' Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said in a statement. ''Hardworking Georgians can rest easy knowing this data was shared strictly in accordance with state law that protect voters' privacy.''

The latest round comes one week after the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission voted against the Justice Department's request for the data. Both Republican and Democratic commissioners voiced concerns about the request last week, saying it would be illegal under Wisconsin law to provide the voter roll information that includes the full names, dates of birth, residential addresses and driver's license numbers of voters.

Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul said the Justice Department should be ''serving the interests of the American people, not chasing conspiracy theories.''

"As has been demonstrated over and over and over again, Wisconsin's elections are fair and conducted with integrity,'' Kaul said.

The Illinois State Board of Elections declined to comment.

Last week, the Justice Department sued Colorado, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Nevada.

The Justice Department said 10 states are either in full compliance or working toward it.

The Trump administration has characterized the lawsuits as part of an effort to ensure the security of elections, and the Justice Department says the states are violating federal law by refusing to provide the voter lists and information about ineligible voters.

The lawsuits have raised concerns among some Democratic officials and others who question exactly how the data will be used, and whether the department will follow privacy laws to protect the information. Some of the data sought includes names, dates of birth, residential addresses, driver's license numbers and partial Social Security numbers.

''The law is clear: states need to give us this information, so we can do our duty to protect American citizens from vote dilution,'' Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said in a statement. ''Today's filings show that regardless of which party is in charge of a particular state, the Department of Justice will firmly stand on the side of election integrity and transparency.''