Election Law and Voting Rights

U.S. District Judge Mustafa Kasubhai said he will dismiss the Trump Justice Department’s lawsuit seeking Oregon’s unredacted voter rolls and will issue a written opinion, marking a second federal‑court rebuff after an earlier California ruling. The decision, part of the DOJ’s multi‑state effort that has sued at least 23 states and D.C., drew praise from Oregon AG Dan Rayfield—who said federal voting laws cannot be used as a “backdoor” to obtain dates of birth, driver’s‑license numbers and partial Social Security numbers—and has prompted criticism, including over a related letter to Minnesota officials seen by critics as a coercive bid for detailed voter data.

A federal judge, David O. Carter, dismissed the Justice Department’s bid to obtain California’s full, unredacted voter file for some 23 million voters—including names, driver’s‑license numbers and partial Social Security numbers—calling the request “unprecedented and illegal” and saying the administration may not unilaterally usurp authority over elections. Carter framed the lawsuit as part of a broader effort to build a national voter roll through similar suits in roughly two dozen states, warned that erosion of privacy and voting rights must be addressed by Congress not the executive, and California officials vowed to continue defending voters amid concerns about sharing data with DHS/USCIS.