Colorado Refuses DOJ Request for Voter Personal Data, Prompting Federal Lawsuit
The U.S. Department of Justice confirmed it filed a lawsuit this week against Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, pushing a legal fight over access to detailed voter information that has become a flashpoint in election administration. The lawsuit does not just seek a data file — it tests how far federal power can reach into state-controlled election systems.
Griswold refused a federal request for Colorado’s full voter registration list that included unredacted personal data such as voters’ full names, dates of birth, residential addresses and either complete driver’s license numbers or the last four of Social Security numbers. The DOJ claims the refusal violates federal election statutes including Title III of the Civil Rights Act and seeks a court order to force compliance.
Federal officials say the information is necessary to enforce federal voter list maintenance requirements and ensure elections comply with law. But election officials and state leaders, including Griswold, argue that state and federal law limits what can be shared and that turning over sensitive personal data threatens voter privacy.
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The lawsuit is the latest escalation in a nationwide campaign by the Biden-then-Trump DOJ to obtain sensitive voter information from states across the country. At least 16 states — Republican and Democratic alike — have been sued for refusing similar data requests.
“We will not hand over Coloradans’ sensitive voting information … The DOJ can take a hike,” Griswold said in a statement.
This legal showdown matters because it could redefine the scope of federal authority over voter data, potentially affecting how elections are administered and how voter privacy is protected nationwide. If the court sides with the DOJ, other states resisting similar requests could be compelled to comply. If not, states may gain broader leverage to deny detailed voter files to the federal government.
A hearing date has not yet been scheduled, and both sides are preparing legal briefs as the case proceeds in U.S. District Court in Denver.
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