DOJ Slams West Virginia With Lawsuit After State Withholds Full Voter Roll Database
West Virginia’s top elections official is now facing a federal lawsuit after refusing to hand over a full copy of the state’s voter registration database to the U.S. Department of Justice, including sensitive fields like birth dates and ID-related numbers.
According to DOJ court filings, the department demanded West Virginia’s statewide voter registration list “with all fields” under the Civil Rights Act of 1960, saying it needs the records to review voter-roll maintenance obligations under the National Voter Registration Act and Help America Vote Act.
West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner declined, and DOJ says the state repeated that refusal after follow-ups, leading to the suit filed Feb. 26.
The clash centers on privacy versus federal oversight: West Virginia officials have pointed to voter data security concerns, while DOJ argues federal law requires the records be made available for inspection and copying.
The lawsuit is part of a broader DOJ push that also targeted Utah, Oklahoma, Kentucky, and New Jersey this week.
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