DOJ Sues Colorado and Hawaii to Force Release of Private Voter Data in Latest Push by Trump Admin
The U.S. Department of Justice sued Colorado and Hawaii Thursday in an expanded effort to force states to surrender their complete voter registration data, a move that escalates an already contentious national legal battle over election records. According to Democracy Docket, this marks at least the 16th lawsuit in a campaign the DOJ has mounted against states resisting federal demands.
The conflict raises questions about voter privacy and federal power weeks before the 2026 election cycle begins, igniting fierce pushback from state election officials who argue the DOJ is seeking information it has no lawful right to obtain.
In Colorado, Secretary of State Jena Griswold (D) declined to provide unredacted voter files that include dates of birth and partial Social Security or driver’s license numbers, saying the state will protect voter privacy and “look forward to winning this case.”
The DOJ’s complaint invokes provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1960, the National Voter Registration Act, and the Help America Vote Act as legal bases for compelling production of records. States contend those laws do not authorize a federal takeover of sensitive voter data or override state election administration authority.
Legal scholars note that no federal court has yet endorsed the DOJ’s theory of authority here, and election law experts say the outcomes could set far-reaching precedents.
“We will not hand over Coloradans’ sensitive voting information to Donald Trump,” Griswold told Colorado Public Radio, underscoring the deep state-federal divide.
The stakes include potential exposure of millions of Americans’ personal information and a redefinition of federal oversight of elections.
Federal courts are expected to hear arguments early next year as states move to block or delay enforcement of the DOJ’s demands. What happens next will shape whether the Justice Department can compel private voter data from resistant states or whether states can continue to assert autonomy over their election systems.
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