Federal Court Rules for Wisconsin Voters, Rejects Trump Administration Demand for Private Voter Data
Federal judge dismisses DOJ lawsuit seeking unredacted statewide voter file
MADISON, Wis. — In a major victory for voters, a federal court has dismissed the Trump administration’s lawsuit — an unprecedented overreach into state election administration — seeking to force Wisconsin to hand over the complete, unredacted electronic voter registration list of every voter in the state.
The ruling in United States v. Wisconsin Elections Commission ends the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) unlawful attempt to invoke a 1960 civil rights law to compel Wisconsin to turn over sensitive personal voter data, including partial Social Security numbers and driver’s license numbers. State and federal laws prohibit the release of this information.
Attorneys from Law Forward, the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin, and the national ACLU, represented Common Cause and a group of individual Wisconsin voters in the case.
“Today’s ruling is a massive victory for voter privacy and a rejection of federal overreach. The decision ensures voters are protected from an unauthorized national database that would have been a goldmine for hackers and a tool for intimidation. Our elections remain safe, secure, and in the hands of Wisconsinites where they belong,” said Bianca Shaw, Common Cause’s Wisconsin state director.
“Requiring Wisconsin to disclose this sensitive personal information despite laws prohibiting just that would have threatened the privacy of Wisconsin voters and the removal of eligible voters from voter rolls for no reason,
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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